Staff Reports
The three‑judge federal panel has refused to freeze Tennessee’s new congressional map, denying a preliminary injunction in Sherman v. Hargett and allowing the redrawn districts to stand for the upcoming primary and general elections. The decision keeps the new lines — which split Memphis and Shelby County’s old 9th District into pieces — in place as litigation over the map’s legality continues.
What the court said
The panel concluded the plaintiffs did not show race was the driving motive when the Tennessee General Assembly approved the map. In blunt language, the judges wrote, “Plaintiffs haven’t shown a discriminatory purpose, so they aren’t likely to succeed on the merits.” They also stressed the harms of late judicial intervention, noting that changing maps close to an election would disrupt ballots, confuse voters, and substitute judges’ choices for those of elected lawmakers.
Immediate effects on Tennessee elections
Because the injunction was denied, the new congressional lines govern the August primary ballots and the November general election, and local election officials are already operating under that plan. The change broke up the long‑standing, Memphis‑centered 9th District and scattered parts of Shelby County into the 5th and 8th districts as well, reshaping who voters in Memphis will see on their ballots. Candidates have adjusted accordingly — Representative Steve Cohen said he would not run again after the redraw, and state and national contenders are lining up in the new districts.
Why judges were right to defer to elected officials
This was the right call at the right time. Courts should not rewrite maps and rewrite election rules mere weeks before primaries. The panel rightly pointed out that the “public is better served by a map created by its elected representatives, not forced upon them by unelected judges.” That’s not just legal prudence — it’s common sense. If every unhappy interest group could halt elections with an emergency motion, we would have chaos at the ballot box.
What comes next — and who will keep fighting
The ACLU and the Memphis plaintiffs say they will press on and seek permanent relief, and an appeal remains possible. That’s their choice; the legal fight will proceed on the merits, not on an emergency stop. In the meantime, Tennessee voters will cast ballots under the new map, and politicians will compete for the newly drawn seats. If nothing else, this case is a reminder: politics has consequences, and courts should be careful about stepping into the middle of them just to make headlines.
