TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on May 19, 2026

Three federal lawsuits challenging Tennessee's redrawn congressional map have been consolidated before Chief U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr., who has denied one request to temporarily block the map and has yet to rule on two others. The Tennessee Lookout reports on the latest developments. The three suits were brought separately by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Memphis voters, clergy and nonprofits; the NAACP Tennessee State Conference and League of Women Voters; and Democratic congressional candidates and voters. All three challenge a map enacted by the General Assembly that splits Memphis and Shelby County into three districts. The groups argue the map violates the 14th and 15th Amendments, disenfranchises voters, and set a dangerous precedent for mid-election redistricting. In related news, the Daily Memphian reports that the ACLU has filed a request with the court to allow a team of five national attorneys to argue the case. The state also has retained out-of-state lawyers, signing with the Virginia law firm Consovoy McCarthy. Two other cases will proceed separately: a state court case filed by the Tennessee NAACP and a federal suit filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee by a Chattanooga non-profit.