On April 24, 1956, Alaska voters passed Proposition 2, otherwise known as the Tennessee Plan Measure, which led to Alaska’s statehood. The measure was approved with 61% of voters supporting the proposition and 39% of voters rejecting it.

The Tennessee Plan refers to the strategy of a territory electing senators and representatives to send to Washington, D.C., to lobby for statehood. This plan was first employed by Tennessee in 1795 to gain membership into the Union. Tennessee was formerly the Southwest Territory and was under the jurisdiction of North Carolina from 1777-1788. In 1789, North Carolina ratified the United States Constitution, which transferred jurisdiction over Tennessee to the federal government. The territory then held a referendum, which revealed a 3-1 majority in favor of joining the Union.

Rather than waiting for the Union to begin the statehood process, a constitutional convention was held, and a state constitution was drafted. During the convention, John Sevier was elected as governor, William Blount and William Cocke were elected as U.S. Senators, and Andrew Jackson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The party went to Philadelphia, which was then the capital of the United States, to lobby for statehood and claim their seats. Within several months, Congress passed the Admission Act, and Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796.

Seven other states prior to Alaska also used the “Tennessee Plan” to lobby for statehood. California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oregon all used the Tennessee Plan, where they elected senators and representatives to send to Washington, to lobby for statehood. Michigan was the first state after Tennessee to employ this strategy between 1835 and 1837. Out of these states, New Mexico was the only state where the Tennessee Plan failed to grant statehood. New Mexico held a constitutional convention and elected representatives in 1850, however, Congress refused to grant statehood to New Mexico. New Mexico finally became a state through the congressional process in 1912.

Alaska was the last state to successfully use the Tennessee Plan to gain statehood. On April 24, 1956, voters in Alaska decided three questions. Proposition 1, which was approved by voters 68%-32%, ratified the Constitution of Alaska. Meanwhile, Proposition 2 called to immediately elect and send two senators and one representative to Washington D.C., regardless of federal statehood approval. 

George Lehleitner, a New Orleans businessman who fought for Alaskan statehood, devised the proposals, stating that Tennessee and six other territories had used the strategy of electing and sending senators and representatives to Washington, D.C., to lobby for statehood. After Alaska voters approved Proposition 2, Alaska elected two U.S. Senators, Earnest Gruening and William A. Egan, and one representative, Ralph J. Rivers, on October 9, 1956. The three men went to Washington and lobbied for Alaska’s statehood, leading Alaska to be the 49th state.

Recently, the Tennessee plan was attempted in two cases—in Washington, D.C., as well as in Puerto Rico.

While Washington, D.C. is not a territory, but a federal district, there was still an effort to lobby for statehood. In 1980, Washington, D.C. voters approved a statehood question, and a constitutional convention was convened. The proposed state was to be called New Columbia, and the constitution was ratified by voters in 1982. Starting in 1990, District of Columbia voters began electing two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative to advocate on the city’s behalf—these elected officials are known as a shadow congressperson. Shadow delegations are not allowed to vote in full floor votes or in committee. The purpose of these shadow offices is to advocate for statehood. Though Washington, D.C. has not been granted statehood, D.C.’s shadow senators and representatives have been lobbying for statehood ever since. Currently, shadow congresspersons are elected in Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

In the case of Puerto Rico, a Tennessee Plan was also employed in 2017, but, like Washington, D.C., it is still unsuccessful. In 2017, Puerto Rico voters decided on a referendum that would have either (A) requested admission of Puerto Rico as a U.S. state, (B) requested Puerto Rico’s independence from the United States, or (C) maintained Puerto Rico’s existence as a U.S. territory. On June 11, 2017, 97% of Puerto Rican voters favored the first option—calling for statehood,2% of voters voted for Puerto Rico’s independence, and 1% of voters voted to maintain the territorial status. The turnout of this election was 22.9%, where 518,394 voters cast ballots out of the 2,260,804 registered voters. On Aug.15, 2017, the seven-member commission was sworn in to employ the Tennessee Plan. The commission consisted of seven total members selected to attempt to serve in the U.S. Congress—five potential U.S. Representatives and two potential U.S. Senators.

Both statehood attempts by Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. are ongoing.