Federal Panel Allows Tennessee’s New Congressional Map for 2026 Elections

A three-judge federal panel on July 23 denied a preliminary injunction against Tennessee’s new congressional map, leaving the enacted districts in effect for the Aug. 6, 2026, congressional primary unless a later court order changes that posture.

The ruling allows Tennessee election officials and candidates to proceed under the map adopted during the Legislature’s May extraordinary session. It did not decide the plaintiffs’ underlying constitutional claims or permanently uphold the map.

What the map changes

The new map divides Shelby County, including Memphis, among Congressional Districts 5, 8 and 9. It breaks up the former 9th District, which included most of Shelby County and had been the state’s majority-Black congressional district.

Tennessee enacted the map on May 7 after a three-day extraordinary session. Related legislation changed election procedures for the 2026 congressional elections, including the candidate-qualifying deadline, petition rules, candidate residency requirements and voter-notice provisions.

The enacted law moved the qualifying deadline for the August congressional primary from March 10 to May 15, 2026, and created a special qualifying period. Under the new process, candidates could submit nominating petitions with 25 signatures from registered voters residing anywhere in a county that is partly within the newly drawn congressional district.

The law also created an exception to the usual one-year county-residency requirement for candidates seeking the U.S. House in the 2026 primary. Candidates who had qualified before the map was enacted could remain in their original district, notify the coordinator of elections that they were running in a different district, or withdraw. The court record identifies May 15 as the deadline for a change-of-district or withdrawal notice.

Why the ruling matters before Aug. 6

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s 2026 election calendar lists Aug. 6 as the congressional primary date. With the injunction denied, ballots, candidate assignments and election preparations will continue under the districts currently in force.

The immediate district-boundary changes affect Memphis-area and other Shelby County voters most directly. A voter’s congressional district may differ from the district used in earlier elections, so voters and candidates should rely on current assignments from their county election commission or the Secretary of State rather than prior campaign or district information.

The changes also create administrative work for county election commissions on a compressed schedule. A related federal court memorandum says Tennessee appropriated $3,154,700 to reimburse counties for expenses connected to the 2026 congressional elections. The funds may be used for overtime, additional staff, expedited vendors, training, signage, voter education and, if counties choose, mailed notices.

The same court record says mailed notice is not required. The law permits notice to be satisfied through publication on a county election commission’s official website, if the county has one.

The lawsuit is not over

The July 23 opinion in Sherman v. Hargett addressed whether the plaintiffs were entitled to preliminary relief before the 2026 elections. It was not a final ruling upholding the map, and it did not reject the plaintiffs’ claims on the merits.

The plaintiffs challenge the redistricting law and related election changes, arguing that they unlawfully burden voting, speech and political-association rights. The case remains pending, and a later ruling or appeal could change the map or the rules governing future elections.

For now, Tennessee’s 2026 congressional primary is scheduled to proceed under the enacted map, with Shelby County divided among Districts 5, 8 and 9. That status remains subject to any later order from the court.

Sources

• July 23 federal panel opinion in Sherman v. Hargett
• Federal court memorandum opinion in Hale v. Lee
• Tennessee 2026 election dates
• Associated Press: Federal judges allow new Tennessee map