Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

Elections in Tennessee, 2022

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On the ballot:  • U.S. House • Governor • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal

2024 → ← 2020
Tennessee's 1st Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 7, 2022
Primary: August 4, 2022 General: November 8, 2022
How to vote
Poll times: Varies by county Voting in Tennessee
Race ratings
Cook Partisan Voter Index (2022): R+30 Cook Political Report: Solid Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
See also
Tennessee's 1st Congressional District 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th Tennessee elections, 2022 U.S. Congress elections, 2022 U.S. Senate elections, 2022 U.S. House elections, 2022 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

All U.S. House districts, including the 1st Congressional District of Tennessee, held elections in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for August 4, 2022. The filing deadline was April 7, 2022.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (August 4 Democratic primary)
• Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (August 4 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Incumbent Diana Harshbarger defeated Cameron Parsons, Richard Baker, and Matt Makrom in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diana Harshbarger (R)	78.3	147,241
		Cameron Parsons (D)	19.7	37,049
		Richard Baker (Independent)	1.3	2,466
		Matt Makrom (Independent)	0.7	1,247

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 188,003
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Cameron Parsons advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cameron Parsons	100.0	6,099

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,099
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Incumbent Diana Harshbarger advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diana Harshbarger	100.0	43,761

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,761
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Chuck Miller (R)
• Austin Wyatt (R)

Voting information

See also: Voting in Tennessee

Election information in Tennessee: Nov. 8, 2022, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 11, 2022
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 11, 2022
• Online: Oct. 11, 2022

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 1, 2022
• By mail: Received by Nov. 1, 2022
• Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: N/A
• By mail: Received by Nov. 8, 2022

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 19, 2022 to Nov. 3, 2022

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

Varies

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Matt Makrom (Independent)

Freedom of speech is necessary for liberty, regardless of who gets butthurt.

The federal government does not know what's best for you, and the majority of its institutions are illegal and corrupt.

Anyone trying to take my guns from me as a lawful gun-owner will be on the wrong side of the barrel.

Cameron Parsons (D)

Families across the country are under more pressures than ever before. We have to be able to talk openly about these issues, identify solutions, implement those solutions, and work to make the future a better place. Abortion is one of those issues that everyone feels very strongly about. I want to work with both Democrats and Republicans to strengthen families, make adoptions easier, help protect children, and reduce the number of abortions in this country. Everyone agrees with that message, but no one is acting on it. My highest priority is helping the families of this country.

The economy is engine that brings us peace and prosperity. The government is the guide and the guardian of our economy. It should do just enough, that people can enjoy freedom and independence, but not be robbed or mistreated. Our government has been one of the biggest supporters of innovation and technology in the world, and we have enjoyed a long period of unmatched prosperity. Our government should do more in that area, but cut spending that is wasteful. Before enacting new laws, our government should review existing regulations, make it easier to follow, and flexible enough to not smother businesses. In other words, our government should work for the people of this country to make life easier, not harder.

Politicians on both sides are growing more and more out of touch with regular people. We can fix a lot of Congress’s issues by protecting the integrity of our elections, cracking down on corruption, reforming campaign finance, and establishing term limits. This is 2022, our elections should be free, fair, and accurate. Insider trading has disgraced our incumbent Representative and members of both parties. No one is above the law, and these people must be held accountable.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Matt Makrom (Independent)

Limiting the federal government's reach, demolishing policies and practices that attempt to limit the free exchange of ideas and information, and getting back to the Constitutional basics that this country was founded on.

