Redistricting

Districts nationwide each have about the same number of residents, currently averaging 710,767 people, based on the 2010 census, which counted 309,183,463 people in the country. Since the number of districts remains constant at 435, the population per district has been steadily increasing with each new census. In 1910, the average was 210,328.

Tennessee has had nine districts since 1990. In 1910, it had ten districts.

Significant changes were made to the district boundaries for the 2012 election, particularly in the 4th and 6th districts.

• Rutherford and Bedford Counties, which include Murfreesboro, Smyrna and Shelbyville, were moved from the 6th to the 4th district, in exchange for several of the 6th’s eastern counties.

• The 2nd and 3rd districts also exchanged significant portions, with McMinn county and the city of Athens going to the 3rd in exchange for some northern counties.

• Nashville’s district, the 5th, gained Dicskon county to the west while losing portions of Wilson county to the east.

• The 8th district gained the 7th’s portion of Shelby county along with Fayette county, which contain suburbs of Memphis, in exchange for the 8th’s eastern counties.

• The 9th district lost some eastern portions of Shelby county to the 8th in exchange for territory to the north, including the city of Bartlett.

Only the 1st district remained relatively unchanged. Since, as in most states, the state legislature controls the redistricting process, the majority party will usually redraw the boundaries to its own political advantage, and few would argue that the Republicans in Tennessee didn’t do so this time.

Because of Republican incumbent Scott DeJarlais’ troubles in the 4th district, however, the redistricting likely gives his Democratic opponent Eric Stewart some help: Rutherford county, the fifth most populous in the state, is more urban in nature and trends more Democratic than rural counties.