The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has ordered two Constitutional Republican groups to register as political action committees (PACs), Tennessee Lookout reports. The move comes after a complaint was filed against the groups, which claim registration is not necessary and arguing they are private social clubs that do not provide financial support to candidates. Before voting to direct the Sumner County Constitutional Republicans and Tennessee Constitutional Republicans to register, some members of the panel suggested the matter be referred to a separate entity for review, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Those recommendations were not pursued.

Democratic state House candidate Bryan Goldberg of Knoxville has filed a lawsuit seeking to block what he says are "defamatory attacks" against him and his wife, Knox News reports. Goldberg says the ads "have escalated beyond the bounds of acceptable political discourse." He is asking a Knox County chancellor to issue an injunction against his opponent, incumbent Rep. Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville, the state Republican Party, House Republican Caucus and Parthenon Strategies. The ads center on claims that Goldberg did not timely pay his property taxes. Goldberg says he was the victim of identity theft and a check for the taxes was modified and cashed by the thief. Goldberg says he appreciates that Davis publicly condemned the ad and asked her party leadership to stop running it.

A Kansas judge last week dismissed a defamation lawsuit against U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, ruling that Denton Loudermill Jr. lacked jurisdiction to bring the case. WBIR News 10 reports that Loudermill sued Burchett in March after Burchett tweeted a photo of Loudermill, referring to him as a gunman and an "illegal," following a fatal shooting at a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration on Feb. 14. Loudermill, a U.S. citizen, was briefly detained after the shooting broke out but never charged. Burchett's attorneys argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the action had no connection to Kansas, as Burchett does not live or represent constituents in that state. Following the dismissal, Loudermill's attorney said he would refile the suit in Washington, D.C., according to The Tennessee Journal.

State Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus on Sept. 12 announced that he had removed Shelby County Party Chair Lexie Carter. The Memphis Flyer reports that Remus said Carter had not measured up to the needs of a coordinated Democratic campaign for the fall election, specifically citing the campaigns of Jesse Juseth, who is running against Republican incumbent John Gillespie in District 98, and Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, who is running against Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. Carter expressed surprise, stating that she had recently overseen an event that raised upwards of $40,000 for party coffers. She alleged that a number of disagreements and confrontations had occurred between herself and Remus at the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Shelby County Attorney's Office has filed a motion for default judgement against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, seeking to have her removed from office immediately, the Commercial Appeal reports. The motion, filed Friday, argues that Halbert did not file an answer to the original ouster petition in time. She did, however, file a motion to dismiss the ouster on Aug. 26. The government's latest motion argues that the dismissal motion did not qualify as an answer. The next hearing in the case is set for Sept. 13.

Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) chair Hendrell Remus will not seek another term when party leadership elections happen in January. The Nashville Banner reports that Remus was elected in 2021 as the first Black chair of the TNDP and reelected in 2023. In his two terms, he says he focused on making the party function as “a political operation, not a social club” and has sought more than short-term wins. Remus told the news outlet that the final test of whether his tenure was effective would be this year’s general election when the party aims to exceed the Democratic voter turnout seen during the 2020 presidential election and flip at least two state house seats.

The Tennessee Republican Party has postponed Oak Ridge Rep. John Ragan’s request to challenge his August primary loss to former Clinton police chief Rick Scarbrough, reports the Tennessee Lookout. A special-called meeting is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 7 and may take place virtually, pending approval from the Tennessee comptroller and secretary of state and despite Ragan's opposition to the "validity" of decisions made during virtual meetings. Ragan lost his Aug. 1 primary race to Scarbrough by 258 votes and days later alleged that Democrats cast "crossover" votes in the Republican primary with the purpose of defeating him.

Several state leaders are threatening to withhold state sales tax revenue from Memphis and Shelby County if local officials proceed with a ballot referendum addressing gun-related issues, the Commercial Appeal reports. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, issued a joint statement that the localities would pay a heavy financial penalty if the ballot measure goes through. Memphis is preparing to vote on measures that would impose stricter gun control within the city, which contradict state laws aimed at easing gun access and preventing local "red flag" laws, the article reports. In related news, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett says his office will not approve the Nov. 5 ballot for Shelby County if it includes a city referendum on gun-control measures, setting up a potential legal showdown with the Memphis City Council. The Daily Memphian has that story.

State Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson are scheduled to speak on the main stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, shortly before scheduled remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris, reports the Tennessean. Christened the "Tennessee Three" after state lawmakers expelled Jones and Pearson from the chamber during a gun control debate, the group will speak on gun violence in America. "Last year we were expelled for fighting for common sense gun laws, and the next day Vice President Kamala Harris came to Tennessee, sat in solidarity with us in our fight for democracy, in our fight to protect kids, not guns. That's why I'm here," Jones said.

Oak Ridge Rep. John Ragan has officially challenged his loss to Rick Scarbrough, alleging that more than 1,000 Anderson County voters were illegitimate Republicans who crossed over to cast a ballot in a race he lost by 258 votes, The Tennesean reports. Ragan argues that state law makes it illegal to vote in a political party's primary without being a "bona fide" member of or affiliated with the political party. He says his challenge is based on the Republican Party's bylaws, which have created bona fide definitions for candidates. Scarbrough sent a letter to his future House colleagues asking lawmakers to encourage members of the state Republican Executive Committee not to allow the contest to go forward, saying he is confident in the election results.