Cameron Parsons (D)

I am personally interested in balancing the federal budget, reducing abortions, fixing Social Security, and making sure that the United States remains the most innovative country in the world. All of those things are achievable and would make a positive, tangible impact on everyone. I am excited for the opportunity to fix these pressing issues. I am passionate about efficiency, fixing problems, and leaving things in a better state than when I found them. Government seems to be doing none of those things anymore, and we the people, deserve better. We have to get our budgets under control, we have to defend our Constitutional rights, and we have to support Americans and their economic interests. The reason no one is doing this is that it is hard to do those things. I am putting in the work to find key policy areas, look for solutions, and to find some consensus on those those issues we can change. Keep checking my website, TN1.us, as I work to make more of these ideas visible to the voters.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Cameron Parsons (D)

I love history, so I could talk about this for a long time. Two of my favorite Founding Fathers are Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. Those men were two of the greatest writers to ever live and played a huge part in the early success of our country. Theodore Roosevelt started his life as a sickly child, but became one of the greatest Americans through determination and drive. As far as role models go, those are some of the best.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Cameron Parsons (D)

One of the most important principles for anyone is integrity, unfortunately, it is also the most rare in members of Congress. Money and power have become the driving force for so many promising officials. Most negotiations appear to be occurring in bad faith, lies are more common than the truth, and members are ignoring the best interests of voters. We must hold members accountable. Honor is something that I want to return, as it has disappeared from our Representatives. It involves respect for others and respect for yourself. We would all benefit if our leaders did that a little bit more.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Cameron Parsons (D)

By running for office, I get the chance to show that politicians can be good and decent people. A chance to leave this world a better place for my family. I could be known as the person that corrected many of the wrongs that have gone on unchallenged for too long. However, the only legacy I can fully control is the one that I leave for my family. I want them to know that I loved them very much, I always tried to do the right thing for them and myself, and that they should always be good and decent people.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Cameron Parsons (D)

I was born in 1989, so I was 3 when ‘Skins won their last Super Bowl and 9 when Tennessee won their last National Championship. I remember the Presidency of Bill Clinton fondly, but the most important event of my lifetime was 9/11. Our 6th grade classroom had turned on the news to see the events unfolding in New York City just in time to see the second plane strike. That terrorist attack changed the course of our country. I love history, so I could talk about this for a long time. Two of my favorite Founding Fathers are Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. Those men were two of the greatest writers to ever live and played a huge part in the early success of our country. Theodore Roosevelt started his life as a sickly child, but became one of the greatest Americans through determination and drive. As far as role models go, those are some of the best.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Cameron Parsons (D)

My first job was as a lifeguard during high school and college. Altogether, I was a lifeguard for 6 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Cameron Parsons (D)

The Plague by Albert Camus. This book is a classic, and it was the basis for at least three of my major term papers in college. I only now realized the overlap with the story and the Covid 19 epidemic. It is the story of a city ravaged by plague and an allegory of the horrors of WW2. Despite the worst situations one can imagine, “there are more things to admire in men than to despise.”

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Cameron Parsons (D)

Phillip Marlowe, the classic hardboiled detective from the 1930s and 40s.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Matt Makrom (Independent)

Probably something by Morgan Wallen.

Cameron Parsons (D)

The theme song to Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse, thanks to my 2 year old.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Cameron Parsons (D)

The House is unique in that it is and average citizen’s closest representative in the federal government. Each member of the House represents about 700,000 people on average, every pair of Senators represent each state’s population, and the President represents every American. For a long time, it was the only directly elected official that the people had in the federal government. The House remains the government entity that is most directly connected to the will of the American people.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Cameron Parsons (D)

Obviously, experience is one of the most beneficial attributes for any position. Looking at Congress now, I can safely say that no one’s experience is adding any benefit to the American people. The most important attributes are a willingness to work, maintain integrity, and the ability to make the good decisions on the behalf of the people. Those are the attributes that I would bring to Congress.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Cameron Parsons (D)

My great grandmother was born in 1918, and I loved to talk to her about the events in her life, the Great Depression, WW2, and so on. She lived to see some of the most profound changes I can imagine. For better or worse, time continues to progress and so does our technologies. Rapid advancements in artificial intelligences, robotics, computing, communications, could change life as we know it within such a short period of time. It is both frightening and encouraging. That is our greatest challenge, to not shy away from the difficult moments, but to take them head on, and make ourselves better in the process. I know that we can do, because we have done it before. We can beat Communist China, we can beat the political pundits and celebrities waging culture wars, we can fix any wrong that exists in our system of government. The people of the United States will take on any challenge and be successful.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Cameron Parsons (D)

