Open Table Politics
The Daily · · 5 min read
Good afternoon, everyone. Today:
- 1 TN lawmakers reshuffled the deck, and new face cards are popping up in congressional races
- 2 Starbucks to get $30M in state incentives for Nashville move
- 3 New state record for largemouth bass
+ And much more!
New TN U.S. Congressional District lookup
Use your address to find your new district here.
The Undoing of the West Join us May 21st for a discussion with Vauban Books and writer Nathan Pinkoski for a discussion about French writer Jean Raspail's novel The Camp of Saints. (Buy Ticket)
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As the lawsuits pile up, low stakes and big gains entice more candidates to run in Tennessee congressional races.
Adding to the growing list of lawsuits against Tennessee’s new Congressional map, the ACLU hopes to convince the court that the new lines are unconstitutional. Filed on Monday, the complaint seeks to restore the previous 2022 map for the 2026 elections. It argues that the lines were redrawn with intentional racial discrimination against black voters in Memphis.
The deadline for candidates to file petitions to run in this year’s congressional elections is this Friday at noon. The race is wide open—thanks to legislation passed during special session that waives the one-year district residency requirement for 2026 congressional candidates—and the collection of hopefuls continues to grow.
Familiar Candidates Jump In
Former Nashville mayor Megan Barry is "taking a serious look" at District 6. Over in District 7—where Barry ran and lost against Mark Green in 2024—a few candidates who lost during 2025’s special election might give it another go. State Representative Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville) and Darden Copeland are both considering a Democratic primary run for another chance to replace Republican Representative Matt Van Epps and flip District 7 blue.
Nashville CMs
Councilmember Jacob Kupin is also eyeing the new 7th District, though he is willing to step aside for other candidates at the Democratic Party’s request. Councilmember Mike Cortese, originally slated to run in District 5, reportedly plans to run in District 4.
Battle For Nine
Though Representative Steve Cohen—the Democratic incumbent in District 9—doesn’t plan to run unless the old map lines are reestablished, his primary challenger, state Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), plans to continue his campaign in the redrawn district. State Senator London Lamar (D-Memphis) may also run in the new 9th in hopes of keeping the seat blue.
As of this writing, there are six Republican and seven Democrat candidates that could potentially end up on the D-9 primary ballots. Take a look at the full list of Tennesseans who have pulled petitions in the new congressional districts here.
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What Horrors We Wrought In 1973, French writer Jean Raspail published one of the most controversial novels of the 20th century. His novel, The Camp of Saints, has been consistently censored throughout its history.
Vauban Books recently published a new translation of the French story, accompanied by a lucid introduction by writer Nathan Pinkoski. Join us as we discuss the legacy of this controversial novel and what it says about the West.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
Starbucks to get $30M in state incentives for Nashville move
. The company’s new Nashville corporate hub is expected to bring 2,000 jobs and a $100 million investment to the city over the next five years. Starbucks will temporarily operate from The Gulch before moving into the Peabody Union development in 2027. Nashville may also offer additional local incentives.
AxiosMan sets new state record for largemouth bass caught in Tennessee.
Darren Nunley of Whitwell set a new Tennessee state record for largemouth bass after catching a 15-pound, 7.5-ounce fish in Nickajack Reservoir. The catch beat the previous record set in 2015. TWRA confirmed the record after completing genetic testing on May 9.
WSMVOfficers investigating bomb threats called into several Middle TN schools.
Multiple schools across Middle Tennessee were placed on lockdown after a wave of bomb threats and suspected swatting calls prompted responses from local police, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Homeland Security, and the FBI. Authorities say the threats appeared to be hoaxes.
WSMV
DEVELOPMENT
Via NBJ: Oracle targets August start for pedestrian bridge across Cumberland River
More infoBridgestone Tower sells for $255M
PostWest Nashville Calypso Cafe to re-open
PostGreen Hills site eyed for commercial building
PostTarget buys Century Farms property for $11.2M
PostWork starts on SoBro Mexican cuisine restaurant
Post
THINGS TO DO
- View our calendar for the week here. Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
- On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
- Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
Tonight Wed, May 13
| Show | Venue | Time | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbie Hancock | Ryman Auditorium | 8p | $73+ | Info for Herbie Hancock |
| The Massacoustics | The Eighth Room | 6p | Info for The Massacoustics | |
| Hula Hi-Fi | Vinyl Tap | 7:30p | Free | Info for Hula Hi-Fi |
| Tennessee Dead | Tennessee Brew Works | 6p | Info for Tennessee Dead | |
| Bluegrass Night | The American Legion Post 82 | 7p | Free | Info for Bluegrass Night |
| Kelley’s Heroes | Robert’s Western World | 6:30p | Free | Info for Kelley’s Heroes |
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.
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