Tennessee Supreme Court says new state Senate maps can stay in effect after intervening in redistricting suit

The Tennessee Supreme Court has overturned a lower court’s decision blocking new Senate maps ahead of the 2022 election.

The decision Wednesday comes a week after a three-judge panel ordered the state to draw new Senate maps and extended a deadline for candidates who want to run for office.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery appealed the lower court’s decision late last week, arguing it was too close to the candidate filing deadline — and the deadline for shipping ballots overseas and to members of the military.

The Supreme Court agreed with Slatery, saying the lower court failed to consider “voter confusion.”

It remanded the case back to the trial court. The redistricting lawsuit filed by three voters, and backed by the Tennessee Democratic Party, is still ongoing. They’re challenging both the House and Senate maps passed by Tennessee’s Republican supermajority in January. 

The Supreme Court also set a new deadline for those hoping to run for state Senate to April 14 at 4 p.m.