The most important committees are Appropriations, Rules, and Ways and Means. Those three touch nearly every significant action in Congress. I would be honored to be a part of any of those important committees. My personal interests would be in the Budget, Ethics, and the Science, Space, and Technology committees. I have expressed desires to balance budgets, make government efficient, and ensure the United States leads the world in innovation. Those committees would be the best places to work on those goals directly.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Cameron Parsons (D)

Yes, two years is the correct term length. The main problem is that most members of Congress spend most of their time fundraising instead of doing the job they were elected to do. Fixing term limits, campaign finance, and other corrupting influences will make Congress more representative.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Cameron Parsons (D)

We must establish Congressional term limits. Unfortunately, many politicians become corrupted by money and power. Term limits at least put some level of control on the situation. Additional steps would be to fix gerrymandering, limiting out of control campaign contributions, ensuring free and fair elections, etc.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Cameron Parsons (D)

My list is too long, so I will limit it to current Representatives. Mike Simpson (R) of Idaho, Mike Garcia (R) of California, and Liz Cheney (R) of Wyoming are three really good conservative leaders. Tennessee is lucky to have two good Democratic Representatives, Jim Cooper and Steve Cohen. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton from Virginia are also really good role models. Not in the House, but Senator Tammy Duckworth is one of my favorite politicians. She should be a household name in this country.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Cameron Parsons (D)

I have received a lot of positive feedback about my campaign, because it focuses on the most important issues facing our country. The economy, corruption in government, and balanced budgets are all things that we agree on in Northeast Tennessee. The most important thing I hear about is family. Our families are the reason we want this country to be successful. It represents the best possible outcome for anyone. You can be who you want to be, say what you want to say, and have the freedom to not worry about a repressive government tell you what to do. That is why families stick out to me. We can’t always agree on policies, but we all agree that families need better from the government. That is what keeps me encouraged.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Cameron Parsons (D)

"Why are cows the best dancers? ... They have all the best Moo-ves" - my 6 year old

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Cameron Parsons (D)

Modern politics has skewed a lot of people into thinking that compromise is a bad thing. Compromise is necessary and desirable. No one person or party is capable of knowing every outcome, every need, or every detail of a problem. It is the main reason that intelligent people seek diversity, to learn new things. The United States government was established as a compromise, it survived based on compromise, and we live in a society based on daily compromise. However, compromise is never easy. It has alway been difficult and challenging. That is why we elect these Representatives, to do the hard work on our behalf. Any member of Congress that is unable to compromise and make decisions in the best interests of the American people is unfit to serve.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Cameron Parsons (D)

Balancing the budget is one of my top priorities. We pay more than enough in taxes to cover every need in this country. We should investigate every dollar to determine if it can be used more efficiently in some other situation. We should prosecute those that are stealing or wasting the government’s money. American businesses need clear guidance and support if we are serious about competition on global markets. Business tax rates should be close to the 15% global minimum that was recently agreed on. American people are taxed enough as it is, and those rates should be lowered as much as possible. The growing deficit is absolutely terrifying, and both sides are to blame. We have to fix that before it becomes a disaster.

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report	Close of books	Filing deadline
Year-end 2021	12/31/2021	1/31/2022
April quarterly	3/31/2022	4/15/2022
July quarterly	6/30/2022	7/15/2022
October quarterly	9/30/2022	10/15/2022
Pre-general	10/19/2022	10/27/2022
Post-general	11/28/2022	12/08/2022
Year-end 2022	12/31/2022	1/31/2023

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Diana Harshbarger	Republican Party	$2,000,622	$1,322,051	$936,417	As of December 31, 2022
Cameron Parsons	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Richard Baker	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Matt Makrom	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2022
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 8, 2022	November 1, 2022	October 25, 2022	October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Tennessee in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Tennessee, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Tennessee	U.S. House	All candidates	25	N/A	4/7/2022	Source

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting.
• Effect of redistricting - How districts in the state changed as a result of redistricting following the 2020 census.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2022 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Below was the map in use at the time of the election, enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle, compared to the map in place before the election.

