Federal court upholds Tennessee's redraw of House maps in win for GOP

Opponents of the redraw had argued that the maps violated the 14th Amendment and constituted illegal racial gerrymandering and sought an injunction to block the maps from taking effect.

Published: July 23, 2026 3:12pm

A three-judge panel of the Middle District of Tennessee on Thursday upheld the state's redraw of its House maps to eliminate the sole Democratic-leaning seat around Memphis.

Opponents of the redraw had argued that the maps violated the 14th Amendment and constituted illegal racial gerrymandering and sought an injunction to block the maps from taking effect.

The judges denied the motion, saying the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits.

Tennessee's redraw was one of several that occurred across the South in the wake of a landmark ruling at the Supreme Court that narrowed the scope of the Voting Rights Act and eliminated race-based congressional districts.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.

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