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Analysis: Tennessee’s low turnout primaries
Tennessee has historically been a low voter turnout state and the Aug. 4 primary elections proved no different. Only 17% of registered voters cast a ballot in the state and federal primary elections and the county-level general elections. Even for Tennessee, such a low level of turnout for a midterm primary is unusual. However, the […]
Analysis: All you need to know about Knox County elections
Early voting for the August 4 election started a week ago and in change from past election cycles, many Knox County offices on the ballot have more multiple candidates. Several are competitive and worth a close look. County Mayor Republican Glenn Jacobs, who, prior to becoming Knox County mayor, was best known for performing as […]
Analysis: Knox County Board of Education candidates
Last fall, in a move opposed by many nonpartisan education organizations such as the Tennessee School Boards Association, the General Assembly voted to allow partisan school board races. Both local parties in Knox County elected to support candidates for the Board of Education, setting up several partisan battles across the district. In the first local […]
Analysis: The effect of legislative retirements and uncontested elections in 2022
This 2022 election cycle has been marked by the retirement of more than a dozen state legislators — a few under unusual circumstances that include, in one case, an indictment — or in some cases, plans to seek a different elected office. Legislative retirements The 14 retirements in the General Assembly —11 in the House, […]
Knox County voters have most competitive sheriff’s race in a decade
For Knox County voters, the Republican options for sheriff should be pretty familiar. Former Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones is running against incumbent Tom Spangler in the May 3 primary for his old job. Although Jones was term-limited out of office in 2018, the limit specifies two consecutive terms, meaning he only had to sit out […]
Knoxville City Council elections 2021 feature partisan influences
Early voting opens for Knoxville voters on Wednesday for the second time in two months, as they decide who will represent five city council districts. This election will decide the automatic top-two runoff created from the open primary vote in August. None of the at-large seats are up this cycle, but every district except for […]
Analysis: Hamilton County special election favors GOP but low turnout could turn table
Parts of Hamilton County will be returning to the polls this September to elect the late Rep. Mike Carter’s successor. Carter is survived by his wife, Joan, who was appointed to hold the seat until the special election but chose not to enter the race herself. Whoever is elected by the voters of District 29 […]
Redistricting in Tennessee: An explanation of how the system works
Redistricting occurs only every ten years, so regular citizens can find it easy to miss. For those unfamiliar with the process, it can seem intentionally murky and unbalanced. However, understanding redistricting helps Tennesseans stay informed about their own representatives and if a change in their district is likely to happen. Redistricting is the name for […]
State house races in Districts 38-99 show at least one flip
In the final installment of our review of Tennessee House and Senate races, we preview the finances and the odds in House Districts 38-99, ranging from Middle Tennessee through West Tennessee. There are few competitive districts with at least one notable exception: In House District 49, Republicans are expressing unease about Rep. Mike Sparks’ reelection. […]
State House of Representatives races a mixed bag
All state representatives come up for election every two years and in the fourth installment of our five-part look at campaign finances and possible outcomes of elections, we look at House races starting in Northeast Tennessee and moving west to Murfreesboro. In Knox County’s District 18, an open seat, Democrat Virginia Couch faces Republican Eddie […]
Memphis races feature hot contests
The presidential race and U.S. Senate races traditionally earn the most analysis and coverage, but all state representatives are up for reelection in Tennessee and half of the General Assembly’s state senators. Shelby County features several hotly contested state house races. The most notable is the one between Democrat Torrey Harris and incumbent Rep. John […]
Davidson County legislative races feature one competitive seat
Part Two of the Tennessee Lookout’s series analyzing third quarter fundraising disclosures for Tennessee General Assembly candidates focuses on Davidson County state house and senate races. With one exception, Sen. Steve Dickerson in District 20, all of Nashville and Davidson County’s representatives are Democratic and most are running without opposition. Dickerson is also in the […]