All 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives and half of the 33 seats in the state Senate were on the ballot this election season. In many cases, incumbents had a lock on their races.
But with more than a dozen retirements this year, several political scandals and other moving parts, there will be some new faces at the capitol next year. Here’s how a few key races have shaken out.
House District 52, new face for Tennessee Democrats
Community activist Justin Jones won Nashville’s House District 52 after running unopposed. The Democrat is sure to shake things up as the youngest member of the General Assembly.
Jones has been an outspoken advocate calling for an end to police brutality, repeal of voter ID laws and the removal of Confederate monuments — and has been known to rankle Republican lawmakers. His candidacy drew a lot of excitement from progressive voters.
Jones was temporarily banned from the capitol following an incident where he was arrested for throwing a paper cup at then-House Speaker Glen Casada in 2019.
Watch for Jones to inject a more progressive style of politics to the legislature over outgoing incumbent Mike Stewart.
House District 63, a replacement for scandal-plagued Casada
A Republican will likely take the seat left behind by disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada.
Preliminary results show Republican businessman Jake McCalmon pulling far ahead of his Democratic opponent Kisha Davis.
There was no incumbent in the race, as Casada is leaving politics after two decades in the legislature — and following a federal indictment in August for his role in a kickback scheme involving his former aide and legislators. Casada resisted public pressure to resign his seat following his indictment, choosing instead to serve out the remainder of the term.
House District 59 in Antioch
Early results indicate that first-time candidate Caleb Hemmer has kept Tennessee’s 59th District in Democratic hands. Republicans had hoped to pick off the seat after redistricting, but Hemmer, who works in corporate development, had a big fundraising advantage.
Hemmer leads his Republican opponent, conservative activist Michelle Foreman. Foreman is a defendant in a recent legal settlement over unsolicited robocalls during the 2020 effort to recall Mayor John Cooper.
House District 86, former Rep. Barbara Cooper’s seat
Voters in Memphis will likely be headed to the polls again soon after re-electing state Rep. Barbara Cooper, who died in October at the age of 93 after ballots were printed.
Cooper pulled in more than 75% of the vote over Independent candidate Michael Porter on Tuesday. Under Tennessee law, a special election will be held to fill the vacant seat.
Cooper represented Memphis in the General Assembly for more than 26 years, making her Tennessee’s oldest-serving legislator in recorded history.
Senate District 19, an uphill battle for Republicans
After a competitive primary, Democrat Charlane Oliver has secured the seat for Senate District 19. Oliver, co-founder of the Equity Alliance, beat out a crowded five-person Democratic primary for the district that included two Metro councilmembers. She beat out Republican Pime Hernandez in the general election, though the seat still favors Democrats.
That seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. Brenda Gilmore, who attracted heat earlier this year when she appeared to try and time her retirement to benefit a political ally.
Senate District 31, a GOP lawmaker steps down
After Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey was indicted for campaign finance violations, Senate District 31 in Shelby County was left open.
Voters have chosen Republican Brent Taylor over his Democratic opponent Ruby Powell-Dennis.
This was a competitive seat when Kelsey last ran for re-election in 2018. But after redistricting, it remained in GOP hands. In the August primary, Republican voters outnumbered Democrats two-to-one.
House District 67 in Clarksville
Democrats control only 24% of the General Assembly, and they are fighting to keep House District 67 on their side. It’s too close to call as of Tuesday night. Democratic candidate Ronnie Glynn has a slight lead over Republican Tommy Vallejos.
The seat was one of many impacted by redistricting. Republicans redrew the boundaries of the Montgomery County district.
Glynn is a Black retired business owner and works with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Vallejos, who’s Latino, is a pastor and former county commissioner. Both are retired army veterans.
House District 41 on the Cumberland Plateau
The Tennessee Journal reports that longtime state Rep. John Mark Windle has conceded his race for re-election. Windle was running as an Independent after giving up his Democratic Party affiliation.
House District 41 will now be represented by Ed Butler, a Republican.
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