Pamela Moses, a Black Lives Matter activist and former candidate for Memphis mayor who was jailed for alleged voter fraud, has established a committee to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Moses made national news after former Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich prosecuted her for attempting to restore her right to vote after prior felony convictions. All charges eventually were dropped after revelations that the Tennessee Department of Correction withheld evidence that exonerated her. The Senate seat is held by Republican Marsha Blackburn. State Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville and Civil Miller-Watkins of Fayette County have filed to run as Democrats.

Four candidates are vying for the Davidson County Fourth Circuit Court seat in the March 5, 2024, Democratic primary, the Nashville Post reports. They are: Stan Kweller, who was appointed to the seat in January following the death of Judge Phil Smith, Tusca Alexis, Audrey Anderson and Stephanie Williams. No Republican candidate filed for the circuit, which hears family law cases. Alexis has worked as a public defender and in private practice for more than 33 years. She handles family law, criminal defense, medical malpractice, worker’s compensation, personal injury, wrongful death and immigration cases. Anderson has been a divorce and family law attorney for nearly 25 years. She says she would prioritize collaborative law and mediation for simpler divorce cases. Williams has more than 20 years of family law experience, including founding the Family Justice Center and working as special master under former Judge Smith. She has pledged to make the family court system “more accessible and affordable.”

The Democratic primary for Shelby County General Sessions Court clerk will be held March 5, 2024, with early voting from Feb. 14-27. Incumbent Joe W. Brown and four other Democrats, Rheunte E. Benson, Shelandra Yvette Ford, Tami Sawyer and George Dempsy Summers, are vying for the nomination. Lisa Arnold is the sole Republican candidate to meet candidate requirements and will appear on the Aug. 1 ballot against the winner of the Democratic primary. The clerk is responsible for keeping records and funds for both the civil and criminal court divisions. Read more about the candidates.

Davidson County Fourth Circuit Court Judge Stan Kweller has announced that he is running for a full term. Kweller, who has more than 40 years of experience in the legal profession, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the court in January 2023 following the death of Judge Phil Smith. The special election to fill the seat will coincide with the presidential primary election on March 5, 2024. Read Kweller’s official announcement or learn more about his campaign at kwellerforjudge.com.

State Rep. Sam Whitson, R-Franklin, announced today he will not seek reelection, reports the Tennessean. Whitson's decision will leave the House District 65 seat open in 2024. In his announcement, Whitson noted several highlights of his legislative career, including fulfilling a campaign promise to complete the southwest Mack Hatcher Parkway, securing funding for Fairview High School and passing the Katie Becket Waiver Program to aid families caring for children with severe disabilities. Whitson says he will continue to focus on Williamson County issues during his final months in office.

The Minnesota congressman running against Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination has failed to make it on the March 5 primary ballot in Tennessee, the Tennessee Journal reports. Dean Phillips did not file with the Tennessee Democratic Party before its deadline, according to State Election Coordinator Mark Goins. Phillips also did not collect the 2,500 valid voter signatures needed to bypass a decision by the party chair as to who should be automatically included on the primary ballot. Eight Republicans will be listed on the GOP ballot: Ryan Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, David Stuckenberg and Donald Trump.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett on Tuesday certified nine Republicans and one Democratic presidential candidate for the “Super Tuesday” presidential primary and county primary elections to be held March 5, 2024. On Super Tuesday, 15 other states will join Tennessee in helping decide each party’s presidential nominee. Presidential primary candidates have until Dec. 12 at noon to withdraw their name from the ballot. Early voting will run from Feb. 14-27. Read the full list of nominees as reported by the Chattanoogan.

Megan Barry, the former mayor of Nashville, officially launched a campaign today to unseat U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican from Clarksville who represents the 7th Congressional District. WKRN reports that Barry cited dysfunction in Congress, worsening opioid crisis, rise in gun violence and closure of rural hospitals as reasons for her run. Barry served as the first female mayor of Nashville from 2015-2018, when she resigned from office following news of an affair with a member of her security detail. She pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 for using taxpayer funds to conduct the affair and received three years of unsupervised probation and had to pay $11,000 in restitution.

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee on Friday sued state officials over “unduly burdensome” ballot access requirements for minor parties, reports the Commercial Appeal. The lawsuit asks for a court order to ensure that Libertarian candidates are listed as members of their party on ballots for the Nov. 5, 2024, election. Under current laws, third parties running for statewide office must collect more than 43,000 signatures from registered voters while candidates running as Republicans, Democrats or independents need only 25 signatures. Political parties have previously challenged Tennessee’s ballot requirements. In 2013, a judge ordered the party’s candidate for the state House of Representatives be listed as “Libertarian” on ballots.

Former Fayette County Public Schools board member Civil Miller-Watkins has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, adding her name to a list of Democrats seeking to challenge Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn for her seat in Congress next year. The Tennessee Lookout reports that Miller-Watkins says her experience in a rural county and its lack of resources, along with concerns about “kitchen table issues,” prompted her candidacy. She joins state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, on the ballot. Democrat Marquita Bradshaw of Memphis also announced she would seek the 2024 nomination but has not yet filed a statement of candidacy.