Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said in an exclusive interview Friday that Democratic lawmakers who were involved in disruptions during the congressional redistricting vote “will face the consequences” as House leadership continues investigating the events surrounding the special session.
A Tennessee state Democrat is calling for the City of Memphis to secede from Tennessee after the state passed a new congressional map.
The Tennessee General Assembly approved a new map that turns the state’s 9th Congressional District into a district where Republicans are now favored. Previously, the district had been the state’s only majority-black district and a Democratic stronghold.
With a new poll showing U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to dominate the Republican field in the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial primary, The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert said Thursday that Blackburn has become so entrenched in Tennessee politics that only a political collapse by the senator herself could fundamentally alter the race.
A new poll released by the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to dominate the Republican field in the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial primary, expanding her already significant lead.
The latest Beacon Poll finds Blackburn now earning 63 percent support among Republican primary voters, up from 56 percent in January. Her nearest competitor, U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), garners 10 percent, while Tennessee State Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston) trails with 5 percent. Just 22 percent of voters remain undecided.
As Tennessee lawmakers are moving quickly to advance a new congressional map, The Tennessee Star’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Michael Patrick Leahy, argued that aggressive redistricting reflects a necessary political strategy for Republicans across the nation.
On day two of the anticipated three-day special legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly, state Republicans released a proposed new congressional map that, among other changes, would divide Memphis into three districts, effectively eliminating the state’s lone Democratic district.
Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery won the Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor.
According to unofficial election results, Lowery defeated seven other candidates in the primary, earning 32.03 percent of the vote. Memphis City Council Member JB Smiley, Jr. came in second with 23.80 percent of the vote.
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