A Goodlettsville man has filed a complaint against two groups, claiming they failed to register as political action committees even though they made expenditures for endorsed candidates. According to the Tennessee Lookout, complaints were filed against Sumner County Constitutional Republicans and Tennessee Constitutional Republicans with Sumner County District Attorney Ray Whitley and the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. The latter body is scheduled to review the matter at a Jan. 23 meeting.

The first female-majority Memphis City Council will take office in January. Jerri Green, Pearl Walker and Michalyn Easter-Thomas won their runoff elections yesterday. They join Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, Janika White, Jana Swearengen-Washington and Rhonda Logan who were elected and reelected in the October city elections. The Daily Memphian has more on the election results.

Legal battles over redistricting could lead to new congressional maps in nearly a dozen U.S. states for the 2024 election, potentially flipping control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Reuters reports on several cases including Tennessee, New York, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana that could result in seat gains for both Democrats and Republicans. The two political parties are fighting over maps redrawn after the 2020 U.S. Census. In Tennessee, civil rights groups have sued over the state's congressional map, claiming Republican lawmakers illegally hurt voters of color by splitting up Nashville's Davidson County, home to a sizable Black community into three districts. The 2022 map dismantled a heavily Democratic seat, prompting former Rep. Jim Cooper to retire.

For the first time since 1986, Knoxville will have a new municipal judge with the election of Tyler Caviness, KnoxNew reports. Incumbent John Rosson, age 76, ran on his record of experience. Caviness, a 32-year-old attorney, advocated for change throughout the campaign. He won 61.5% of the vote, promising to update the city court website and offer more accessibility in the courtroom. “I believe that treating people equally matters, and that we should prioritize that in our government offices. That is really what started this campaign,” Caviness said in his victory speech. Caviness served as a Knox County public defender before moving to the private sector and eventually starting his own practice. In a statement after conceding, Rosson said he would return to representing personal injury clients in his law practice.

Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is actively exploring a run for Congress, according to the Nashville Post. The paper reports that Barry has confirmed to another news source that she is considering a race against Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, for the Seventh District seat. Barry resigned as mayor in 2018 amid a scandal involving her security chief. Barry’s political career started in 2007 when she won one of Nashville’s five at-large councilmember seats. She won a second term in 2011. She ran for mayor in 2015, beating her opponent by 10 percentage points.

New Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has hired Rep. Darren Jernigan to be his director of legislative affairs. Jernigan served Old Hickory, Donelson and Hermitage while on Nashville's Metro Council and has represented District 60 in the state house since 2012. Axios Nashville reports that Jernigan will serve out his current term but will not seek reelection.

The upcoming Knoxville municipal runoff election features three competitive races. In the race for municipal judgeship, incumbent Judge John Rosson Jr., with over three decades on the bench, faces challenger Tyler Caviness, a former public defender advocating for fresh perspectives and better accessibility to justice. The city council at large, Seat B race pits community advocate Debbie Helsley against homebuilder R. Bentley Marlow, with both candidates focusing on addressing housing shortages and increasing homelessness resources. In the city council at large, Seat C race, incumbent Amelia Parker faces real estate developer Tim Hill, with Parker emphasizing progressive causes and affordable housing while Hill advocates for increased public safety and using density and public-private funding to address housing shortages. The election is on Nov. 7, following early voting through Nov. 2. The Tennessee Lookout has in depth coverage on the race.

Memphis attorney and former mayoral candidate Van Turner is asking for a formal investigation “into the practices and procedures” of the Shelby County Election Commission during the Oct. 5 Memphis municipal election, the Commercial Appeal reports. The request is based on a report that an election worker had her car broken into the night before the election, with items stolen including keys to ballot boxes and codes to the mayoral election. Turner also said that another set of keys had earlier gone missing from a downtown office of the election commission. The commission has said the election was not compromised in any way. Turner came in fourth in the race for Memphis mayor, losing to Paul Young.

Incumbent Franklin Mayor Ken Moore won reelection last night over Alderman Gabrielle Hanson. The race gained national attention as Hanson faced questions about her ties to white supremacists, her criminal record and past statements about the Covenant School shooting. Read more about the race from the Nashville Post and its Williamson County sister publication The News.

Daniel Herrera, former Knox County Republican party chairman, announced that he will challenge incumbent Republican Knox County Law Director David Buuck in the 2024 election. Herrera was elected party chair in 2021 at just 28 years old after defeating Harry Brooks with more than 60% of the vote. The Knoxville News Sentinel has more on Herrera's leadership experience.