Voting in Tennessee on Thursday: What to know about primary elections
Thursday is election day in Tennessee.
On the ballot are county general election races, amendments to Nashville's Metro Charter and primaries for state and federal office.
Those primaries include the Democratic gubernatorial race and contests for redrawn state House districts and all nine of the state's congressional seats. Half of the state Senate is up for election this year.
On the congressional level, all eyes are on the newly drawn district in the Nashville area.
Here's what you need to know:
When do polls open?
Polls opened at 7 a.m. CT and will close at 7 p.m. CT.
Who is running for governor of Tennessee?
Statewide, there is a competitive primary for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Three candidates are vying for the chance to take on incumbent Republican Gov. Bill Lee in the Nov. 8 election. Lee faces no GOP primary opposition.
Memphis community activist Carnita Atwater, Nashville physician Jason Martin and Memphis City Council member JB Smiley, Jr. are competing in the Democratic primary.
Here's more on the candidates:
Jason Martin believes he has a chance to beat Gov. Bill Lee if picked by Democrats on Aug. 4
JB Smiley Jr. has always aimed higher. Now he's going for the Democratic gubernatorial bid
What about Congress?
All nine of the state's congressional seats are on the ballot. Much of the focus is on the newly drawn 5th Congressional District. In an aggressive redistricting effort, General Assembly Republicans this year redrew the 5th into a Republican-friendly district, splitting Nashville into the 5th, 6th and 7th congressional districts.
The new congressional districts in and around Nashville include:
5th District: southwestern Davidson County and Columbia
6th District: East Nashville and Cookeville
7th District: includes North Nashville, downtown and Clarksville.
The 5th District attracted a feeding frenzy in the Republican primary, where nine candidates are vying for the GOP nomination. Top fundraisers in the race include former state House Speaker Beth Harwell, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles and retired Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead.
On the Democratic side, current state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, did not seek reelection.
In the 6th and 7th Districts, both Republican incumbents U.S. Reps. John Rose and Mark Green are running for reelection.
Political newcomers Randal Cooper and Clay Faircloth are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 6th.
Nashville community organizer Odessa Kelly is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District.
What about legislative races?
The most notable legislative races are an open Senate race and two open state House races in Davidson County, along with a state Senate race involving the Republican majority leader in Williamson County.
► In Senate District 19, which includes much of North Nashville, several candidates are battling in the Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville.
In the Democratic primary, the candidates are Barry Barlow, Jerry Maynard, Charlane Oliver, Rossi Turner and Ludye N. Wallace. While Prime Hernandez is the only Republican candidate in the race.
► In Senate District 27 in Williamson County, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Williamson County, faces a challenge to his political right from conservative activist Gary Humble. Humble rose to prominence through Tennessee Stands, an organization he formed to push back against COVID-19 restrictions.
There are no Democratic challengers for the seat.
Following the retirements of Democrats Jason Potts and Mike Stewart, Nashville has two open state House races.
► In District 52, community activist Justin Jones and Metro Council member Delisha Porterfield are competing in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican challenger in the race. The district includes parts of eastern Davidson County, including a portion of East Nashville, the area around the airport and J. Percy Priest Lake.
► In District 59, Caleb Hemmer is unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Michelle Foreman and Wyatt Rampy are running in the Republican primary. The district includes the southern most part of Davidson County, stretching across Bellevue, Belle Meade, and Oak Hill while straddling the county's border with Williamson County.
What else should I know?
There are also 10 judges on the ballot running to hold their seats in retention elections, including five Tennessee Supreme Court justices and five appellate court judges.
Retention elections in 2014 became highly contentious and a constitutional amendment passed later that year overhauled the way in which the governor appoints judges. Justices, Court of Appeals judges and Court of Criminal Appeals judges are chosen by the governor and appointed for eight-year terms after confirmation by the General Assembly. At the end of their terms, voters can choose to retain or replace them.
A “replace” vote has only happened once. A replacement would once again be appointed, not elected.
Melissa Brown, Adam Friedman, Duane W. Gang, Meghan Mangrum, Cassandra Stephenson and Mariah Timms contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee primary elections: What to know about U.S., governor's races
