Court Denies Preliminary Injunction in Challenge to Tennessee's Discriminatory Congressional Map

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal court today denied a motion for a preliminary injunction in Sherman v. Hargett, sanctioning the decision of the Tennessee General Assembly's all-white supermajority to eradicate a longstanding, naturally occurring, and geographically compact majority-Black district.

The lawsuit, brought by three individual Memphis voters, the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute, and The Equity Alliance, argues that the state's new congressional map unlawfully discriminates against Black voters in Memphis by dismantling a district where Black voters had long been able to meaningfully participate in the political process. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Tennessee.

Although the court declined to grant preliminary relief, the underlying claims remain pending.

"The decisions by this court continue to further the disenfranchisement of Black voters in Memphis,” said Amber Sherman, named plaintiff and an affected Memphis voter. “It’s painful to know we'll head into another election under a map that was designed to weaken the voices of Black voters in Memphis. We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else. When our voting power is diluted, our neighborhoods have a harder time making their voices heard on the issues that shape our daily lives. We may not have won today's ruling, but we aren't giving up. Every voter deserves equal representation, and that's what we'll keep fighting for."

“Black voters in Memphis are being forced to use a congressional map that unlawfully dilutes their political power as another critical election approaches," said Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Voting Rights Project. "At a moment when voting rights are under attack across the country and federal officials continue testing the limits of executive power over our elections, courts should be especially vigilant in protecting communities from ongoing discrimination. We are most saddened for our clients and the Black community in Memphis, whose hard-won political power, built on generations of organizing and struggle, was ripped away by the General Assembly at the first possible opportunity. This racially motivated redistricting is wrong and harkens back to a darker time in America’s past. We will continue to fight for the rights of voters in Tennessee and elsewhere even as anti-voter state legislatures declare open season on Black voters’ fundamental right to vote.”

“Today’s ruling means Black voters in Memphis will face the first election since their congressional district was split apart under a map designed to suppress their voting power,” said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, legal director of the ACLU of Tennessee. “Tennessee lawmakers deliberately divided Black neighborhoods across multiple districts, minimizing their voting strength and their ability to elect leaders who will represent their interests. The court’s order allows this new map to govern both the August primary and November general election. We will continue fighting for a congressional map that offers a meaningful voice in the political process for every Tennessean.”

The lawsuit alleges Tennessee lawmakers intentionally fractured Black communities in Shelby County by dismantling the former congressional district and dispersing Black voters across multiple districts, reducing their opportunity to elect representatives responsive to their concerns.

Plaintiffs will continue litigating the case and pursuing permanent relief.

Read the court’s order denying relief here: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/062-TN-Order-Denying-PI.pdf

For more information about the case, visit: https://www.aclu.org/cases/sherman-v-hargett