Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

James Van Huss

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
James Van Huss
Image of James Van Huss
Prior offices
Tennessee House of Representatives District 6
Successor: Tim Hicks

Elections and appointments
Last election

August 6, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Pensacola Christian College

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Contact

James Van Huss (Republican Party) (also known as Micah) was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 6. He assumed office in 2012. He left office on November 3, 2020.

Huss (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 6. He lost in the Republican primary on August 6, 2020.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Van Huss served in the Marine Corps for six years, having been deployed thrice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.[1]

Committee assignments

2019-2020

Huss was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Tennessee committee assignments, 2017
• Criminal Justice
Insurance and Banking

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Van Huss served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Van Huss served on the following committees:

Issues

Law enforcement drones

On February 4, 2013, Van Huss introduced HB 591, the proposed "Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act." This bill would ban law enforcement agencies from using unmanned aerial vehicles or drones for collecting evidence or conducting surveillance. Exceptions to the general ban would allow drone use for counter-terrorism activities, for operations for which a warrant has been obtained, or for instances in which a law enforcement agency believes that swift action is needed to save life. Senator Mae Beavers introduced the companion SB 796 in the Tennessee State Senate on February 4. Van Huss' bill was assigned to the Civil Justice Committee on February 6.[2]

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2020

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6

Tim Hicks defeated Brad Batt in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tim Hicks
Tim Hicks (R)
 
72.7
 
21,557
Image of Brad Batt
Brad Batt (D) Candidate Connection
 
27.3
 
8,107

Total votes: 29,664
Candidate Connection = 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 Tennessee House of Representatives District 6

Brad Batt advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 on August 6, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Batt
Brad Batt Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,471

Total votes: 1,471
Candidate Connection = 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 Tennessee House of Representatives District 6

Tim Hicks defeated incumbent James Van Huss in the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 on August 6, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tim Hicks
Tim Hicks
 
57.5
 
5,412
Image of James Van Huss
James Van Huss
 
42.5
 
3,997

Total votes: 9,409
Candidate Connection = 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.

2018

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6

Incumbent James Van Huss defeated Murphey Johnson in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of James Van Huss
James Van Huss (R)
 
68.1
 
15,892
Murphey Johnson (Independent)
 
31.9
 
7,449

Total votes: 23,341
Candidate Connection = 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 Tennessee House of Representatives District 6

Incumbent James Van Huss defeated Steve Darden in the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 on August 2, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of James Van Huss
James Van Huss
 
64.5
 
4,861
Steve Darden
 
35.5
 
2,678

Total votes: 7,539
Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Tennessee House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 4, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 7, 2016.

Incumbent James Van Huss defeated John Baker in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 general election.[3][4]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png James Van Huss Incumbent 72.79% 18,213
     Democratic John Baker 27.21% 6,807
Total Votes 25,020
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State


John Baker defeated Murphey Johnson in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 Democratic primary.[5][6]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png John Baker 60.80% 349
     Democratic Murphey Johnson 39.20% 225
Total Votes 574


Incumbent James Van Huss ran unopposed in the Tennessee House of Representatives District 6 Republican primary.[5][6]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6 Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png James Van Huss Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 7, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 3, 2014. Incumbent James Van Huss defeated Clayton Stout in the Republican primary. Van Huss was unopposed in the general election.[7][8]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6 Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Van Huss Incumbent 56% 4,443
Clayton Stout 44% 3,495
Total Votes 7,938

2012

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2012

Van Huss won election in the 2012 election for Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6. Van Huss defeated incumbent Dale Ford in the August 2 primary election and defeated Michael Clark (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[9][10]

Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJames Van Huss 72.3% 16,391
     Democratic Michael Clark 27.7% 6,271
Total Votes 22,662
Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6 Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Van Huss 53.9% 3,154
Dale Ford Incumbent 46.1% 2,703
Total Votes 5,857

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James Van Huss did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Van Huss' campaign website highlighted the following issues:[11]

Jobs

  • Excerpt: "I’m a firm believer that government shouldn’t attempt to create jobs, but government should create the environment for job growth."

Life

  • Excerpt: "I believe life begins at conception and that we need to protect its sanctity. I will never vote for a bill that promotes abortion."

Guns

  • Excerpt: "The American citizen should have the right to keep and to bear arms equal to that of the Army infantryman or the Marine rifleman. As a Marine sniper, I've deployed dozens of weapon systems. I am a proud member of the NRA."

Education

  • Excerpt: "The parent is the first and most important teacher a child will ever know and should always be recognized as such by the educational establishment."

Economy

  • Excerpt: "If elected, I will fight to make government do what families and small businesses all over Tennessee have been forced to do in these hard economic times - live within their means."

2012

Van Huss is pro-life, pro-gun, and favors increasing local control of education. On illegal immigration, he said, "Illegal immigration costs taxpayers and is a threat to our national security. Washington should not hinder the states that address the issue. It's time we elect leaders who will do what's right and best for the country instead of worrying about what's popular."[12]

Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Van Huss endorsed Ted Cruz for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[13]

See also: Endorsements for Ted Cruz

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


James Van Huss campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2020Tennessee House of Representatives District 6Lost primary$60,104 N/A**
2016Tennessee House of Representatives, District 6Won $24,681 N/A**
2014Tennessee State House, District 6Won $56,135 N/A**
2012Tennessee State House, District 6Won $46,420 N/A**
Grand total$187,340 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Tennessee

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Tennessee scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.






2020

In 2020, the Tennessee State Legislature was in session from January 14 to June 19.

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on social issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
Dale Ford (R)
Tennessee House of Representatives District 6
2012–2020
Succeeded by
Tim Hicks


Current members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Cameron Sexton
Majority Leader:William Lamberth
Minority Leader:Karen Camper
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Tim Hicks (R)
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
Tim Rudd (R)
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
Ed Butler (R)
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
District 60
District 61
District 62
Pat Marsh (R)
District 63
District 64
District 65
District 66
District 67
District 68
District 69
District 70
District 71
District 72
District 73
District 74
Jay Reedy (R)
District 75
District 76
District 77
District 78
District 79
District 80
District 81
District 82
District 83
District 84
Joe Towns (D)
District 85
District 86
District 87
District 88
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
Ron Gant (R)
District 95
District 96
District 97
District 98
District 99
Republican Party (75)
Democratic Party (24)