Tennessee District 1
until January 2, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Tennessee District 1
starting January 3, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Effect of redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census

The table below details the results of the 2020 presidential election in each district at the time of the 2022 election and its political predecessor district. This data was compiled by Daily Kos Elections.

2020 presidential results by Congressional district, Tennessee
District	2022 district		Political predecessor district
	Joe Biden	Donald Trump	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Tennessee's 1st	22.0%	76.3%	22.1%	76.2%
Tennessee's 2nd	34.4%	63.7%	34.5%	63.6%
Tennessee's 3rd	33.1%	65.0%	32.9%	65.3%
Tennessee's 4th	30.2%	67.9%	30.7%	67.5%
Tennessee's 5th	43.2%	54.5%	60.3%	36.7%
Tennessee's 6th	34.5%	63.6%	25.6%	72.7%
Tennessee's 7th	41.3%	56.4%	31.3%	66.9%
Tennessee's 8th	30.6%	67.9%	33.2%	65.4%
Tennessee's 9th	73.3%	25.1%	78.5%	19.8%

Competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Tennessee.

Tennessee U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2022
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2022	9	9	1	36	18	4	4	44.4%	3	37.5%
2020	9	9	2	45	18	6	2	44.4%	3	42.9%
2018	9	9	2	49	18	6	7	72.2%	5	71.4%
2016	9	9	2	48	18	4	6	55.6%	5	71.4%
2014	9	9	0	39	18	3	8	61.1%	8	88.9%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Tennessee in 2022. Information below was calculated on July 11, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Thirty-six candidates filed to run for Tennessee's nine U.S. House districts, including 13 Democrats and 23 Republicans. That's four candidates per district, less than the five candidates per district in 2020 and the 5.4 in 2018.

This was the first election to take place under new district lines following the 2020 census. Tennessee was apportioned nine districts, the same number it was apportioned after the 2010 census. The 36 candidates who ran this year were the fewest candidates who filed to run for Tennessee's U.S. House seats since 2012, when 36 candidates ran as well. Forty-five candidates ran in 2020, 49 in 2018, 48 in 2016, and 39 in 2014.

One district — the 5th — was open. That was down from two open seats in 2020, 2018 and 2016. There were no open seats in 2014 or 2012. Rep. Jim Cooper (D), who represented the 5th district, didn't file for re-election. Ten candidates — one Democrat and nine Republicans — ran to replace Cooper, the most candidates who ran for a seat this year.

There were eight contested primaries this year — four Democratic and four Republican. That was the same number as in 2020 and five fewer than in 2018, when there were 13 contested primaries. There were ten contested primaries in 2016, 11 in 2014, and ten in 2012.

Five incumbents — all Republicans — didn't face primary challengers. Republican and Democratic candidates filed to run in all nine districts, so no seats were guaranteed to either party this year.

Presidential elections

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+30. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 30 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Tennessee's 1st the 3rd most Republican district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Tennessee's 1st based on 2022 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
22.0%	76.3%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Tennessee, 2020

Tennessee presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 15 Democratic wins
• 16 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Tennessee and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

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Demographic Data for Tennessee
	Tennessee	United States
Population	6,346,105	308,745,538
Land area (sq mi)	41,237	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	77.6%	72.5%
Black/African American	16.8%	12.7%
Asian	1.8%	5.5%
Native American	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more	2.2%	3.3%
Hispanic/Latino	5.4%	18%
Education
High school graduation rate	87.5%	88%
College graduation rate	27.3%	32.1%
Income
Median household income	$53,320	$62,843
Persons below poverty level	15.2%	13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State party control

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Tennessee's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Tennessee, November 2022
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	2	2
Republican	2	7	9
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	9	11

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Tennessee's top three state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Tennessee, November 2022
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Bill Lee
Secretary of State	Tre Hargett
Attorney General	Jonathan Skrmetti

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Tennessee General Assembly as of November 2022.

