2018 Tennessee Senate election

The 2018 Tennessee State Senate election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect 18 of the 33 seats for the Tennessee's State Senate. The elections coincided with the Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and State House elections. The primary elections were held on August 2, 2018.[1]

2018 Tennessee State Senate election

← 2016 November 6, 2018 2020 →

18 of the 33 seats in the Tennessee State Senate
17 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Randy McNally Lee Harris
(retired)
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 5th - Oak Ridge 29th - Memphis
Last election 28 seats 5 seats
Seats before 28 5
Seats won 28 5
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 671,278 459,033
Percentage 58.86% 40.25%
Swing Decrease 21.96% Increase 22.85%

Results:
     Republican hold      Democratic hold
     No Election
Vote Share:
     50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90%
     80–90%      >90%

Speaker before election

Randy McNally
Republican

Elected Speaker

Randy McNally
Republican

Retirements

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Three incumbents (2 Democrats and 1 Republican) did not run for re-election in 2018. Those incumbents are:

Democrats

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  1. District 19: Thelma Harper retired.
  2. District 29: Lee Harris retired to run for mayor of Shelby County.

Republicans

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  1. District 13: Bill Ketron retired to run for mayor of Rutherford County.

Incumbents defeated

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In the primary election

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Democrats

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  1. District 33: Reginald Tate lost renomination to Katrina Robinson.

Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
Governing[2] Safe R Oct. 8, 2018

Results summary

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Summary of the November 6, 2018 Tennessee Senate election results
Party Candidates Votes Seats
No. % Before Up Won After +/–
Republican 16 671,278 58.86 28 14 14 28  
Democratic 15 459,033 40.25 5 4 4 5  
Independent 2 9,756 0.86 0 0 0 0  
Write-in 2 421 0.04 0 0 0 0  
Total 1,140,488 100 33 18 18 33  
Source: [1]
Popular vote
Republican
58.86%
Democratic
40.25%
Other
0.90%
Senate seats
Republican
84.85%
Democratic
15.15%

Closest race

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This race was decided by a margin of under 10%:

District Winner Margin
District 31 Republican 1.78%

Detailed results by State Senate District

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District 1District 2 (special)District 3District 5District 7District 9District 11District 13District 15District 17District 19District 21District 23District 25District 27District 29District 31District 33

Sources: [3][4][5]

District 1

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Southerland (incumbent) 22,806 100
Total votes 22,806 100

General election

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Tennessee's 1st State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Southerland (incumbent) 43,262 100
Total votes 43,262 100
Republican hold

District 2 (special)

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Art Swann (incumbent) 13,824 56.54
Republican Scott P. Williams 6,836 27.96
Republican Wesley P. Maples 3,792 15.51
Total votes 24,452 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic J. Nathan Higdon (write-in) 314 100
Total votes 314 100

Special election

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Tennessee's 2nd State Senate District Special Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Art Swann (incumbent) 55,595 99.28
Write-in J. Nathan Higdon 402 0.72
Total votes 55,997 100
Republican hold

District 3

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rusty Crowe (incumbent) 22,481 100
Total votes 22,481 100

General election

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Tennessee's 3rd State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rusty Crowe (incumbent) 50,236 100
Total votes 50,236 100
Republican hold

District 5

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Randy McNally (incumbent) 23,525 100
Total votes 23,525 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Stuart Starr 6,303 100
Total votes 6,303 100

General election

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Tennessee's 5th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Randy McNally (incumbent) 48,336 71.84
Democratic Stuart Starr 18,948 28.16
Total votes 83,019 100
Republican hold

District 7

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Briggs (incumbent) 19,166 100
Total votes 19,166 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Ballinger 9,319 100
Total votes 9,319 100

General election

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Tennessee's 7th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Richard Briggs (incumbent) 38,558 55.57
Democratic Jamie Ballinger 30,826 44.43
Total votes 69,384 100

District 9

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Bell (incumbent) 24,548 100
Total votes 24,548 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carl Lansden 4,775 100
Total votes 4,775 100

General election

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Tennessee's 9th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Bell (incumbent) 45,006 77.74
Democratic Carl Lansden 12,887 22.26
Total votes 57,893 100
Republican hold

District 11

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bo Watson (incumbent) 20,257 100
Total votes 20,257 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Randall "Randy" Price 8,152 100
Total votes 8,152 100

General election

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Tennessee's 11th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bo Watson (incumbent) 51,082 65.14
Democratic Randall "Randy" Price 27,332 34.86
Total votes 78,141 100
Republican hold

