In Newly Drawn District Black Voters May Get Representative Who Undermined Their Interests for Years

In newly drawn district Black voters may get representative who undermined their interests for years

As state senator, Brent Taylor passed laws superseding the will of Memphis voters. Now he wants to represent them

Man Who Spent Years Undermining Voters’ Interests May Win Newly Drawn District

Tennessee congressional candidate Brent Taylor has taken steps to strip authority from elected local officials.

Black voters in new district may get GOP rep who spent years undermining their interests

Not two weeks after the Tennessee legislature carved Memphis into three congressional districts this spring, in a move designed to eliminate Democratic representation, Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor made his electoral expectations clear in a photo posted on social media. Taylor and U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, a fellow Republican, sat side by side on the U.S. Capitol steps. “My friend Tim Burchett showing me the dadgum ropes,” Taylor wrote in a F…

In a Newly Drawn District, Black Voters May Get a Representative Who Spent Years Undermining Their Interests

Brent Taylor is the front-runner for one of Memphis’ U.S. congressional districts, recently redrawn from majority Black to majority white. As state senator, he repeatedly used his power to supersede local officials — and the will of the city’s voters.

Brent Taylor could represent District 9. He has a record of overturning the wishes of Memphis voters.

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published.  Not two weeks after the state legislature carved Memphis into three congressional districts this spring, in a move designed to eliminate Democratic representation, […] Brent Taylor could represent District 9. He has a record of overturning the…