Tennessee Republicans intended their ouster of two progressive lawmakers last week to be a punishment, but the move has turned into one of the Democratic Party’s best chances in years to boost their organization in the South.
“Nothing changes the fact that these districts are highly gerrymandered,” said Lisa Quigley, a former chief of staff to Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat who didn’t seek reelection after his district was effectively eliminated in redistricting last year. “It’s going to take some really smart organizing all over the state, because none of us vote very well.”
Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Tennessee, called the GOP vote “a great overreaction.”
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