District 13

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dawn White 10,639 58.22
Republican Ernest G. Burgess 7,635 41.78
Total votes 18,274 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kelly Northcutt 8,217 100
Total votes 8,217 100

General election

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Tennessee's 13th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dawn White 36,594 57.07
Democratic Kelly Northcutt 25,974 40.50
Independent Ginger Smith 1,559 2.43
Total votes 64,127 100
Republican hold

District 15

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Bailey (incumbent) 25,808 100
Total votes 25,808 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Angela Hedgecough 7,636 100
Total votes 7,636 100

General election

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Tennessee's 15th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Bailey (incumbent) 48,919 73.64
Democratic Angela Hedgecough 17,512 26.36
Total votes 66,431 100
Republican hold

District 17

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Pody (incumbent) 31,437 100
Total votes 31,437 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Alice Carfi 10,460 100
Total votes 10,460 100

General election

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Tennessee's 17th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mark Pody (incumbent) 53,364 70.39
Democratic Mary Alice Carfi 22,452 29.61
Total votes 75,816 100
Republican hold

District 19

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Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brenda Gilmore 13,885 64.70
Democratic Howard Jones 5,262 24.52
Democratic Sandra Moore 1,181 5.50
Democratic George Thomas 1,132 5.28
Total votes 21,460 100

General election

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Tennessee's 19th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brenda Gilmore 49,586 85.79
Independent Christina "Chris" Callaway 6,271 10.85
Independent Rueben "Dock" Dockery 1,926 3.33
Write-in Howard Jones 19 0.03
Total votes 57,802 100
Democratic hold

District 21

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Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeff Yarbro (incumbent) 19,402 100
Total votes 19,402 100

General election

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Tennessee's 21st State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jeff Yarbro (incumbent) 55,905 100
Total votes 55,905 100
Democratic hold

District 23

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Johnson (incumbent) 26,893 100
Total votes 26,893 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kristen Grimm 9,673 100
Total votes 9,673 100

General election

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Tennessee's 23rd State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Johnson (incumbent) 68,118 66.90
Democratic Kristen Grimm 33,710 33.11
Total votes 101,828 100
Republican hold

District 25

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kerry Roberts (incumbent) 23,909 100.00%
Total votes 23,909 100.00%

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Wade Munday 9,078 100.00%
Total votes 9,078 100.00%

General election

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Tennessee's 25th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kerry Roberts (incumbent) 47,188 71.52
Democratic Wade Munday 18,795 28.49
Total votes 65,983 100.00%
Republican hold

District 27

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Jackson (incumbent) 14,404 70.76
Republican Brandon Dodds 5,951 29.24
Total votes 20,355 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Savannah Williamson 3,692 42.99
Democratic Jackie Williams 3,637 42.35
Democratic John H. York Jr. 1,259 14.66
Total votes 8,588 100

General election

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Tennessee's 27th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Jackson (incumbent) 35,837 65.14
Democratic Savannah Williamson 19,177 34.86
Write-in John H. York Jr. 0 0.00
Total votes 55,014 100
Republican hold

District 29

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Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Raumesh Akbari 14,861 58.42
Democratic Justin Ford 10,577 41.58
Total votes 25,438 100

Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Stephens 3,873 100
Total votes 3,873 100

General election

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Tennessee's 29th State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Raumesh Akbari 43,851 83.48
Republican Tom Stephens 8,679 16.52
Total votes 52,530 100
Democratic hold

District 31

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Republican primary

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Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kelsey (incumbent) 22,767 100
Total votes 22,767 100

Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gabby Salinas 7,737 47.98
Democratic David Weatherspoon 6,890 42.73
Democratic M. Rodanial Ray Ransom 1,499 9.30
Total votes 16,126 100

General election

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Tennessee's 31st State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brian Kelsey (incumbent) 40,504 50.89
Democratic Gabby Salinas 39,086 49.11
Total votes 79,590 100
Republican hold

District 33

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Democratic primary

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Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katrina Robinson 14,164 68.66
Democratic Reginald Tate (incumbent) 6,464 31.34
Total votes 20,628 100

General election

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Tennessee's 33rd State Senate District General Election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Katrina Robinson 42,992 100
Total votes 42,992 100
Democratic hold

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tennessee Primaries: What to Watch For". New York Times. August 2, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Jacobson, Louis (October 8, 2018). "A Month Before Election Day, Democrats Poised for Legislative gains". Governing. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "August 2, 2018 Republican Primary" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  4. ^ "August 2, 2018 Democratic Primary" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "November 6, 2018 State General" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved October 7, 2023.