A federal panel of district judges on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by independent congressional candidate Pamela Moses challenging Tennessee’s congressional map, which was redrawn earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that race cannot be a predominant factor in redistricting.
In granting the defendants’ motions to dismiss the lawsuit, the judges notably cited the Supreme Court’s decision when dismissing Moses’ claim that Tennessee’s new congressional map disenfranchised minority voters, ruling she failed to establish racial bias under the new ruling.
Moses’ due process, equal protection, First Amendment, and election law claims were also dismissed, while the panel declined to rule on her claims regarding Tennessee state law. Despite the dismissal, the ruling acknowledged Moses had standing to bring her lawsuit.
Though currently running as an independent candidate for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District, Moses previously challenged U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in 2024. After she was denied a speaking opportunity at an event featuring State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), the Democrats’ nominee for Senate that year, Moses accused the party of cultural appropriation.
U.S. Chief Judge William Campbell of the Middle District of Tennessee entered the ruling, while the other judges on the panel were U.S. Appellate Judge John Nalbandian of the Sixth Circuit and District Judge Gregory Stivers of the Western District of Kentucky.
President Donald Trump appointed Campbell and Nalbandian to the bench, while former President Barack Obama nominated Stivers in 2014.
At least four federal lawsuits and one state lawsuit have been filed since the legislation creating Tennessee’s new congressional map took effect earlier this year. With Moses’ lawsuit now dismissed, two remain active, with just over a month until voters head to the polls on November 3.
One of the remaining two lawsuits was brought by Memphis voters who are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), while the second was filed by the Tennessee State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The cases were joined earlier this year, and the panel of judges overseeing the case denied a preliminary injunction to block Tennessee’s new maps from being used.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Pamela Moses” by Pamela Moses.
