Vast Majority of Tennessee General Assembly Candidates Will Face No Opposition in 2020 Elections

 

In a list released last week from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office of the candidates for the Tennessee General Assembly, the vast majority will have no opponent in their party primary, the general election or both in 2020.

The list includes candidates who filed their nominating petitions as of the qualifying deadline of last Thursday, April 2 at 12 noon.

Candidates have one week, or until Thursday, April 9 at 12 noon, to withdraw.

Qualified candidates affiliated with a political party will appear on the ballot for the primary elections held on August 6, 2020. Early voting will run from Friday, July 17 to Saturday, August 1.

The primary will include candidates for the even-numbered districts of the Tennessee Senate and all 99 Tennessee House Districts.

In addition to the Tennessee General Assembly (TGA), primary elections will be held for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Yes, Every Kid

Of the 115 TGA seats up for election – 16 Senate and 99 House – 40 of the incumbents have no primary opponent in August.

Another 20 TGA incumbents will have no opponent in the general election in November.

Meanwhile, 37 TGA incumbents will face neither a primary nor a general election opponent.

Only a dozen – less than 10 percent – are set to face both a primary opponent in August and a general election opponent in November.

Six incumbents have announced that they will not be running for re-election in 2020, all Republicans including Senator Dolores Gresham (District 26) and Representatives Timothy Hill (District 3), Bill Dunn (District 16), Martin Daniel (District 18), Andy Holt (District 76) and Jim Coley (District 97).

Representative Timothy Hill has qualified as a candidate for the U.S. House District 1 race. Senator Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) is also running for the seat, but not being an election year for his Senate District 3, he can run for Congress without having to step down from his Senate seat.

Unless an incumbent were to withdraw by the April 9, deadline, which is less likely than a challenger withdrawing, the outlook for incumbents can only improve with any candidate who withdraws by Thursday.

When the 112th Tennessee General Assembly convenes in January 2021, it will be a stark contrast to when the 111th General Assembly was sworn in January 2019. At that time, numbering 28 more than a quarter were new to the House members while there were six new Senate members.

The list of qualified candidates for the Tennessee General Assembly as of end of business Monday are as follows:

TENNESSEE SENATE

District 2
Republican Primary
Art Swann – Incumbent

District 4
Republican Primary
Jon C. Lundberg – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Amber Riddle

District 6
Republican Primary
Becky Duncan Massey – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Sam Brown
Jane George

District 8
Republican Primary
Frank S. Niceley – Incumbent

District 10
Republican Primary
Todd Gardenhire – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Glenn Scruggs

District 12
Republican Primary
Ken Yager – Incumbent

District 14
Shane Reeves – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Chase Clemons

District 16
Republican Primary
Janice Bowling – incumbent

Democratic Primary
Sheila Younglove

District 18
Republican Primary
Ferrell Haile – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
John A. Gentry

District 20
Steven Reid Dickerson – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Kimi Abernathy
Heidi Campbell

District 22
Republican Primary
Doug Englen
Bill Powers – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Ronnie L. Glynn

District 24
Republican Primary
Casey L. Hood
John D. Stevens – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Yahweh Yahweh

District 26Incumbent Dolores Gresham not running.
Republican Primary
Jai Templeton
Page Walley

Democratic Primary
Civil Miller-Watkins

District 28
Republican Primary
Joey Hensley – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
James Gray

District 30
Democratic Primary
Marion Latroy A-Williams Jr.
Sara P. Kyle – Incumbent

District 32
Republican Primary
Paul W. Rose – Incumbent
Scott Throckmorton

Democratic Primary
Julie Byrd Ashworth

TENNESSEE HOUSE

District 1
Republican Primary
John K. Crawford – Incumbent

District 2
Republican Primary
Bud Hulsey – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Arvil Love Jr.

District 3Incumbent Timothy Hill not running. Candidate for U.S. House District 1.
Republican Primary
Scotty Campbell
Neal Kerney

District 4
Republican Primary
Robert (Bob) Acuff
John B. Holsclaw Jr. – Incumbent
Tim Lingerfelt

Democratic Primary
Bobby Patrick Harrell

District 5
Republican Primary
David B. Hawk – Incumbent

District 6
Republican Primary
Tim Hicks
Micah Van Huss – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Brad Batt

District 7
Republican Primary
Rebecca Kefauver Alexander
Matthew Hill – Incumbent

District 8
Republican Primary
Jerome F. Moon – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Jay Clark

