Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District House Race

U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures told the Alabama Democratic Conference that his reelection bid in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District hinges on turnout in Montgomery County and surrounding Black Belt counties. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April weakened part of the Voting Rights Act, allowing Alabama to revert to a 2023 legislative map that removed Figures' hometown of Mobile from the district and extended it into the heavily Republican Wiregrass region. The district's Black voting age population dropped from about 49 percent to just under 40 percent, and the seat would have favored Donald Trump by 14 points in 2024.

Figures, who won the seat in 2024 with 54.6 percent of the vote, faces Republican state Rep. Rhett Marques. He said Montgomery County, roughly 31 percent of registered voters, could make up 40 percent of turnout with strong mobilization. National Democrats have launched a six-figure ad buy, while Trump and Senate candidate Barry Moore have urged Republicans to turn out for Marques, calling the seat critical to the House majority.

Incumbent Republican Steven Snell and Democratic challenger Heather Jefts are competing for Williamson County judge, a role overseeing county operations, budget, emergency response and policy. Snell, appointed in March 2025 after Bill Gravell left for the Trump administration, points to his record managing growth as a former school superintendent and favors the proposed justice complex site near Georgetown for its operational advantages. Jefts, a former Cedar Park council member, calls for more public input, opposes the justice complex's current location over proximity to schools and neighborhoods, and wants faster progress on a county medical examiner's office, including hiring a chief examiner immediately. Snell cites accreditation needs and a possible regional partnership with Travis County. Early voting runs Oct. 19–30; Election Day is Nov. 3.

Jack E. Kirksey, who served 16 years as mayor of Livonia, Michigan, died Oct. 13 at an assisted living facility in Northville. He was 97. No cause of death was given.

Born in Atlanta in 1928 and raised in Detroit, Kirksey was a 25-year U.S. Air Force veteran, including active duty in the Korean War, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He spent 27 years in the Livonia Public Schools system as a teacher and principal, and worked as the 16th District Court's first probation director. He was elected a Republican state representative in 1977, serving four terms, and later served as a Schoolcraft Community College trustee. Kirksey was first elected Livonia mayor in 1995, serving from 1996-2003 and 2008-2015. His tenure included building the city's recreation center, later named for him, the Fallen Heroes Memorial, a new district court building, and economic growth along the Haggerty Road corridor, though he also faced lawsuits over personnel and contracting decisions. He is survived by three children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Chicago's Labor Day Parade returned to the city's East Side neighborhood on Saturday for the first time since 2022, drawing union members, retirees, and labor advocates for a march down Ewing Avenue. Dozens of unions took part, including representatives from Chicago firefighters and paramedics, the Chicago Teachers Union, and the Amalgamated Transit Union. Following the parade, participants gathered at Steelworkers Park for Eddie Fest, a celebration honoring workers and the city's labor history.

Mayor Brandon Johnson attended and reaffirmed his support for organized labor and workers' right to unionize without intimidation. The event took place during a week of heightened labor activity in Chicago, including strikes by hotel workers and nurses. Attendees emphasized themes of workplace safety, collective bargaining, and solidarity among working families, expressing hope that the revived tradition will encourage future generations to engage in labor advocacy.

The New Orleans City Council voted Aug. 20 to direct $750,000 in funds recovered from New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity toward the Right to Counsel program, which provides free legal representation to residents facing eviction. The money will fund Southeast Louisiana Legal Services through the rest of the year. Advocates, including Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center's Monique Blossom and Jane Place's Y. Frank Southhall, backed the move, citing racial disparities in evictions — more than 85% of those facing eviction in New Orleans are Black, and over 55% are Black women.

The funds stem from the mayor's administration canceling a $2 million deal with Habitat in April after the nonprofit failed to use the money to help homeowners with rising insurance costs. Council Member Eugene Green also criticized Habitat's sale of 32 rental properties, including units in Musicians' Village, to a private Metairie firm that tripled rents for longtime tenants.

