TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Federal Judge Again Denies Request to Block Redistricting

Posted by: Azya Thornton on May 27, 2026
News Type: Legal News

After denying a coalition of voters and congressional candidates a temporary restraining order against the new redistricting maps, federal Judge William L. Campbell also has declined to grant a temporary restraining order to a separate group of plaintiffs challenging the maps. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter,  Campbell wrote that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on their first claim that the intent of the legislature was to discriminate against Black people in Memphis because “assessing a legislature’s intent is a "complex task" and “legislative action is entitled to a presumption of good faith.” He also was unwilling to conclude that the map constituted First Amendment retaliation against Black voters. The plaintiffs are still seeking a preliminary injunction against the map. As in the first case, Campbell expressed concern about “voter confusion in the face of ongoing litigation close to an election, regardless of the outcome of that litigation.” He concluded that voter confusion “counsels strongly against the issuance of an injunction.” Last week, all three cases against the maps currently pending in federal court were consolidated and assigned to Campbell.

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