District 9
Republican Primary
Gary W. Hicks Jr. – Incumbent

District 10
Republican Primary
Rick Eldridge – Incumbent

District 11
Republican Primary
Jeremy Faison – Incumbent

District 12
Republican Primary
Dale Carr – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Bennett Lapides

District 13
Republican Primary
Elaine Davis

Democratic Primary
Gloria Johnson – Incumbent

District 14
Republican Primary
Jason Zachary – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Justin Davis

District 15
Democratic Primary
Ovi Kabir
Sam McKenzie
Matthew Park
Rick Staples – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Troy B. Jones (Pending)

District 16Incumbent Bill Dunn not running.
Republican Primary
Patti Lou Bounds
Michele Carringer

Democratic Primary
Elizabeth Rowland

District 17
Republican Primary
Andrew Ellis Farmer – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Delynn McCash

District 18
Republican Primary – Incumbent Martin Daniel not running.
James Corcoran
Eddie Mannis
Gina Oster

Democratic Primary
Virginia Couch

District 19
Republican Primary
Dave Wright – Incumbent

District 20
Republican Primary
Bob Ramsey – Incumbent
Bryan Richey

Democratic Primary
Susan Sneed

District 21
Republican Primary
Lowell Russell – Incumbent

District 22
Republican Primary
Dan Howell – Incumbent

District 23
Republican Primary
Mark Cochran – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
David G. E. Fankhauser

District 24
Republican Primary
Mark Hall – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Daniel Jones

District 25
Republican Primary
Cameron Sexton – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Robyn Deck

District 26
Republican Primary
Robin T. Smith – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Joan Farrell

District 27
Republican Primary
Patsy Hazlewood – Incumbent

District 28
Democratic Primary
Yusuf A. Hakeem – Incumbent

District 29
Republican Primary
Mike Carter – Incumbent

District 30
Republican Primary
Esther Helton – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Joseph Udeaja

District 31
Republican Primary
Ron Travis – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Dean Sparks

District 32
Republican Primary
Kent Calfee – Incumbent
Mike Hooks

District 33
Republican Primary
John D. Ragan – Incumbent

District 34
Republican Primary
Tim Rudd – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Mary R. Vaughn

District 35
Republican Primary
Jerry Sexton – Incumbent

District 36
Republican Primary
Dennis Powers – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
CJ Mitchell

District 37
Republican Primary
Charlie Baum – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Mariah N. Phillips

District 38
Republican Primary
Kelly T. Keisling – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Carol Abney

District 39
Republican Primary
Iris Rudder – Incumbent

District 40
Republican Primary
Terri Lynn Weaver – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Paddy Sizemore

District 41
Democratic Primary
John Mark Windle – Incumbent

District 42
Republican Primary
Dennis C. Bynum
Ryan Williams – Incumbent

District 43
Republican Primary
Jerry Lowery
Bobby Robinson
Paul Sherrell – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Luke Cameron

District 44
Republican Primary
William Lamberth – Incumbent

District 45
Republican Primary
Johnny Garrett – Incumbent

District 46
Republican Primary
Clark Boyd – Incumbent

District 47
Republican Primary
Rush Bricken – Incumbent
Ronnie E. Holden

District 48
Republican Primary
Bryan Terry – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Matt Ferry

District 49
Republican Primary
Mike Sparks – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Brandon Thomas

District 50
Democratic Primary
Bo Mitchell – Incumbent

District 51
Democratic Primary
Bill Beck – Incumbent

District 52
Republican Primary
Donna Tees

Democratic Primary
Mike Stewart – Incumbent
James C. Turner II

District 53
Democratic Primary
Jason L. Powell – Incumbent

District 54
Democratic Primary
Terry Clayton
Vincent Dixie – Incumbent

District 55
Democratic Primary
John Ray Clemmons – Incumbent

District 56
Republican Primary
Diane Michel Canada

Democratic Primary
Bob Freeman – Incumbent

District 57
Republican Primary
Susan Lynn – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Tom Sottek

District 58
Democratic Primary
Harold M. Love – Incumbent

District 59
Democratic Primary
Jason Potts – Incumbent

District 60
Democratic Primary
Darren Jernigan – Incumbent
Grant Thomas Medeiros

District 61
Republican Primary
Brandon Ogles – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Sam Bledsoe

District 62
Republican Primary
Pat Marsh – Incumbent

District 63
Republican Primary
Glen Casada – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Elizabeth Madeira

Independent Candidate
Bradley Fiscus

District 64
Republican Primary
Scott E. Cepicky – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
James Campbell

