With congressional district lines in Tennessee having been redrawn and signed by Gov. Bill Lee on May 7, qualifying deadlines have been extended for new candidates wanting to run in the Aug. 6 primary congressional race for District 9 rather than District 4. The new map puts Lincoln County in District 9 after a Memphis- based seat held by longtime Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) was carved into three districts. This spreads the Democratic voters into more rural areas and Republican districts that stretch hundreds of miles east.

Sheila Allen, administrator of elections for Lincoln County, said candidates who want to run for the congressional seat have until noon on Friday, May 15 to file. Petitions can be picked up at the local election office but must be filed in Nashville.

Allen said if a person wants to run as a Democratic or Republican candidate, they still have to file with the corresponding party. Potential candidates who are running as an Independent still have to file by the extended deadline. She said Scott DesJarlais, who has served as the U.S. representative for Tennessee’s 4th congressional district since 2011, will not be listed on the local ballot See Redrawn, Page 4A ^ for the Aug. 6 primary and general election in Lincoln County.

According to Allen, Victoria Broderick, who resides in Lincoln County, will still be able to run in the 4th congressional district although she doesn’t now officially live in the district.

“The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind,” stated state House Speaker Cameron Sexton in a statement following the legislature’s vote. “The decision indicated states like Tennessee can redistrict based on partisan politics. Tennessee’s redistricting will reduce the risk of future legal challenges while promoting sound and strategic conservatism.”

It was also noted that the suite of legislation Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson filed last Wednesday also “seeks to change a state law that allows lawmakers to enact new district maps only once each decade.”

According to officials, the new map splits Memphis — a Black majority city — and Shelby County into three districts.

A link with information about the redrawing of districts is available on the Lincoln County Election Commission website. Go to www. lincolncountytn.gov and click on Election Commission.