GOP Stacking Wins As Redistricting Fight Going Badly For Dems
GOP Stacking Wins As Redistricting Fight Going Badly For Dems
Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new congressional map Tuesday that could eliminate the state’s final Democratic-held House seat, marking the latest escalation in the national redistricting battle reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The proposed map, released by Tennessee legislative leaders, would create a projected 9-0 Republican congressional delegation by redrawing the Nashville-area district currently represented by Democrats. Republican leaders argued the overhaul complies with recent Supreme Court rulings limiting the use of race in redistricting decisions while allowing states broad authority to draw maps based on partisan considerations.
“Tennessee joins other red and blue states in redrawing their congressional maps,” Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a statement accompanying the release of the map. “The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind. The decision indicated states can redistrict based off partisan politics.”
The proposal immediately drew criticism from Democrats and voting-rights advocates, who accused Republicans of aggressively targeting minority-heavy urban areas in Nashville to eliminate Democratic representation in the state’s congressional delegation.
According to the latest projected totals circulating among political analysts, Republicans have already secured a substantial net advantage from completed redistricting efforts.
Confirmed changes currently include Democratic gains of five seats in California and one seat in Utah, while Republicans have locked in gains across several GOP-controlled states. Those include four additional Republican-leaning seats in Florida, five in Texas, two in Ohio, one in North Carolina, and one in Missouri.
Taken together, those completed maps currently produce a net gain of roughly eight House seats for Republicans nationwide. Additional pending maps could further expand that advantage.
Republicans are still pursuing potential gains in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and now Tennessee. Analysts tracking litigation and legislative developments estimate Republicans could ultimately gain as many as 18 seats nationally from the current redistricting cycle, compared to roughly six Democratic gains.
At the same time, Democrats are attempting to preserve or expand favorable maps in states such as Virginia, where court challenges continue over newly approved congressional boundaries that heavily favor Democrats. That map faces possible reversal by the Virginia Supreme Court following legal challenges filed by Republicans.
The Tennessee proposal reflects a broader strategic shift following the Supreme Court’s recent decisions on race-conscious districting and the Voting Rights Act.
Last month, the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais significantly narrowed the legal framework surrounding majority-minority districts, holding that race-based district creation can violate constitutional equal protection standards. Republican lawmakers across several southern states have since argued they now possess greater flexibility to redraw districts previously designed to preserve minority voting power.
The battle over Tennessee’s map also carries national implications because of the narrow balance of power in the U.S. House. Republicans currently hold only a slim majority, making every potential seat critical heading into 2026.
Political analysts say Republicans are increasingly treating redistricting as one of their strongest structural advantages going into the midterms, especially after Democrats used similar tactics in states they control.
According to information compiled by Ballotpedia, multiple states are now actively considering or litigating mid-decade congressional map changes, an unusually aggressive pace outside the traditional post-census cycle.
Historically, large-scale redistricting battles occurred once every decade following the national census. But recent court rulings, partisan competition, and narrow congressional margins have increasingly encouraged both parties to pursue mid-decade redraws whenever political opportunities emerge.
The Tennessee legislature is expected to move quickly on the proposal in the coming weeks as both parties intensify preparations for what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential redistricting cycles in modern American politics.
Lisa Kennedy recently married Fred in Hawaii: Who is the Fox News star’s new husband?
Lisa Kennedy recently married Fred in Hawaii: Who is the Fox News star’s new husband?
Fox News personality Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery has entered a new chapter in her personal life after marrying Fred in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Hawaii.
Kennedy shared photographs from the celebration at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, giving followers a glimpse of the man she now calls her husband and the friends who joined them for the occasion.
“Married the love of my life at the Four Seasons Lanai in a Heidi Merrick dress drenched in sunshine and aloha,” Kennedy wrote. “I love you forever, Fred!!”
While Kennedy has been open about how much Fred means to her, she has kept many details about her new husband firmly outside the public spotlight.
Kennedy and Fred celebrate their marriage in Hawaii
The couple exchanged vows during an outdoor ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Kennedy wore a sparkling white Heidi Merrick gown with a fitted silhouette, completing her bridal look with a veil and colorful tropical bouquet. Fred wore a light-blue suit with a white shirt, light-colored tie and brown shoes. The newlyweds also wore traditional Hawaiian leis.
Photographs showed Kennedy and Fred walking hand in hand as guests applauded, with the bride raising her bouquet in celebration. Another captured them cutting their multi-tiered wedding cake against a backdrop of palm trees, ocean views and the evening sky.
The wedding announcement became a major moment among Kennedy’s followers, receiving more than 154,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments.
Several familiar Fox News personalities were also part of the celebration. Emily Compagno, Abby Hornacek and Alexis McAdams were among the recognizable guests photographed in Hawaii.
Emily later wrote that they had the “best time celebrating Kennedy and Fred’s marriage,” adding, “The Fox family showed up for our favorite girl.”
Who is Kennedy’s husband, Fred?
Despite the attention surrounding their wedding, Fred remains largely a private figure.
Based on what Kennedy has publicly shared, his surname, profession and detailed background have not been revealed. Even when announcing her marriage, Kennedy continued referring to her husband simply as Fred.
What she has shared, however, offers some insight into how unexpectedly their relationship entered her life.
Lisa Kennedy and her new husband Fred / Youtube
Kennedy discussed Fred publicly when announcing their engagement on The Five in December 2025. She revealed that he had proposed on December 10 and said the two had met recently and “unexpectedly.”
During the emotional on-air conversation, Kennedy described the impact their meeting had on her life.
“He is the most beautiful, wonderful human being,” she said. “And I had totally given up until those elevator doors opened and I met him out of the blue — he changed my life.”
Kennedy has not provided additional details about exactly where that first meeting occurred or the circumstances surrounding it.
Their relationship began before the public announcement
Although viewers did not learn about the engagement until December 2025, Kennedy revealed another detail suggesting Fred had quietly been part of her life for some time.
She told her The Five colleagues that she had secretly brought him to the Fox Christmas party the previous year.
“I snuck him in. Don’t tell security,” Kennedy joked during the conversation.
That revelation indicated the couple had already been seeing each other by at least December 2024, even though Kennedy had kept the relationship away from public attention.
Dana Perino was among those particularly moved by the engagement news.
Perino recalled learning about it while Kennedy was appearing on America’s Newsroom, telling her colleague that the announcement had made her cry.
“And Fred is such a wonderful guy,” Perino said before telling Kennedy, “I cried because I’m so happy for you.”
From a private romance to a Hawaiian wedding
Kennedy continued keeping Fred’s personal details private even as she became more open about their relationship.
That approach remained evident at their wedding. While she shared numerous photographs of their special day and publicly expressed her love for her new husband, she did not use the occasion to reveal his surname, career or other biographical information.
Instead, Kennedy kept the attention on their marriage and the happiness surrounding it.
The couple received congratulations from numerous familiar names, including Kat Timpf, Janice Dean, Sandra Smith, Griff Jenkins, Abby Hornacek and Meghan McCain.
For followers who had watched Kennedy announce her engagement months earlier, the Hawaiian ceremony provided the next chapter in a relationship that had largely developed outside the public eye.
What is publicly known about Fred remains limited, but Kennedy has made one thing unmistakably clear: she considers him the man who unexpectedly entered her life, changed it and ultimately became her husband.
From secretly attending a Fox Christmas party together to an emotional engagement announcement and finally exchanging vows beside the Pacific Ocean, Kennedy and Fred have now made their commitment official — while continuing to keep much of their story between themselves.
