Splitting Memphis Into Three Districts Leaves It Competing for Money and Attention
After a similar split, Nashville's federal funding fell from more than $15 million to $3 million.
Reuters World News · Trump drops Russia sanctions, Israeli settlers attack US photojournalist, Oregon police say teacher and parent stopped school shooterMemphis no longer speaks to Washington with one voice. Under a Republican-backed plan, Tennessee's largest Black-majority city was divided among three sprawling congressional districts, each reaching far beyond the city.
A congressional district is the area that elects one person to the U.S. House of Representatives, so the boundary lines decide which voters a representative answers to. When a city is kept whole, its neighborhoods make up a large share of one district. When it is cut into pieces attached to large surrounding areas, each piece makes up a smaller share.
That changes how representation works in practice, according to reporter David Hood Munyal, reporting on a Reuters analysis. His point is that when a split produces districts that cover a huge area, voters in different areas feel they have to compete for federal money and for their representative's attention.
Nashville offers the comparison. Munyal said that in the four years since Nashville was split in 2022, minority voters there feel their power has been diluted, with fewer federal dollars going into the district. Nashville received more than $15 million before redistricting and $3 million afterward. Memphis has received almost $56 million since 2022, and Munyal said Nashville's lived experience points to what could happen in Memphis, as well as in Florida, Louisiana, and parts of Texas.
Critics say the change dilutes Black voters' strength and gives the city a weaker voice in Washington, while supporters call it politics. If the Nashville pattern holds, being one small part of a giant district means having to compete with other places for a share of money and attention.
Questions people ask
How could a House member affect how much federal money a place gets?
As general background beyond this reporting, House members can support local funding by requesting spending for projects and by backing grant applications to federal agencies. A member focused on other parts of a large district may do less of that work for a particular city. That difference in focus could, over time, be one reason a place sees fewer dollars.
What does it mean to dilute Black voting power?
It means drawing lines so Black voters, who might form a majority in one district, become a minority in several districts. In each new district, their preferred candidate is then less likely to win. Critics argue that leaves the community with less ability to elect someone responsive to its interests.
Can courts undo a map like Memphis?
Sometimes. Federal law bars maps that discriminate by race, and voters often sue under the Voting Rights Act or the Constitution. Courts look at election results, map shapes, and whether lawmakers intended to weaken minority voters. Cases can take years, so a map may be used for several elections before a ruling.