Southeast Regional Library in Wake County, North Carolina, has closed until Nov. 2 after staff reported symptoms including burning eyes, brain fog, and dizziness, which they linked to fumes from an ongoing roof replacement project. According to Wake County Library Workers United, staff evacuated the building on Oct. 1 as visitors arrived for a children's storytime event, and the group alleges administrators failed to plan adequate safety measures and did not properly address health concerns raised by employees.

A county spokesperson said the General Services Administration investigated after a fume report on Sept. 28, adjusting air handling equipment, but could not conclusively determine the fumes' source after multiple site visits. A later report prompted a safety coordinator visit, though no smell was detected at that time. The county says it took added precautions, including ventilation adjustments, air purges, and fans, before suspending operations. The Board of Commissioners had approved the roofing project in April at a cost of over $500,000.

Chicago's Labor Day Parade returned to the city's East Side neighborhood on Saturday for the first time since 2022, drawing union members, retirees, and labor advocates who marched along Ewing Avenue. Dozens of unions took part, including the Chicago Teachers Union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, and Chicago firefighters and paramedics represented by Local 2. Following the parade, participants gathered at Steelworkers Park for Eddie Fest, honoring Edward Sadlowski and celebrating the city's labor movement.

Mayor Brandon Johnson attended and reaffirmed his support for organized labor and workers' right to unionize. The event took place during a week of heightened labor activity in Chicago, including strikes by hotel workers and nurses. Separately, city officials said they are boosting safety measures for the holiday weekend, with the Coast Guard and police increasing patrols on waterways and additional public safety resources deployed citywide.

Nashville families are renewing pressure on city officials over student pedestrian safety as the city records a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths in 2026. Parents at Inglewood Elementary have long sought a crossing guard along busy Riverside Drive, but police policy requires evidence of unattended children walking to school before one is assigned. After a tense September parent-teacher meeting, officials added a crossing guard nearby and increased police presence, though some parents say it isn't enough. Similar concerns surface elsewhere, from crowded bus-stop gatherings along Edmondson Pike to sidewalk gaps near Dickerson Pike, one of the city's most dangerous corridors for pedestrians.

City data shows nearly all pedestrian crashes since 2023 occurred within 1.5 miles of a school, with dozens of fatalities. Mayor Freddie O'Connell's $3.1 billion "Choose How You Move" transit plan, approved by voters in 2024, aims to add sidewalks, smart signals, upgraded bus stops and expanded WeGo service, including free rides for high schoolers. Officials say dozens of crossing-guard and school-zone upgrade projects are underway, though vacancies and funding limits persist, leaving many parents to continue advocating for safer routes to school.

Tennessee's 6th Congressional District holds a Nov. 3 election to replace Rep. John Rose, who gave up the seat for an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. Democrat Mike Croley, a Navy veteran and former federal employee, is campaigning on affordability, government accountability, congressional term limits, a ban on lawmaker stock trading, and raising the federal minimum wage. Republican Johnny Garrett, a sitting state representative and attorney endorsed by Riley Gaines, backs President Trump's agenda, stricter immigration enforcement, barring transgender athletes from women's sports, and tax cuts. Both candidates support lowering costs, gun rights, and domestic job growth. Early voting runs through Oct. 29 in the heavily Republican-leaning district.

Shelby County, Tennessee's largest voting jurisdiction with more than 582,000 registered voters, heads into the November midterms under a new congressional map after the Republican-led legislature redrew districts in May, splitting the state's only Democratic-held seat, centered on majority-Black Memphis, into three districts: 9, 8, and 5. Republicans currently hold eight of Tennessee's nine congressional seats and hope redistricting helps them sweep all three Shelby County races. Early voting begins October 14.

District 9 pits Republican Brent Taylor against Democrat Justin Pearson, alongside independents. District 8 features Republican incumbent David Kustoff against Democrat Heidi Kuhn and several independents, while District 5 has Republican Charlie Hatcher facing Democrat Chaz Molder. Local political observers view District 5 as potentially the most competitive race, while some believe Pearson has a viable shot in District 9. Election officials say they've added review processes after a ballot error affected roughly 700 absentee voters in July, and expect the redistricting fight could drive higher turnout among voters upset by the changes.