Tennessee State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 Tennessee Senate Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	August 6, 2020

Past Election Results

2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008

2020 Elections
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Republicans lost a seat in the 2020 elections for Tennessee State Senate, but preserved their supermajority. Sixteen seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 28 seats and Democrats held 5. Republicans lost a net one seat, meaning they maintained a 27-6 supermajority.

The Tennessee State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. A total of 16 seats out of the chamber's 33 seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

Tennessee's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Tennessee, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Tennessee modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures and voter identification rules for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Individuals "with a special vulnerability to COVID-19" and "caretakers for individuals with a special vulnerability to COVID-19" were deemed to meet the existing statutory criteria for absentee voting eligibility. A law requiring first-time voters to vote in person was temporarily suspended.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

Tennessee State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	5	6
	Republican Party	28	27
Total		33	33

General election

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Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Tennessee Secretary of State on April 3, 2020. (I) denotes an incumbent.

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Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:

Name	Party	Office
Steven Dickerson	Republican	Senate District 20

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents lost in the Aug. 6 primaries.

Retiring incumbents

There was one open seat where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020. That incumbents was:

Name	Party	Office
Dolores Gresham	Republican	Senate District 26

The one seat left open in 2020 represented a decrease from 2018. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Tennessee State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020	16	1 (6 percent)	15 (94 percent)
2018	18	3 (17 percent)	15 (83 percent)
2016	16	1 (6 percent)	15 (94 percent)
2014	18	4 (22 percent)	14 (78 percent)
2012	16	5 (31 percent)	11 (69 percent)
2010	17	2 (12 percent)	15 (88 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Tennessee

See statutes: Chapter 2-5 and Chapter 2-7 of the Tennessee Code

State legislative candidates

A candidate running for the state legislature, whether partisan or independent, must adhere to the same ballot access requirements, which are detailed below.

1. The candidate must obtain a nominating petition from a county election commission office or the office of the state coordinator of elections.
2. The nominating petition must be signed by the candidate and at least 25 voters who are registered in the candidate's district.
3. The signer of a petition must include the address shown on his or her voter registration card in order for his or her signature to be counted.
4. The candidate must file the original nominating petition in the office of the county election commission by the first Thursday of April in his or her county of residence. The candidate must also file a certified duplicate in the county election commission office in each county wholly or partially within the candidate's district. This requirement applies to both political party candidates running in the primary and independent candidates running in the general election.
5. There are no filing fees.

Federal and statewide office

A partisan or independent candidate for governor, United States Representative, or United States Senator must obtain a nominating petition from a county election commission office or the office of the state coordinator of elections.

1. The nominating petition must be signed by at least 25 voters who are registered anywhere in Tennessee.
2. The signer of a petition must include the address shown on his or her voter registration card in order for the signature to be counted.
3. The candidate must file the nominating petition no later than noon on the first Thursday of April.
4. The candidate must file the original nominating petition in the office of the Tennessee State Election Commission. The candidate must also file a certified duplicate in the office of the state coordinator of elections. Both of these must be received by the qualifying deadline.
5. There are no filing fees.

For write-in candidates

In order to have his or her votes tallied, a write-in candidate must file a certificate of write-in candidacy no later than noon on the 50th day before the general election in each county that makes up the district of the listed office. For the offices of governor, United States Senator, and United States Representative, this form must be filed with the Tennessee Coordinator of Elections.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Tennessee State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Tennessee State Senate	All candidates	25	N/A	4/2/2020	Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the Tennessee State Senate, a candidate must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• 30 years old before the general election
• A three-year resident of Tennessee before the general election
• A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election
• A qualified voter

• The following situations would eliminate a candidate from qualifying for office:
  • Those who have been convicted of offering or giving a bribe, or of larceny, or any other offense declared infamous by law, unless restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by law;
  • Those against whom there is a judgment unpaid for any moneys received by them, in any official capacity, due to the United States, to this state, or any county thereof;
  • Those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, and the election of any such person shall be void;
  • Soldiers, seamen, marines, or airmen in the regular army or navy or air force of the United States; and
  • Members of congress, and persons holding any office of profit or trust under any foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024
Salary	Per diem
$28,405.96/year	$326.47/day. Legislators living within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a reduced amount of $47 per day.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Tennessee legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.

Tennessee political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Tennessee Party Control: 1992-2024
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen 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	23	24	25
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	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	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	R	R	R

Presidential politics in Tennessee

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Tennessee, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	34.7%	870,695	0
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	60.7%	1,522,925	11
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	2.8%	70,397	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	0.6%	15,993	0
	Independent	Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg	0.2%	4,075	0
	Independent	Alyson Kennedy/Osborne Hart	0.1%	2,877	0
	Independent	Mike Smith/Daniel White	0.3%	7,276	0
	-	Write-in votes	0.5%	13,789	0
Total Votes				2,508,027	11
Election results via: Tennessee Secretary of State

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Tennessee utilizes an open primary process; a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Each county election commission must determine the opening time for polling places in the county at least 15 days before an election, with certain requirements based on county population. All polling places close at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST). The polls must be open for a minimum of 10 consecutive hours, but not more than 13 hours. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Tennessee, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Tennessee, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.

