Democrats drop Tennessee redistricting challenge; two other legal challenges ongoing

Tennessee Democrats have voluntarily dismissed a federal lawsuit challenging a Republican-led redistricting process that carved majority-Black, majority Democratic Memphis into three U.S. House districts.

The now-dismissed challenge was brought by the Tennessee Democratic Party, four Democrats running for U.S. House seats and four voters. The plaintiffs included U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represented District 9, encompassing Memphis, for 19 years before announcing his retirement as a result of the redrawn map. State Rep. Justin Pearson, …