Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District House Race 2026

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.

Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is one of 15 candidates running for Tennessee governor, and among the top four per polling, alongside David Hatley, Jerri Green, and Lauren Pinkston. Blackburn's platform centers on economic development, public safety, education, and cutting government spending, including support for a "Tennessee DOGE" effort to reduce the budget, though she has not committed to eliminating the state's grocery sales tax.

She backs expanding school vouchers statewide, leaving data center siting decisions to local governments, and supports capital punishment, including reinstating the electric chair. Blackburn has declined debate invitations from opponents, instead emphasizing door-to-door campaigning. A Senate ethics inquiry into her office was resolved, she said, without findings of misconduct. Democratic rival Jerri Green, by contrast, has centered her campaign on affordability, eliminating the grocery tax, and expanding health care access.

Independents Lauren Pinkston and David Hatley are campaigning for Tennessee governor, a post no independent has ever won in the state. Hatley, an Elizabethton businessman, emphasizes transparency, openly discussing a past federal conviction, and supports full cooperation with ICE and continuing the federal Memphis crime task force. Pinkston, a teacher and anti-trafficking advocate, opposes the Memphis task force's cost, would push to deport immigrants with criminal records, and calls for a stay of executions, citing the Christa Pike case. Hatley supports continuing executions under current law. Both candidates back ending Tennessee's grocery tax, with Pinkston proposing a medicinal marijuana program to replace lost revenue and prioritizing affordability on housing, insurance, and child care.

The Memphis City Council passed a resolution calling for the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard, deployed in the city as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force since September 2025. The council has no authority to force the personnel out but wanted its opposition on record. Sponsors cited an August operation that rounded up 121 people at a Berclair nightclub and described aggressive tactics targeting people based on skin color and accent. One council member sought to exempt the National Guard, citing constituent support, but that effort failed. Police data show crime was already declining before the task force arrived.

Memphis city leaders have detailed a new "4th Option" for the city's 911 system, allowing callers to identify a mental health need at the outset of an emergency call, alongside the existing police, fire, and EMS choices. The feature has been active since July, with officials now publicizing it to increase use.

Dispatchers field roughly 4,000 calls daily and around 25,000 mental health-related calls annually out of more than a million total calls each year. Police Chief CJ Davis said the option helps route the right responders — which may include paramedics or clinically licensed social workers — while reducing response times. Mayor Paul Young said the change addresses crises ranging from substance abuse to emotional distress. The city's Crisis Center also supports the initiative through the 988 suicide hotline, keeping trained dispatchers on the line until first responders arrive. If callers pick the wrong option during a crisis, dispatchers can redirect them to appropriate help. Officials say staffing is sufficient to sustain the service.

Dr. La Sonya Hall was sworn in as Shelby County Clerk and immediately began what she calls a renovation and rebranding of an office long criticized for long wait times, financial audit concerns, lease problems and lawsuits under predecessor Wanda Halbert. Hall, who has held leadership roles across Shelby County and Memphis government including interim director positions at the county health department and public works, said her first day involved assessing operations, logistics and finances across the clerk's office.

Hall pointed to outdated technology as a key problem, noting the office still runs on Windows 7 while the rest of the county uses Windows 11. She said improvements will focus on people, processes and technology, and asked residents for patience as changes are implemented gradually rather than overnight.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is preparing to leave office August 31 after two terms, stepping away from politics to return to teaching law. The University of Mississippi announced last week that Harris will join its faculty this fall as a tenured law professor.

In a reflective interview, Harris pointed to healthcare investments, including the Regional One Project, and a new Frayser High School as top achievements. He criticized state intervention in Shelby County schools, which he argues has jeopardized plans for a new East Region school, and said he had unsuccessfully sued to block a state takeover. On county finances, Harris defended recent borrowing to make payroll as routine and said his proposed balanced budget was altered by the County Commission, whose grant spending he says strains the county's rainy day fund. He also addressed criticism over the aging county jail, noting the charter places the sheriff, not the mayor, in charge of that facility, while affirming his support for needed repairs.

Arthur T. Bennett, a retired Shelby County Criminal Court judge and pioneering figure in Tennessee's legal history, has died at 93. A family friend confirmed to WREG that Bennett passed away Monday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Bennett attended Howard University Law School and returned to Memphis to practice law. In 1965 he became the first Black prosecutor in Tennessee's District Attorney's Office since Reconstruction, and in 1967 he was appointed by the governor to the Shelby County Criminal Courts, making him the first Black assistant district attorney and later judge in the state. In 1975 he became the first Black judge appointed to the General Sessions Court. He served on the bench until retiring in 2014, remembered for a quiet but stern courtroom presence and for opening doors for African American lawyers in Tennessee.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has declared a state of emergency following a severe storm on Aug. 22 that brought straight-line winds exceeding 80 mph to the Memphis, Tennessee area. The declaration allows local officials to seek state and federal assistance as recovery efforts continue.

The storm knocked out power to roughly 148,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers and damaged numerous homes. Crews have been working to restore power, with about 11,000 outages remaining as of Wednesday evening; full restoration is targeted for Thursday. The Shelby County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency has partnered with volunteer organizations to assist residents with cleanup, including a dedicated Crisis Clean-up Hotline. Officials are urging residents to check on vulnerable neighbors, family members, and pets as the community works through the aftermath of the storm.