In a Newly Drawn District, Black Voters May Get a Representative Who Spent Years Undermining Their Interests by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism Co-published with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism October 26, 2026, 6:00 am

In a Newly Drawn District, Black Voters May Get a Representative Who Spent Years Undermining Their Interests by Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism Co-published with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism October 26, 2026, 6:00 am https://www.propublica.org/article/brent-taylor-memphis-tennessee-preemption-laws?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary In a Newly Drawn District, Black Voters May Get a Representative Who Spent Years Undermining Their Interests Brent Taylor is currently favored to win Tennessee's Congressional District 9, which was recently redrawn from the state's sole majority-Black district, covering mostly the Memphis area, to a majority-white area that includes part of Memphis and stretches across half the state. Taylor already has a track record with many of the voters he is now seeking to represent in Washington, D.C.: In his nearly four years as a state senator, he has taken steps to strip authority from local officials elected by many of those same voters. With the backing of a Republican supermajority, Taylor pushed through half a dozen laws that superseded the power and priorities of local politicians. He also co-sponsored a law that voided the Memphis City Council’s ban on police stops for minor traffic infractions, which had been passed after the 2023 beating death of Black motorist Tyré Nichols. “I think he’s very dangerous for Shelby County, and he’s going to be very dangerous for the Ninth District if he gets elected,” said former Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson, referring to how Taylor’s policies could especially harm Black men. Anderson retired in May 2025 after clashing publicly with Taylor over bail reform measures. (Anderson supported them; Taylor opposed them.) Taylor, who declined to be interviewed, has said that the laws he has championed prioritize public safety. He did not respond to detailed questions. Taylor, who is white, is favored to win after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April made it harder to challenge gerrymandering that dilutes the Black vote.