Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2024

2026 → ← 2022
Tennessee's 8th Congressional District
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 8th 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 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 8th Congressional District of Tennessee, held elections in 2024. The general election was November 5, 2024. The primary was August 1, 2024. The filing deadline was April 4, 2024. The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress. All 435 House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans held a 220-212 majority with three vacancies. As a result of the election, Republicans retained control of the U.S. House, winning 220 seats to Democrats' 215. To read more about the 2024 U.S. House elections, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 74.0%-24.3%. 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) 67.9%-30.6%.

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

• Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 1 Democratic primary)
• Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 1 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated Sarah Freeman and James Hart in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff (R)	72.3	240,411
		Sarah Freeman (D)	25.6	85,043
		James Hart (Independent)	2.1	6,861

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 332,315
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Sarah Freeman defeated Brenda Woods, Lynnette Williams, Leonard Perkins, and Lawrence Pivnick in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Freeman	33.7	5,552
	Submit photo	Brenda Woods	27.8	4,580
	Submit photo	Lynnette Williams	17.5	2,887
		Leonard Perkins	13.1	2,160
		Lawrence Pivnick	7.8	1,279

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,458
= 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 8

Incumbent David Kustoff advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff	100.0	55,809

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,809
= 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

• George Flinn Jr. (R)

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.

Sarah Freeman

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a college history professor and lived in the same neighborhood in Germantown, TN since 1998. I specialize in U.S. southern, women's, and political history. Like many historians, I see the on-going attacks on our democratic institutions and principles and appeals to racism as dangerous and absolutely un-American. As a native southerner, born in Virginia, I cannot stand by and simply watch as people in the places I love are used as dupes to vote against their own best interests. There are real needs in West TN that can be addressed using the powers and the purse of the federal government. Many of the public schools are in very bad condition and their funding is threatened by the Republican super-majority in the state legislature. These Republicans are bound and determined to shift public funds away from public schools and into private schools. The federal government built public schools, libraries, hospitals, etc. across the South during the Great Depression of the 1930s--not to mention the Tennessee Valley Authority that continues to provide power today. When state governments are hijacked by MAGAites, only federal and local governments are left to serve the true interests of the people. If elected, I will fight to improve our public schools, make quality healthcare affordable and accessible, codify Roe, support our military, veterans, and allies, institute common sense gun laws, raise the minimum wage, protect workers', voting, LGBTQ+ rights and Social Security."

---

Key Messages

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

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Roe must be codified. The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment is long overdue. We have seen over the last two years what the horrific consequences are for women and their families when women are denied critical reproductive healthcare. Congress has the authority and responsibility to censure and impeach U.S. Supreme Court justices. Alito and Thomas, in my opinion, are corrupt and unfit to serve. The peoples' faith in SCOTUS needs to be restored and women's rights to bodily autonomy need to be restored. Many of our basic human rights are on the ballot in 2024. The current incumbent has embraced Trump and MAGA and has no interest in protecting reproductive and contraceptive rights of Americans. These issues are inextricably linked.

---

Common sense gun laws must be instated. My family lived through the Westside Middle school shootings of March 1998. I became vocal about the problems of bullying in schools and gun control. Do we love our guns more than we love our children? That question was not appreciated by members of the school board. We moved to TN that summer when it was clear that my activism would make it difficult for my family, especially my kids. We need to ban assault weapons, pass stricter background check laws and get rid of gun sale loopholes. We DO NOT need laws that allow teachers to carry guns in schools. That law in TN is a clear example of why the federal government, Congress, needs to get smart, tough, and reasonable about gun rights/safety.

---

I deeply respect and will protect human rights. People of all races, creeds, sexual identity/orientation, ethnicity, class, sex, and gender should be treated equally under the law. And many have earned rights, protections, and benefits through their service to our country. My brother, Pfc. David Hunter Wilkerson, was killed in Vietnam at the age of nineteen. The rights of young people, military and veterans are very close to my heart. Social Security shall be protected. The current incumbent is on one House committee, Ways and Means. He has stated for years that SS is too expensive and should be done away with. He is doing nothing to protect our SS trust funds. I will sunset the Trump tax give away and use the funds to protect SS.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Tennessee

Election information in Tennessee: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 7, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 7, 2024
• Online: Oct. 7, 2024

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

No

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

• In-person: Oct. 29, 2024
• By mail: Received by Oct. 29, 2024
• Online: Oct. 29, 2024

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

• In-person: N/A
• By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 16, 2024 to Oct. 31, 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?