District 65
Republican Primary
Sam Whitson – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Jennifer Foley

District 66
Republican Primary
Sabi “Doc” Kumar – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Jarvus M. Turnley

District 67
Republican Primary
John Dawson

Democratic Primary
Jason Hodges – Incumbent

District 68
Republican Primary
Curtis Johnson – Incumbent

District 69
Republican Primary
Michael G. Curcio – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Eddie Johnson

District 70
Republican Primary
Clay Doggett – Incumbent

District 71
Republican Primary
David “Coach” Byrd – Incumbent
Austin Carroll
Garry Welch

Democratic Primary
Christi M. Rice

District 72
Republican Primary
Kirk Haston – Incumbent
Gordon Wildridge

District 73
Republican Primary
Chris Todd – Incumbent

District 74
Republican Primary
Jay D. Reedy – Incumbent

District 75
Republican Primary
Bruce Griffey – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
James Hart

District 76Incumbent Andy Holt not running.
Republican Primary
Tandy Darby
Dennis J. Doster
David Hawks
Keith Priestley

Independent Candidate
Jeffery T. Washburn

District 77
Republican Primary
Rusty Grills – Incumbent
Joshua Kraus

District 78
Republican Primary
James Ebb Gupton Jr.
Mary Littleton – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Holly Spann

District 79
Republican Primary
Curtis Halford – Incumbent
Christine Warrington

District 80
Democratic Primary
Ernest Brooks II
Johnny W. Shaw – Incumbent

District 81
Republican Primary
Debra F. Moody – Incumbent

District 82
Republican Primary
Chris Hurt – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Andrea Bond-Johnson

District 83
Republican Primary
Mark White – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Jerri Green

District 84
Democratic Primary
William Frazier
Phyllis Parks
Dominique Primer
Joe Towns Jr. – Incumbent

District 85
Democratic Primary
Jesse Chism – Incumbent
Alvin Crook

District 86
Republican Primary
Rob White

Democratic Primary
Barbara Cooper – Incumbent
Austin A. Crowder
Dominique Frost
Joan Wooten-Lewis

District 87
Democratic Primary
Karen Camper – Incumbent

District 88
Democratic Primary
Larry J. Miller – Incumbent
Orrden W. Williams Jr.

District 89
Republican Primary
Justin Lafferty – Incumbent

Independent Candidate
Greg Mills

District 90
Democratic Primary
John J. DeBerry Jr. – Incumbent
Torrey C. Harris
Anya Parker
Catrina Smith

District 91
London Lamar – Incumbent

District 92
Republican Primary
Vincent A. Cuevas
Rick Tillis – Incumbent
Todd Warner

District 93
Democratic Primary
G. A. Hardaway – Incumbent

District 94
Republican Primary
Ron M. Gant – Incumbent

District 95
Republican Primary
William Kevin Vaughn – Incumbent

Democratic Primary
Lynnette P. Williams

District 96
Republican Primary
Patricia “Patti” Possel

Democratic Primary
Dwayne Thompson – Incumbent

District 97Incumbent Jim Coley not running.
Republican Primary
John Gillespie
Brandon S. Weise

Democratic Primary
Allan Creasy
Ruby Powell-Dennis
Gabby Salinas
Clifford Stockton III

District 98
Democratic Primary
Antonio Parkinson – Incumbent
Charles A. Thompson

District 99
Republican Primary
Tom Leatherwood – Incumbent
Lee Mills

 

 

 

 

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3 Thoughts to “Vast Majority of Tennessee General Assembly Candidates Will Face No Opposition in 2020 Elections”

  1. William Delzell

    The majority of these incumbents are Republicans who DO need a challenge by members of both parties. May God help Tennessee!

    1. Steve Allen

      William, you should stop biting the hand that feeds you. If you are so dissatisfied with the way Tennessee is being governed, why don’t you move to….say California, Illinois, or the Socialist Republic of
      Vermont. You’d love. Bloated state government, the government making all the decisions for you, excessive taxation to pay for the big government and their wasteful programs, high cost of energy, i.e. home heating and air conditioning and gasoline to pay for their foolish “stop global warming” programs. Liberalism is a losing ideology that strives to take away people’s rights in the name of “the government know what’s best for you”. Seriously, of you can afford it, maybe you would be happier in one of the deep blue states. I love Tennessee and I like it just the way it is. I lived in Vermont for thirty years and one of the happiest days in my life was when we crossed the state line in Bristol. God bless Tennessee and Conservatism.

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