A Democratic strategist left a CNN panel momentarily speechless after asserting that a new congressional map, which improves the electoral prospects of a black Republican candidate, is fundamentally 'racist.'
Controversial Remarks on CNN's NewsNight
During Thursday's edition of NewsNight, journalist Lydia Moynihan highlighted the irony of the redistricting effort in Tennessee, noting that it boosts the chances of GOP contender Charlotte Bergmann, an African American woman. The map, passed by the state's general assembly just hours earlier, has drawn criticism for diluting the state's sole black-majority district.
Moynihan pointed out that the Democratic incumbent, Steve Cohen—a 76-year-old white man—has held the seat for nearly two decades. 'Is that racist?' she asked.
Democratic strategist Tezlyn Figaro bristled at the suggestion. 'It actually is,' she interjected over the ensuing crosstalk, prompting host Abby Phillip to call for an abrupt commercial break. The moment quickly went viral on social media.
Redistricting Details and Reactions
Tennessee's Republican-led legislature approved the new congressional map on Thursday, positioning the GOP to potentially gain a seat in the upcoming midterm elections. The ninth congressional district, long represented by Cohen since 2007, has been redrawn to spread Democratic and black voters into more rural, Republican-leaning districts stretching hundreds of miles east. The Nashville metropolitan area, another Democratic stronghold, has also been divided.
Local lawmakers have compared the effort to Jim Crow-era voter suppression tactics. The map splits Memphis's ninth district into three parts, each containing roughly a third of the city's black voters. Cohen and Bergmann will still compete for the newly redrawn district, which no longer has a black majority.
The development follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states can almost never consider race when drawing congressional voting districts. Bergmann, previously considered an underdog, is a Republican delegate who has lost races for Tennessee's ninth district before. The election is scheduled for November 3.