Varies - 7:00 p.m. (CST)

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?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Roe must be codified. The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment is long overdue. We have seen over the last two years what the horrific consequences are for women and their families when women are denied critical reproductive healthcare. Congress has the authority and responsibility to censure and impeach U.S. Supreme Court justices. Alito and Thomas, in my opinion, are corrupt and unfit to serve. The peoples' faith in SCOTUS needs to be restored and women's rights to bodily autonomy need to be restored. Many of our basic human rights are on the ballot in 2024. The current incumbent has embraced Trump and MAGA and has no interest in protecting reproductive and contraceptive rights of Americans. These issues are inextricably linked.

Common sense gun laws must be instated. My family lived through the Westside Middle school shootings of March 1998. I became vocal about the problems of bullying in schools and gun control. Do we love our guns more than we love our children? That question was not appreciated by members of the school board. We moved to TN that summer when it was clear that my activism would make it difficult for my family, especially my kids. We need to ban assault weapons, pass stricter background check laws and get rid of gun sale loopholes. We DO NOT need laws that allow teachers to carry guns in schools. That law in TN is a clear example of why the federal government, Congress, needs to get smart, tough, and reasonable about gun rights/safety.

I deeply respect and will protect human rights. People of all races, creeds, sexual identity/orientation, ethnicity, class, sex, and gender should be treated equally under the law. And many have earned rights, protections, and benefits through their service to our country. My brother, Pfc. David Hunter Wilkerson, was killed in Vietnam at the age of nineteen. The rights of young people, military and veterans are very close to my heart. Social Security shall be protected. The current incumbent is on one House committee, Ways and Means. He has stated for years that SS is too expensive and should be done away with. He is doing nothing to protect our SS trust funds. I will sunset the Trump tax give away and use the funds to protect SS.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Reproductive rights, human rights, public education and healthcare, the rights of our military, veterans, workers, common sense gun laws, voting rights, equal treatment under the law, the rule of law, and the preservation of democracy. My passions are those of a liberal feminist Democrat that has watched the consistent demise of the Republican Party into a dark, cold, angry, cynical, and un-American place. I will support NATO and our allies, but no one gets a blank check and unconditional support anymore than we would expect that kind of support from our allies.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks both had the courage of their convictions and pursued freedom and justice with dignity.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Heather Cox Richardson's letters, essays, and podcasts are very much along the lines of my own thinking as we are both U.S. historians and trained to see how various forces are intertwined and how important the checks and balances of our system of government are to the everyday lives of citizens. Rachel Maddow's work also recognizes the history of political factions and movements that are important to understanding the weaknesses in our government and national psyche--the divisions that exist to be exploited by those who do not believe in or care to continue our democratic system of self-government. The work of Mark Twain and Zora Neale Hurston have long been favorites of mine. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Oil!, that the film "There Will Be Blood" was based on, are pretty amazing exposes of certain economic and political forces that are ingrained in American life. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a classic that requires readers to try to understand what enslaved women experienced. Angelina Grimke's Appeal to Christian Women of the South (1836) sums up the hypocrisy that continues to exist today as the religious right is still a bastion of intolerance and maintains an immoral disregard of the rights of those who seek to be free--to exercise their basic human rights to exist and hold beliefs that differ from theirs. Much of this intolerance and anger is rooted in the racism and history of human slavery. Grimke, a pioneer abolitionist and feminist, exposed the monstrous criminality of human slavery and called upon women of conscience to stand up to powerful men, their husbands, fathers, and sons, and influence them to see the wrong in their desire to own and control enslaved women. The men she wanted to change are not-so-distant cousins of the angry white men of today who resent the freedoms of those they once dominated.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Intelligence, compassion, courage, and honesty. Elected officials must believe, first and foremost, that they are public servants and in office to represent and serve the needs of their constituents and the nation. They must know their region/district and their constituents and respect and appreciate the diversity of backgrounds, cultures, religions, classes, ethnicities, etc. They must be keenly aware of the needs of local communities and have the wherewithal and imagination to find answers to difficult problems using their relationships with their communities and the levers of power afforded to Congress. They must be equipped to work for and achieve a sustainable vision for a strong, prosperous, responsible, and equitable future for the people of their district and the nation. They must be able to work with a variety of people and political colleagues. They must understand, respect, cherish, and protect democratic institutions. This is a nation of laws to be applied to all without fear or favor. The principles enshrined in the 14th Amendment in particular are essential to achieving a just and reliable legal system based on due process of law. The equal treatment of citizens regardless of race, class, gender, religion, ethnicity should be a core principle. Those in Congress must be diligent in their oversight duties. Elected officials must protect government and the people from forces, foreign and domestic, that seek to undermine U.S. democracy and the rule of law. They must possess an unwavering dedication to the Constitution, the separation of powers, and anti-authoritarianism. They must be selfless and hold themselves and others in office to a high ethical standard. They must be humanitarians and care for those most in need. They must be futurists and recognize that they serve future generations and therefore protect and preserve the environment for all. They must respect our military and veterans who have served and sacrificed so much for their country.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Sarah Freeman (D)

