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Pearson's redrawn 9th

News · Heat 2.2 / 10 · 2 shows · 10m airtime

The Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais on June 1, and Tennessee redrew its congressional map six days later, splitting Memphis into three districts and stretching the 9th about 200 miles toward Nashville's suburbs. A special session was called the day of a Black colleague's funeral. State legislator Justin Pearson is running in the 9th, where a new poll puts him four points behind in a district Trump won by 21 in 2024. Democrats are now spending there, and two Tennessee districts are in play.

How 2 podcasts covered it

  1. What Next, 2026-10-05 (3:54 to 5:58)
    Introduces Pearson's run in the redrawn 9th
    Introduces Pearson's run in the redrawn 9th: the 200-mile district, Memphis split three ways, and a new poll showing him down four in a seat Trump won by 21.
    New angle: A new poll shows Pearson trailing by four points in a district Trump won by 21 in 2024.
  2. What Next, 2026-10-05 (5:58 to 8:49)
    Recaps the ground game across the redrawn 9th
    Pearson walks through the ground game in the redrawn 9th: every county about three times, a 150-person community meeting in Pulaski, the seat of the KKK, and his refusal to be intimidated. Color from the trail, not a new development in the race.
  3. What Next, 2026-10-05 (14:47 to 17:18)
    Breaks down the mechanics of the gerrymander
    Pearson walks through the mechanics of the gerrymander: the map was redrawn six days after Callais, Blackburn posted an AI-generated map, and a special session was called the day of a Black colleague's funeral, hours after the Speaker spoke there.
    New angle: Tennessee redrew its map six days after Callais, and a special session was called the day of a Black colleague's funeral.
  4. Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, 2026-10-27 (37:01 to 40:04)
    Lists the new Democratic spending districts
    Lists the districts Democrats are now spending in, Tennessee's 9th among them, and says the state's redistricting was meant to leave no Democratic representative but two districts are now in play. Phillips credits Trump dissatisfaction, prices, diesel and tariffs.
    New angle: Democrats are now spending in Tennessee's 9th, and two Volunteer State districts are in play.
Unpacking...