2020 Tennessee Senate election

2020 Tennessee State Senate election

← 2018 November 3, 2020 2022 →

16 of the 33 seats in the Tennessee State Senate
17 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Randy McNally Jeff Yarbro
Party Republican Democratic
Leader's seat 5th district 21st district
Last election 28 seats 5 seats
Seats before 28 5
Seats won 27 6
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 939,727 321,494
Percentage 71.41% 24.43%
Swing Increase 11.78% Decrease 13.44%

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

Speaker before election

Randy McNally
Republican

Elected Speaker

Randy McNally
Republican

The 2020 Tennessee State Senate election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect 16 of the 33 seats for the Tennessee's State Senate. The elections coincided with the Presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and State House elections. The primary elections were held on August 6, 2020,[1] with the exception of presidential primaries held on March 3 of that year.[2]

Republicans lost District 20, which is in the outskirts of Nashville in Davidson County.

Retirements[edit]

One incumbent did not run for re-election in 2020. That incumbent is:

Republicans[edit]

  1. District 26: Dolores Gresham: Retiring

Incumbents defeated[edit]

In the general election[edit]

Republicans[edit]

  1. District 20: Steven Dickerson lost to Heidi Campbell.

Predictions[edit]

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[3] Safe R October 21, 2020

Results summary[edit]

Summary of the November 3, 2020 Tennessee Senate election results
Party Candidates Votes Seats
No. % Before Up Won After +/–
Republican 15 939,727 71.41 28 15 14 14 Decrease 1
Democratic 10 321,494 24.43 5 1 2 6 Increase 1
Independent 3 52,928 4.02 0 0 0 0 Steady
Write-in 2 1,777 0.14 0 0 0 0 Steady
Total 1,315,926 100 33 16 16 33 Steady
Source: [1]
Popular vote
Republican
71.41%
Democratic
24.43%
Other
4.16%
Senate seats
Republican
87.50%
Democratic
12.50%

Close races[edit]

Two races were decided by a margin of under 10%:

District Winner Margin
District 10 Republican 6.32%
District 20 Democratic (gain) 3.52%

Overview[edit]

District Incumbent Results Candidates[4]
Senator Party First elected
District 2 Art Swann Republican 2017 (appointed) Incumbent re-elected.
District 4 Jon Lundberg Republican 2016 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Jon Lundberg (Republican)
  • Amber Riddle (Democratic)
District 6 Becky Duncan Massey Republican 2011 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
District 8 Frank S. Niceley Republican 2012 Incumbent re-elected.
District 10 Todd Gardenhire Republican 2012 Incumbent re-elected.
District 12 Ken Yager Republican 2008 Incumbent re-elected.
District 14 Shane Reeves Republican 2018 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Shane Reeves (Republican)
  • Chase Clemons (Democratic)
District 16 Janice Bowling Republican 2012 Incumbent re-elected.
District 18 Ferrell Haile Republican 2010
2011 (retired)
2012
Incumbent re-elected.
District 20 Steven Dickerson Republican 2012 Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
Democratic gain.
District 22 Bill Powers Republican 2019 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Bill Powers (Republican)
  • Ronnie Glynn (Democratic)
District 24 John Stevens Republican 2012 Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY John Stevens (Republican)
  • Yahweh Yahweh (Independent)
District 26 Dolores Gresham Republican 2008 Incumbent retired.
New member elected.
Republican hold.
  • Green tickY Page Walley (Republican)
  • Civil Miller-Watkins (Democratic)
District 28 Joey Hensley Republican 2012 Incumbent re-elected.
District 30 Sara Kyle Democratic 2014 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
District 32 Paul Rose Republican 2019 (special) Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Paul Rose (Republican)
  • Julie Byrd Ashworth (Democratic)

Detailed results by State Senate District[edit]

District 2District 4District 6District 8District 10District 12District 14District 16District 18District 20District 22District 24District 26District 28District 30District 32

District 2[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Art Swann (incumbent) 20,675 100
Total votes 20,675 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 2nd State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Art Swann (incumbent) 79,674 97.82
Write-in Patti Larimer Young 1,774 2.18
Total votes 81,448 100
Republican hold

District 4[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jon Lundberg (incumbent) 21,051 100
Total votes 21,051 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Amber Riddle 2,967 100
Total votes 2,967 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 4th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jon Lundberg (incumbent) 65,638 79.06
Democratic Amber Riddle 17,381 20.94
Total votes 83,019 100
Republican hold

District 6[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Becky Duncan Massey (incumbent) 19,741 100
Total votes 19,741 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jane George 7,783 63.96
Democratic Sam Brown 4,386 36.04
Total votes 12,169 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 6th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Becky Duncan Massey (incumbent) 61,286 63.14
Democratic Jane George 35,785 36.87
Total votes 97,071 100
Republican hold