I understand that my job is to represent the people and not to bring glory and financial benefit to myself. Public service is a sacrifice, and I am willing to do what I can, to the best of my ability, to improve the lives of people in West Tennessee no matter their political affiliation, race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion or any other aspect of personal identity. I understand that a great deal of divisiveness is more apparent than real, that most of us want good schools, safe neighborhoods, quality and affordable healthcare, a clean and healthy environment, prosperity, comfort in our old age, and to believe in self-government, the justice system, and democratic institutions. My background as a U.S. history professor, with specialties in southern, women's, and political history, has required me to study government, social movements, legislation, government programs, corruption, the history of racism and the subsequent failures of public policies and programs, especially education. As someone who lost a brother in Vietnam, a war that was badly handled and in which leaders deliberately mislead the people, I know that government decisions that require the use of our military are the most serious of all duties of elected officials. That perspective gives me a characteristic of humility as I acknowledge the depth of sacrifice that others are willing to make for their country. I can generally work with just about anyone, with some exceptions, and do not care for waste.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Each congressperson is elected to represent their constituents at the federal level and to serve the best interests of the nation. Crafting legislation and funding federal programs to provide critical services that local and state governments have a hard time providing is essential to the work of Congress. Protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, especially when these are nullified and revoked by state and local officials, is a core responsibility. In the case of state revocation of reproductive and contraceptive rights, Congress should attempt to codification these rights through federal legislation and, if overturned by SCOTUS, pursue the passage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Congress has the duty to be fiscally responsible and level the playing field to prevent the rise of a dangerously over-powerful aristocracy of wealth. Congress is to provide for the common defense and the common good of the nation which requires the reining in of corporate abuse. The taxing power (and the power to collect duties, imposts, and excises) is critical to funding our government and military, assisting our allies, paying our debts, and preserving against unhealthy economic entities. Those responsibilities change with every generation, and Congress must be diligent, thoughtful, and ethical in redressing abuses and imbalances that threaten the general welfare. Government oversight is one of Congress' most important duties, but it should not be deployed for political gain or purpose as the abuse of this power undermines democracy and the faith of the American people in its government. Conducting investigations, holding hearings, and possibly censuring or impeaching government officials are duties that Congress must fulfill honestly no matter whose ox is gored. Congress has to work with the Senate and the President to make the federal government work for the people and continue the American experiment of rule by self-governance based on democratic principles.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Sarah Freeman (D)

I would like to be an effective leader who got things done, things that eased the burdens of my constituents and made their lives better. I would like to preserve the rule of law and protect government from fraud and corruption. I would like to have assisted in achieving peace and avoiding war. I would like to be known for fighting bigotry and securing a better future for our children through improvements in public education and healthcare. I would like to be known codifying Roe and passing the Equal Rights Amendment.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 occurred just before my seventh birthday.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Babysitting and for a couple of summers.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

"At last, my love has come along . . . ."

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

The two-year terms require representatives to constantly be aware of the needs and interests of their constituents. Its oversight, investigative, and financial powers make it an important line of offense and defense in the nation's interests.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Yes, it is helpful but not imperative as real world experience from members provide perspectives that broaden the range of ideas and solutions that a strictly political body many not consider.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Preserving democracy and basic freedoms (including reproductive rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, workers' rights), overcoming race and gender discrimination, solving the immigration crisis, reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants, passing common sense gun legislation, assisting young people so they can buy homes and have full and prosperous lives (forgiving student loan debt is a start), supporting NAT0 and our allies, continuing a strong economy, saving Social Security, protecting and supporting our military and veterans

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Yes.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Sarah Freeman (D)

I am beginning to believe that SCOTUS should have age limits, perhaps about seventy. Two terms for the President is enough. The Senate and Congress are a bit difficult to limit as the balance between political parties should be left to the people. If individuals want to limit their own terms in office, they certainly have that right.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Jamie Raskin (!) and Nancy Pelosi.

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?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Stories I hear about the poor state of rural schools in West Tennessee are heartbreaking. Also, the closing of rural hospitals in the district and elsewhere in Tennessee have generated a number of stories about how hard it is for many to access healthcare, driving hours to hospitals and having to stay in hotels and bear other expenses that make it extremely difficult to take care of older relatives in particular.

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

Sarah Freeman (D)

Compromise is both necessary and desirable. Our system is designed to require cooperation and consensus in order to govern amicably and towards common goals, against common enemies, and to solve common problems.

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?