Tennessee State Senate

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	6
	Republican Party	27
	Vacancies	0
Total		33

Tennessee House of Representatives

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	23
	Republican Party	75
	Independent	0
	Vacancies	1
Total		99

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Tennessee was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Tennessee Party Control: 1992-2022
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

District history

2020

See also: Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 6 Republican primary)

Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (August 6 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Diana Harshbarger defeated Blair Walsingham, Steve Holder, and Josh Berger in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diana Harshbarger (R)	74.7	228,181
		Blair Walsingham (D)	22.5	68,617
		Steve Holder (Independent)	2.8	8,621
		Josh Berger (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	4

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 305,423
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Blair Walsingham defeated Chris Rowe (Unofficially withdrew) and Larry Smith (Unofficially withdrew) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Blair Walsingham	52.7	6,076
		Chris Rowe (Unofficially withdrew)	33.6	3,869
		Larry Smith (Unofficially withdrew)	13.6	1,572
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,520
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diana Harshbarger	19.2	18,074
		Timothy Hill	16.7	15,731
		Rusty Crowe	16.1	15,179
		Josh Gapp	14.2	13,379
		Steve Darden	12.4	11,647
		John Clark	9.4	8,826
		David Hawk	5.0	4,717
		Nichole Williams	3.0	2,803
		Jay Adkins	1.7	1,635
		Carter Quillen	0.9	853
		Richard Baker	0.3	298
		Chad Fleenor (Unofficially withdrew)	0.3	282
		Phil Arlinghaus	0.3	274
		Robert Franklin	0.2	229
		Chuck Miller	0.2	189
		Chance Cansler	0.2	147

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,263
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Cody Williams (R)
• Dan Street (R)
• J. S. Moore (R)
• Todd McKinley (R)
• Dustin Decal (R)

2018

See also: Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Incumbent Phil Roe defeated Marty Olsen and Michael Salyer in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Roe (R)	77.1	172,835
		Marty Olsen (D)	21.0	47,138
		Michael Salyer (Independent)	1.9	4,309

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 224,282
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Marty Olsen advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marty Olsen	100.0	13,313

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,313
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Incumbent Phil Roe defeated Todd McKinley, James Brooks, and Mickie Lou Banyas in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Roe	73.7	71,556
		Todd McKinley	16.7	16,175
		James Brooks	5.2	5,058
		Mickie Lou Banyas	4.4	4,253

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 97,042
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Phil Roe (R) defeated Alan Bohms (D) and Robert Franklin (Independent) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Roe defeated Clint Tribble in the Republican primary on August 4, 2016.

U.S. House, Tennessee District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Phil Roe Incumbent	78.4%	198,293
	Democratic	Alan Bohms	15.4%	39,024
	Independent	Robert Franklin	6.2%	15,702
	N/A	Write-in	0%	6
Total Votes				253,025
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State

U.S. House, Tennessee District 1 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Roe Incumbent	82.2%	35,350
Clint Tribble	17.8%	7,673
Total Votes		43,023
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State

2014

See also: Tennessee's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

Incumbent Phil Roe won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. He defeated Libertarian Michael Salyer, Green Party candidate Robert Smith and independent candidate Robert Franklin in the general election.

U.S. House, Tennessee District 1 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Phil Roe Incumbent	82.8%	115,495
	Libertarian	Michael Salyer	3%	4,145
	Independent	Robert Franklin	7.1%	9,905
	Green	Robert Smith	7.1%	9,869
Total Votes				139,414
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State Vote totals above are unofficial and will be updated once official totals are made available.

U.S. House, Tennessee District 1 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Roe Incumbent	83.8%	72,903
Daniel Hartley	8.7%	7,533
John Rader	7.5%	6,557
Total Votes		86,993
Source: Results via Associated Press

See also

Tennessee	2022 primaries	2022 U.S. Congress elections
Tennessee congressional delegation Voting in Tennessee Tennessee elections: 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

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Tennessee's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Marsha Blackburn (R)

Bill Hagerty (R)

Representatives

District 1

Diana Harshbarger (R)

District 2

Tim Burchett (R)

District 3

Charles Fleischmann (R)

District 4

Scott DesJarlais (R)

District 5

Andy Ogles (R)

District 6

John Rose (R)

District 7

Mark Green (R)

District 8

David Kustoff (R)

District 9

Steve Cohen (D)

Republican Party (10)

Democratic Party (1)