A new legal motion has been filed over Tennessee’s new congressional map drawn by the state’s Republican supermajority.
The NAACP, NAACP Tennessee State Conference and impacted voters have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction seeking to block the state’s new congressional map, which the organizations argue is unconstitutional and dilutes the power of Black voters by removing Tennessee’s only majority-Black district. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Legal Defense Fund are serving as co-counsel.
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The motion seeks a hearing before a three-judge panel in federal court and asks the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee to block the implementation of the map before the 2026 elections.
Early voting begins on July 17 for U.S. House primary elections, which the map would impact.
Specifically, the motion argues that the map is discriminatory and violates the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. It claims lawmakers ignored warnings that the plan could cause irreparable harm to Black voters. The motion also alleges lawmakers used “questionable and inconsistent” explanations for their actions and, by rushing the process, did not follow traditional restricting standards.
“Let’s be clear: This map is not about fairness, it’s about fear,” says NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson in a press release.
“Tennessee lawmakers saw Black political power and made a calculated decision to dismantle it. They rigged the system and diluted our community’s voting power. We will not allow officials to cheat and silence our voices. We’ll fight this injustice in every courtroom necessary.”
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The motion comes after a separate lawsuit was filed by the NAACP against Gov. Bill Lee and the state legislature just after the maps were passed. That lawsuit alleges that Gov. Bill Lee's special session proclamation did not "specifically" state the call to change a statute that would prohibit late-decade redistricting or mention residency requirements for elections.
That suit was heard by a three-judge panel appointed by the state's Supreme Court. The panel ruled against the NAACP on May 26, upholding the redrawn congressional map.
“We’re fighting for our communities, our neighborhoods, and our voices,” Gloria Sweet-Love, president of the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP, says in the release.
“In Memphis and across Shelby County, we’ve built generations of advocacy, organizing, and civic power. This intentionally discriminatory map seeks to break that apart by dividing us and weakening our voice at the ballot box. We’re calling on the courts to stop this map before elections, before it can harm our communities.”
This also accompanies several lawsuits over the newly enacted congressional maps alleging racial discrimination and a potential for voter confusion in upcoming elections.
The new map divides Memphis and Shelby County — formerly contained within the 9th Congressional District — across three majority-white districts, stretching for hundreds of miles across the state.
President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen Marsha Blackburn urged Gov. Bill Lee to call for the special session earlier this year to ensure Tennessee’s federal representation will be fully Republican.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