Sarah Freeman (D)

The Trump tax give away should expire. The trillions this would return to the coffers could be used to save Social Security and fund grants to improve public schools that cannot be supported by local funding mechanisms and support rural hospitals that cannot be sustained through local funding. Infrastructure money to build new, quality, and energy saving public schools and funding for vocational programs are sure investments. When Congress spends money it is also investing in the nation's future. Sunsetting the massive tax cut for the wealthy could also help pay down the national debt.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Certain U.S. Supreme Court justices need to be investigated for what appears to be influence peddling. Congress may censure and/or impeach such officials.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Sarah Freeman (D)

I am in a primary so many organizations cannot "endorse" me yet. I am supported by Moms Demand Action (for Common Sense Gun Laws) and Shelby County Young Democrats. I am seeking endorsements from education organizations, labor, community organizations, NAACP, and women's groups. Stalwarts in human rights activism in West Tennessee support my campaign.

What committees interest you?

Sarah Freeman (D)

Finance, Ways and Means, Judiciary, Education Instruction, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Sarah Freeman (D)

I have fought hard at the local level and had some success in getting officials to open meetings to the public (which law requires) and used the state Open Records laws to examine thousands of pages of financial statements, emails, reports, etc. These efforts resulted in some public officials returning funds they should not have received and surrendering whole life policies that were "off," shall we say. All levels of government should be wholly accountable to the people and that is possible only if all business is carried on in the open. Congress has the responsibility of government oversight. Congress must also be accountable by making theft and fraud in government programs and agencies difficult to accomplish.

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
David Kustoff	Republican Party	$2,498,789	$1,599,322	$2,059,461	As of December 31, 2024
Sarah Freeman	Democratic Party	$37,090	$35,672	$1,418	As of December 31, 2024
Leonard Perkins	Democratic Party	$14,065	$13,777	$288	As of October 3, 2024
Lawrence Pivnick	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Lynnette Williams	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Brenda Woods	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
James Hart	Independent	$595	$2,814	$0	As of December 31, 2024
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.

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 8th Congressional District election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe 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

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

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.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

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

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+21. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 21 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Tennessee's 8th the 34th 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 8th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
30.6%	67.9%

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. The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
29.9	68.1	R+38.2

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	Bill Lee
Secretary of State	Tre Hargett
Attorney General	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

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2018.

2022

See also: Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated Lynnette Williams, James Hart, and Ronnie Henley in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff (R)	74.0	155,602
	Submit photo	Lynnette Williams (D)	24.3	51,102
		James Hart (Independent)	1.2	2,541
		Ronnie Henley (Independent)	0.5	1,070

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 210,315
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Lynnette Williams defeated Tim McDonald in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lynnette Williams	63.3	15,819
		Tim McDonald	36.7	9,187

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,006
= 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 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated Bob Hendry, Danny Bridger Jr., and Dean Clouse in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff	83.7	69,538
		Bob Hendry	8.4	6,990
		Danny Bridger Jr.	5.1	4,233
		Dean Clouse	2.8	2,291

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 83,052
= 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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2020

See also: Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated Erika Stotts Pearson, James Hart, and Jon Dillard in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff (R)	68.5	227,216
		Erika Stotts Pearson (D)	29.5	97,890
		James Hart (Independent)	1.1	3,763
		Jon Dillard (Independent)	0.9	2,984

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 331,853
= 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 8

Erika Stotts Pearson defeated Savannah Williamson, Lawrence Pivnick, and Hollis Skinner in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erika Stotts Pearson	51.1	14,510
	Submit photo	Savannah Williamson	20.4	5,788
		Lawrence Pivnick	16.5	4,685
	Submit photo	Hollis Skinner	11.9	3,389

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,372 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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 8

Incumbent David Kustoff advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff	100.0	70,677

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 70,677
= 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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2018

See also: Tennessee's 8th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated Erika Stotts Pearson and James Hart in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff (R)	67.7	168,030
		Erika Stotts Pearson (D)	30.1	74,755
		James Hart (Independent)	2.2	5,560

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 248,345
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8

Erika Stotts Pearson defeated John Boatner Jr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erika Stotts Pearson	50.4	17,137
		John Boatner Jr.	49.6	16,847

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,984
= 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 8

Incumbent David Kustoff defeated George Flinn Jr. and Colleen Owens in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 8 on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Kustoff	56.0	57,741
		George Flinn Jr.	39.7	40,903
		Colleen Owens	4.3	4,460

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 103,104
= 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.

See also

Tennessee	2024 primaries	2024 U.S. Congress elections
Tennessee congressional delegation Voting in Tennessee Tennessee elections: 2024 • 2023 • 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

[show]

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

Vacant

District 8

David Kustoff (R)

District 9

Steve Cohen (D)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (1)

Vacancies (1)

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