Three-Judge Panel Upholds Tennessee's Redistricting; Justin Pearson Could Be Hardest Hit

The battles over redistricting maps for the 2026 midterm elections are coming to a close with a whimper rather than a bang. Next to Virginia, Tennessee set off a firestorm when it redrew its congressional maps after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which held that maps drawn along racial lines under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act were no longer valid.

Tennessee wiped out its one majority-minority district, District 9, which covered Memphis and Shelby County. A seat that is currently being held by Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen, who happens to be a Jewish white man. But Democrat lawmakers started wilding, mounted protests in the halls of the TN State House, railed about Jim Crow 2.0, and brought in brain trusts like Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) to talk with a new accent and claim that it's "time for the North to roll up to the South," and they would not leave Tennessee and other Southern states behind.

🚨 LMFAO! AOC is absolutely clowned for putting on an accent for the black crowd in Tennessee

"Sistah Pressley and I were in Montgomery Alabama!"

"It's time for the north to roll up to the south!"

"We won't be chased anymore brothas and sistahs!"

😭🤡 pic.twitter.com/EbQBjfseI2
— War Correspondent (@warDaniel47) July 22, 2026

As per usual, Cohen and other Democrats challenged the maps in court. But as the majority of these court challenges to redistricting post-Callais, their efforts were rejected. The SCOTUS decision, coupled with the right of state legislatures to redraw maps, was upheld. Thus is the case in Tennessee. On Wednesday, a three-judge federal panel ruled the Tennessee maps constitutional, allowing the legislature to move full steam ahead for the 2026 midterm primary on August 6 and the November general election.

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.

🔥 BREAKING: A court has just DENIED Democrats' attempt to strike down Tennessee's new 9R-0D 2026 Congressional map

"Black Memphis residents" sued to get it struck down, but the court just confirmed it: They will FAIL on the merits, motion DENIED 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/mhgCVv5X8b
— 🇺🇸TRUMP MAGA GIRL 🇺🇸 (@Qthe_17thletter) July 23, 2026

In Nashville, Capitol Tantrums Come With a Bill — and Tennessee Dems Just Received It

TN State Assemblyman Justin Pearson (D), who under the old maps would have been Cohen's sole challenger, hardest hit.

We will look forward to the weeping and gnashing of teeth over this decision and any new protests. It's been kind of quiet of late. But the better result: "Mr. KFC" Cohen decided not to run for reelection in the newly redrawn district. If Cohen and his cohorts had won the court challenge, he would have ponied up to run again. Now under the new map, he knows he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

And Pearson may not either. Thanks to all those State House protests and his prominent theatrics, he garnered some name recognition just in time for his congressional run. Having AOC appear with him also didn't hurt. Funny how that works.

However, nine other Democrat and Republican candidates are on the ballot as well. So, after nearly two decades, this district is finally getting a competitive contest.

August 6, 2026, is the slated date for the Tennessee primary, and it will capture a lot of eyes to see what the outcome will be.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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