Tennesseans want elected representatives who listen and respond to the needs of their constituents. The League of Women Voters does not believe that the proposed redistricting maps for the nine U.S. congressional districts reflects the interests of Tennesseans.

In late fall 2021, the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, CivicTN, and the Tennessee Conference of the NAACP jointly sponsored a series of three public hearings across the state to hear directly from the public. What Tennesseans want to see in the redistricting maps was clear—the voters wanted maps that kept counties intact. Participants repeatedly called for urban areas to have urban representatives and for rural areas to have rural representatives.

We delivered these messages to the House and Senate Redistricting Committees, and we are disappointed that they were ignored. The dissection of Davidson County into three congressional districts to further partisan objectives is emblematic of how the public’s voice has been ignored during this redistricting process.

It does not make sense to split our state’s capital into multiple congressional districts. As an urban area surrounded by suburban and rural counties, its needs are different. As the economic driver for the state as well as a healthcare center, a transportation hub, and a tourist mecca, Nashville/Davidson County needs undivided representation in Congress.

We believe that keeping Davidson County whole benefits not only its citizens, but the communities in surrounding counties who need Congressional representatives who understand the needs of these fast-growing suburban areas and will balance these needs with the preservation of Tennessee’s rural communities. We ask the Tennessee legislature to listen to what we heard from the public while drawing the political boundaries for the next ten years. Keep our counties intact.