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Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 1 Democratic primary)

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Tennessee's 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 4, 2024
Primary: August 1, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: Varies by county
Voting in Tennessee
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe 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, 2024
See also
Tennessee's 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th
Tennessee elections, 2024
U.S. Congress elections, 2024
U.S. Senate elections, 2024
U.S. House elections, 2024

A Democratic Party primary took place on August 1, 2024, in Tennessee's 1st Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Kevin Jenkins advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies.[1] As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 78.3%-19.7%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 76.3%-22.0%.[2]

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
April 4, 2024
August 1, 2024
November 5, 2024



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 a closed 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.[3]

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

This page focuses on Tennessee's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1

Kevin Jenkins defeated Bennett Lapides in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 on August 1, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kevin Jenkins
Kevin Jenkins
 
67.8
 
5,179
Image of Bennett Lapides
Bennett Lapides Candidate Connection
 
32.2
 
2,460

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 7,639
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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Bennett Lapides

Image of Bennett Lapides

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Growing up near the Great Smoky Mountains, I've always cherished East Tennessee's natural beauty and close-knit communities. For over sixty years, my family has run small businesses here, giving me a firsthand understanding of entrepreneurship's challenges and rewards. In 2013, I represented my high school at Tennessee American Legion Boys State and attended an International Relations Academy at Georgetown University. I graduated from Gatlinburg-Pittman High School in 2014 and earned my Eagle Scout Award, building a weather sensor station for my elementary school. In 2020, I graduated from Warren Wilson College with a degree in History and Political Science. My time there reinforced my commitment to making a positive impact and equipped me with valuable skills. I began my political journey in 2017, joining the Sevier County Democratic Party's Executive Committee. From 2017 to 2023, I served as the District Representative for Gatlinburg and was unanimously elected Vice Chair in 2023. In 2020, I was the Democratic Party's Nominee for TN State House District 12. Currently, I work as the Technology Director for the Boys and Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains Sevierville Club. Working with our club kids, and wanting to do everything that I can to ensure they get to continue to grow up in a free country is what made me decide to run for office again this cycle."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

As an Eagle Scout who grew up next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I am deeply committed to combating the climate crisis to ensure a clean and healthy environment for all. I support strong legislation to invest in renewable energy technologies and phase out fossil fuels, emphasizing low-carbon solutions like nuclear power. Additionally, I advocate for an expanded American Climate Corps to create jobs and tackle critical environmental projects. Protecting our planet is not just an option but a necessity for our generation and those to come.

Investing in education is investing in our future. I support increased funding for public schools to ensure all students have access to quality education, modern technology, and well-paid, dedicated teachers. I oppose voucher programs that divert funds from public schools and advocate for affordable higher education and ongoing student debt reform. Early childhood education is vital, and I will push for policies that expand access to it. By strengthening our education system, we can empower the next generation to thrive and succeed.

Healthcare is a human right, and I am committed to ensuring everyone has access to affordable, quality care. I support capping the costs of lifesaving medicines and believe the government should negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to control rising costs. Expanding access to mental healthcare is crucial, as is ensuring transparency in public health initiatives to maintain trust. By advocating for comprehensive healthcare reforms, we can create a system that works for all Americans, not just the wealthy.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Tennessee District 1 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Tennessee

Election information in Tennessee: Aug. 1, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: July 2, 2024
  • By mail: Received by July 2, 2024
  • Online: July 2, 2024

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

No

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

  • In-person: July 25, 2024
  • By mail: Received by July 25, 2024
  • Online: July 25, 2024

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

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 1, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

July 12, 2024 to July 27, 2024

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?

N/A


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Kevin Jenkins Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Bennett Lapides Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. 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.

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 in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_tn_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

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

Tennessee U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
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
2024 9 9 0 31 18 4 2 33.3% 3 33.3%
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 2024. Information below was calculated on May 2, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Thirty-one candidates ran for Tennessee’s nine U.S. House districts, including 19 Democrats and 12 Republicans. That’s 3.4 candidates per district, less than in the previous three election cycles. There were 4.0 candidates per district in 2022, 5.0 candidates per district in 2020, and 5.4 in 2018.

The number of candidates who ran for the U.S. House in Tennessee in 2024 is also lower than any other year this decade.

No seats were open in 2024, meaning all incumbents ran for re-election. The last time all incumbents ran for re-election in Tennessee was in 2014.

Six candidates—five Democrats and one Republican—ran for the 8th Congressional District, the most candidates who ran for a seat in Tennessee in 2024.

Six primaries—four Democratic and two Republican—were contested in 2024, the fewest this decade. There were eight contested primaries in 2022, eight in 2020, 13 in 2018, 10 in 2016, and 11 in 2014.

Three incumbents—one Democrat and two Republicans—were in contested primaries in 2024. That’s the same as the previous two election cycles.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all eight districts, meaning no seats were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2024 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.[4]

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 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
22.0% 76.3%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[5] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline Democratic Party Republican Baseline Republican Party Difference
21.0 76.9 R+55.9

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
See also: Party control of Tennessee state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Tennessee's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Tennessee
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 1 1
Republican 2 7 9
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 1 1
Total 2 9 11

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Tennessee's top three state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Tennessee, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Bill Lee
Secretary of State Republican Party Tre Hargett
Attorney General Republican Party Jonathan Skrmetti

State legislature

Tennessee State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 6
     Republican Party 27
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 33

Tennessee House of Representatives

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 24
     Republican Party 75
     Independent 0
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 99

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

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
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
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
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

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Tennessee in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Tennessee, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Tennessee U.S. House All candidates 25 N/A 4/4/2024 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ A majority in the U.S. House when there are no vacancies is 218 seats.
  2. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  3. ↑ LexisNexis, "Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115," accessed July 16, 2025
  4. ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  5. ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023


Tennessee's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Marsha Blackburn (R)
Bill Hagerty (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
John Rose (R)
District 7
Vacant
District 8
District 9
Republican Party (9)
Democratic Party (1)
Vacancies (1)


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