District 8[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank S. Niceley (incumbent) 18,298 100
Total votes 18,298 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 8th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Frank S. Niceley (incumbent) 59,713 100
Total votes 59,713 100
Republican hold

District 10[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Gardenhire (incumbent) 13,720 100
Total votes 13,720 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Glenn Scruggs 10,952 100
Total votes 10,952 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 10th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Todd Gardenhire (incumbent) 45,049 53.16
Democratic Glenn Scruggs 39,688 46.84
Total votes 84,737 100
Republican hold

District 12[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Yager (incumbent) 20,408 100
Total votes 20,408 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 12th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ken Yager (incumbent) 69,042 100
Total votes 69,042 100
Republican hold

District 14[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shane Reeves (incumbent) 20,195 100
Total votes 20,195 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chase Clemons 6,475 100
Total votes 6,475 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 14th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Shane Reeves (incumbent) 62,351 71.84
Democratic Chase Clemons 24,440 28.16
Total votes 86,791 100
Republican hold

District 16[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Janice Bowling (incumbent) 21,638 100
Total votes 21,638 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sheila Younglove 6,183 100
Total votes 6,183 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 16th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Janice Bowling (incumbent) 62,379 76.01
Democratic Sheila Younglove 19,687 23.99
Total votes 82,066 100
Republican hold

District 18[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ferrell Haile (incumbent) 18,923 100
Total votes 18,923 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 18th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ferrell Haile (incumbent) 68,141 72.18
Independent John A. Gentry 26,261 27.82
Total votes 94,402 100
Republican hold

District 20[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steven Dickerson (incumbent) 14,345 100
Total votes 14,345 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heidi Campbell 13,441 51.37
Democratic Kimi Abernathy 12,723 48.63
Total votes 26,164 100

Polling[edit]

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Steve Dickerson (R) Heidi Campbell (D) Undecided
Change Research/Heidi Campbell[A] August 31 – September 1, 2020 531 (LV) ± 4.2% 47% 49% 4%

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 20th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Heidi Campbell 58,746 51.76
Republican Steven Dickerson (incumbent) 54,755 48.24
Total votes 113,501 100
Democratic gain from Republican

District 22[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Powers (incumbent) 8,338 52.75
Republican Doug Englen 7,468 47.25
Total votes 15,806 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ronnie L. Glynn 6,724 100
Total votes 6,724 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 22nd State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Powers (incumbent) 49,767 62.09
Democratic Ronnie L. Glynn 30,383 37.91
Total votes 80,150 100
Republican hold

District 24[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Stevens (incumbent) 13,061 61.24
Republican Casey L. Hood 8,266 38.76
Total votes 21,327 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 24th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Stevens (incumbent) 63,532 87.84
Independent Yahweh Yahweh 8,795 12.16
Total votes 72,327 100
Republican hold

District 26[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Page Walley 12,892 53.23
Republican Jai Templeton 11,328 46.77
Total votes 24,220 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Civil Miller-Watkins 5,301 100
Total votes 5,301 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 26th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Page Walley 62,701 75.89
Democratic Civil Miller-Watkins 19,918 24.11
Total votes 82,619 100
Republican hold

District 28[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joey Hensley (incumbent) 21,083 100
Total votes 21,083 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 28th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joey Hensley (incumbent) 65,050 78.44
Independent James Anthony Gray 17,872 21.55
Write-in James R. Trusty 3 0.00
Total votes 82,925 100
Republican hold

District 30[edit]

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sara Kyle (incumbent) 10,241 70.47
Democratic M. LaTroy Williams 4,292 29.53
Total votes 14,533 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 30th State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sara Kyle (incumbent) 43,895 100
Total votes 43,895 100
Democratic hold

District 32[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Rose (incumbent) 17,294 76.40
Republican Scott Throckmorton 5,342 23.60
Total votes 22,636 100

Democratic primary[edit]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Byrd Ashworth 7,486 100
Total votes 7,486 100

General election[edit]

Tennessee's 32nd State Senate District General Election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Rose (incumbent) 70,649 69.12
Democratic Julie Byrd Ashworth 31,571 30.89
Total votes 102,220 100
Republican hold

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. ^ Poll sponsored by Campbell's campaign

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Live: Tennessee Primary Election Results 2020". New York Times. August 7, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  2. ^ Jonathan Mattise; Kimberlee Kruesi (March 4, 2020). "Biden wins Democratic presidential primary in Tennessee". Associated Press. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "October Overview: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "Petition Information". Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved April 7, 2022.

External links[edit]