For years, Quinn Carger and his mother voted in the same congressional district: Tennessee's 9th, represented for roughly two decades by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen.

But when Tennessee voters go to the polls for primary elections Thursday, Carger will no longer receive the same ballot as his mother, who lives just a seven-minute drive away. They have been separated into two of the three redrawn districts that now represent parts of Memphis.

Several Memphis voters told PBS News they're frustrated with what they felt was a bald move back in May by the Republican-controlled Legislature to eliminate Tennessee's only Democratic representative in Congress and dilute the will of the majority-Black city.

"From a strategic standpoint, it is a great power play by the Republicans here in this state to ensure that Black voices are minimized," Carger said.

At President Donald Trump's urging, Republicans in multiple states have redrawn House maps ahead of the November midterms elections in hopes of maintaining control of Congress, part of a nationwide redistricting battle waged by both parties.

By  DAVID A. LIEBUpdated 5:20 PM MST, August 4, 2026

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s top election official has rejected a citizens’ petition seeking a statewide referendum on new congressional districts backed by President Donald Trump.

Supporters of the referendum had submitted hundreds of thousands of petition signatures in a bid to force a November election on a new U.S. House map approved by the Republican-led state Legislature. But Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins asserted Tuesday that the petition is void because congressional redistricting plans cannot be subject to voter referendums.

The number of petition signatures submitted doesn’t matter, Hoskins said, because “challenging a congressional map is unconstitutional under Missouri law.”

A group backing the referendum effort said it will contest Hoskins’ decision in court.

Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redistricting map Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares explains why the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Democratic redistricting map was a “win for the rule of law.” Miyares notes the proposed map would have drastically shifted power for Democrats, citing the court’s emphasis on adhering to the state’s constitutional…

Today I see more consternation regarding the USSC decision on redistricting. Some are alarmist that it takes away representation from their special group. Well, if a district is aligned to favor a special group and not represent all citizens, it is wrong in the USA to do that.USSC is correct, districts should not be based on a special interest nor segment of citizens. It should be based strictly…

John Oliver devoted his main focus this week to redistricting. You get an excellent idea of just how irredeemably racist the Republican Party is.

True, Republicans have given themselves a modest advantage this cycle by drawing maps which screw Blacks. But in a wave year, that electoral advantage could be minimized.

Democrats need to flip both chambers of Congress this year to restore balance to the country. Doing that requires two things:

Getting out the vote at the grassroots level by talking with neighbors one at a time. Zohran Mamdani got elected mayor largely because volunteers asked people in the neighborhoods what their main concerns were and then pointed to Mamdani's proposals relating to those concerns. If people agree with 80% of what you say, they are allies – not opponents. Don't make it difficult for people to agree with you.

A unified party is a winning party. Spending more time vilifying other Democrats than defeating MAGA Republicans is a sure way to guarantee GOP control for years to come. And yes, I'm talking about ALL sides involved. Once the primaries are over, it's time to shift the focus to winning the Midterm Elections. Purity is essential with food safety but it is poisonous when building winning coalitions.

Péter Magyar is now prime minister of Hungary because he won despite severe gerrymandering and media manipulation by authoritarian Viktor Orbán. Not only did the Tisza Party win, it even has enough power now to amend Hungary's constitution. This is the result of people to people power. We can learn from the Hungarians.

If we really want change, we need to work hard for it at both the state and federal levels. To push through the reforms suggested by John Oliver near the end of that segment, we need TWO good cycles in a row. While Trump and Capitol Hill Republicans will try to obstruct Democratic majorities in House and Senate in the 120th Congress, we can use their anti-reform obstructions against them in 2028.