Senate Confirms Multiple Alabama District Court Judges in Late October

The Senate confirmed multiple Trump nominees to Alabama federal district courts in late October 2025, continuing the administration’s systematic reshaping of the federal judiciary. On October 21, Harold D. Mooty III was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama by a vote of 66-32, receiving bipartisan support.

On October 27, the Senate voted 58-40 to confirm Bill Lewis, an Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice, to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama. Lewis received unanimous Republican support plus five Democrats and independent Senator Angus King. The confirmation came during a partial government shutdown, with 13 Senate Democrats controversially voting to advance Trump nominees while federal services remained unfunded.

The confirmations represent continued judicial capture of Alabama’s federal courts, with both nominees coming from conservative legal backgrounds. Mooty’s strong bipartisan support contrasted with the more partisan Lewis confirmation, reflecting varying Democratic strategies on judicial nominees. These appointments give Trump significant influence over federal litigation in Alabama, including cases involving voting rights, civil rights, and regulatory enforcement in a state with a troubled history of civil rights violations.