Prospective voters can register online, by mailing a voter registration application to the county election commission, or in person at a variety of locations including the county clerk’s office, the county election commission office, public libraries, and numerous state agencies. Registration must be completed 30 days before an election.

Automatic registration

Tennessee does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Tennessee has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Tennessee does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Tennessee, you must be a resident of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Tennessee does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, providing false information on an application "is a felony punishable by not less than two (2) years nor more than twelve (12) years imprisonment or a fine of $5,000 or both."

Tennessee law requires election officials to conduct check of voter registration applicants' citizenship status. Section 2-2-141 of the Tennessee Code states the following:

“	‘’’2-2-141. Proof of citizenship for registering to vote.’’’ (a) The coordinator of elections shall compare the statewide voter registration database with the department of safety database to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in this state. The coordinator of elections is authorized to compare the statewide voter registration database with relevant federal and state agencies and county records for the same purpose. If evidence exists that a particular registered voter is not a citizen of the United States, the coordinator of elections shall notify the county election commission where the person registered to vote that the registered voter may not be a citizen of the United States. (b) After receiving such notice, the county election commission shall send a notice to the registered voter inquiring whether the individual is eligible to be registered to vote. Any registered voter who receives the notice shall, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such notice, provide proof of citizenship to the county election commission.	”
—Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-2-141

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Tennessee secretary of state’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Tennessee requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

• Tennessee driver’s license with photo
• United States passport
• Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
• Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government
• United States Military photo ID
• Tennessee handgun carry permit with photo

The following voters are exempt from the photo ID requirements:

• Voters who vote absentee by mail
• Voters who are residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and who vote at the facility
• Voters who are hospitalized
• Voters with a religious objection to being photographed
• Voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee

Voters can obtain a free photo ID from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security at any participating driver service center. In order to receive an ID, a voter must bring proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) and two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, a utility bill, vehicle registration or title, or bank statement). Visit the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page for more information.

Early voting

Tennessee permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting begins 20 days before an election and ends five days before an election, except for presidential primaries, when early voting closes seven days before the primary. Early voting is held at county election commission offices and satellite voting locations.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

According to the Tennessee secretary of state's office:

“

You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of the following categories: You are sixty (60) years of age or older. You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day. You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box. You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box. You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered. You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence. You are a candidate for office in the election. You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day. You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission. You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty. You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place. You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time. You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen. You are on the permanent absentee list. NOTE: If you reside in a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, home for the aged, or an independent living facility on the same property as a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, or home for the aged inside your county of residence, you may not vote absentee by-mail. Election officials will come to the facility to vote eligible residents, or you may vote during early voting or on Election Day.

”

Absentee ballot applications may not be submitted more than 90 days before an election and must be received by the county election commission no later than 10 days before an election. The completed ballot must be returned by mail and received by the county election commission by the close of polls on Election Day.

See also

• Tennessee State Senate
• Tennessee State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• Tennessee State Legislature

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Tennessee State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Randy McNally

Minority Leader:Raumesh Akbari

Senators

District 1

J. Lowe (R)

District 2

Tom Hatcher (R)

District 3

Rusty Crowe (R)

District 4

Bobby Harshbarger (R)

District 5

Randy McNally (R)

District 6

Becky Massey (R)

District 7

Richard Briggs (R)

District 8

Jessie Seal (R)

District 9

Steve Southerland (R)

District 10

Todd Gardenhire (R)

District 11

Bo Watson (R)

District 12

Ken Yager (R)

District 13

Dawn White (R)

District 14

Shane Reeves (R)

District 15

Paul Bailey (R)

District 16

Janice Bowling (R)

District 17

Mark Pody (R)

District 18

Ferrell Haile (R)

District 19

Charlane Oliver (D)

District 20

Heidi Campbell (D)

District 21

Jeff Yarbro (D)

District 22

Bill Powers (R)

District 23

Kerry Roberts (R)

District 24

John Stevens (R)

District 25

Ed Jackson (R)

District 26

Page Walley (R)

District 27

Jack Johnson (R)

District 28

Joey Hensley (R)

District 29

Raumesh Akbari (D)

District 30

Sara Kyle (D)

District 31

Brent Taylor (R)

District 32

Paul Rose (R)

District 33

London Lamar (D)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (6)