Image Credit: TN General Assembly & Canva
Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –
In its third legal challenge to Tennessee’s new congressional map, the NAACP filed a new motion on Tuesday, asking a federal court to grant a preliminary injunction to block the map from being used in the 2026 elections.
The NAACP’s state suit was dismissed with prejudice by a three-judge panel at the end of May after it concluded the NAACP did not establish “a distinct and palpable injury” and three of the plaintiffs were found not to meet the criteria for standing to bring their claims.
Having been consolidated with another case by the ACLU and other activist organizations, the NAACP’s federal case remains active, though a different federal suit by the Tennessee Democrat Party and several candidates including Congressman Steve Cohen and State Rep. Justin Pearson was just voluntarily dismissed on Tuesday at the request of the plaintiffs.
Later on Tuesday, the NAACP and the NAACP Tennessee State Conference filed the new preliminary injunction, arguing the map was enacted with “discriminatory intent” in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, and requesting the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee stop its implementation before the August elections.
“Let’s be clear: this map is not about fairness, it’s about fear,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “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.”
The President of the Tennessee NAACP Conference said, “We’re fighting for our communities, our neighborhoods, and our voices. 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.”
Also joining the NAACP coalition in the new federal action is the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), which calls itself the “nation’s first civil rights legal organization”.
The LDF is representing the Memphis Urban League (MUL), which says it “has a long history of advancing civil rights, advocating for equal access, civic engagement, and protecting voting rights. The MUL has joined this lawsuit because the redistricting plan weakens the collective voting power of Black residents in Memphis and Shelby County by dividing communities among three congressional districts. We are reaffirming our commitment to protecting democratic participation and ensuring that every voice counts.”
Yet the legal tactics by those fighting the redistricting have thus far fared rather poorly between the dismissal of the NAACP’s state suit, the rejection of a temporary restraining order on the ACLU’s federal suit, and the request for dismissal on the second federal suit by the Democrats after a judge refused to expedite hearings and rulings.
With just over a month remaining before early voting begins in the state, the window for legal challenges is quickly shutting and rulings on the open cases will likely be made soon before there is no more time to make any changes to ballots or election systems should the state lose any of the cases.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Hope they lose.