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Tennessee State Senate elections, 2022
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2024 →
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| 2022 Tennessee Senate Elections | |
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| Primary | August 4, 2022 |
| General | November 8, 2022 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2022 Elections | |
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| Choose a chamber below: | |
Elections for the Tennessee State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 4, 2022. The filing deadline was April 14, 2022. The filing deadline was originally scheduled for April 7, 2022, but was rescheduled for May 5, 2022, after a judicial panel ordered the Senate maps be redrawn. This decision was appealed and reversed and the filing deadline for the state Senate was changed to April 14, 2022. [1][2]
A total of 17 seats out of the state Senate's 33 seats were up for election in 2022. In the 2022 elections, the chamber's Republican supermajority remained 27-6.
The Tennessee State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| Tennessee State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 6 | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | 27 | |
| Total | 33 | 33 | |
Candidates
General
Tennessee State Senate General Election 2022 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 3 |
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| District 5 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 9 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 17 |
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| District 19 |
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| District 21 |
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Rueben Dockery (Independent) |
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| District 23 |
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| District 25 |
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Ronnie Henley (Independent) |
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| District 27 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 31 |
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| District 33 |
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Hastina Robinson (Independent) |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary
Tennessee State Senate Primary 2022 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 3 |
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| District 5 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 7 |
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| District 9 |
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| District 11 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 13 |
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| District 15 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 17 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 19 |
Barry Barlow Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 21 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 23 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 25 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 27 |
No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| District 29 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 31 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 33 |
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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. Click a link below to read survey responses from candidates in that district:
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
No incumbents lost in general elections.
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in primaries.
Retiring incumbents
Three incumbents were not on the ballot in 2022.[3] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| [David Crews]] |  Republican |
Senate District 9 | Retired |
| Brenda Gilmore |  Democratic |
Senate District 19 | Retired |
| Brian Kelsey | Republican |
Senate District 31 | Retired |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Tennessee. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Tennessee in 2022. Information below was calculated on July 31, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Tennessee had 36 contested state legislative primaries in 2022, 16% of the total number of possible primaries, and a 5% decrease from compared to 2020.
This was the lowest number of contested state legislative primaries in Tennessee compared to the preceding four election cycles.
A primary is contested when more candidates file to run than there are nominations available, meaning at least one candidate must lose.
Of the 36 contested primaries, 11 were for Democrats and 25 were for Republicans. For Democrats, this was down from 14 in 2020, a 21% decrease. For Republicans, the number increased 4% from 24 in 2020.
Fifteen contested primaries featured an incumbent, representing 15% of all incumbents who filed for re-election. This was also the lowest rate of incumbents in contested primaries compared to the preceding four election cycles in the state.
Five of the incumbents in contested primaries in 2022 were Democrats and 10 were Republicans.
Overall, 214 major party candidates—79 Democrats and 135 Republicans—filed to run. All 99 House districts and 17 of the state's 33 Senate districts held elections.
Seventeen of those districts were open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. This guaranteed at least 15% of the districts holding elections in 2022 would be represented by newcomers in 2023.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Tennessee State Senate from 2010 to 2022.[4] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Tennessee State Senate elections: 2010 - 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2022 | 17 | 3 (18 percent) | 14 ( 82 percent) |
| 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) |
Incumbents running in new districts
When an incumbent files to run for re-election in the same chamber but a new district, it leaves his or her original seat open. This may happen for a variety of reasons ranging from redistricting to a change in residences. This may result in instances where multiple incumbents face each other in contested primaries or general elections if the incumbent in the new district also seeks re-election.
In 2022, four incumbents filed to run for re-election in a new district different from the ones they represented before the election. Click [show] on the table below to view those incumbents.
| Incumbents running in new districts | ||||||
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| Name | Party | Originally represented ... | Filed in 2022 in ... | New district open? | ||
| Steve Southerland | Republican |
Senate District 1 | Senate District 9 | Yes | ||
| Jack Johnson | Republican |
Senate District 23 | Senate District 27 | Yes | ||
| Kerry Roberts | Republican |
Senate District 25 | Senate District 23 | Yes | ||
| Ed Jackson | Republican |
Senate District 27 | Senate District 25 | Yes | ||
Process to become a candidate
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.
- The candidate must obtain a nominating petition from a county election commission office or the office of the state coordinator of elections.[5][6]
- The nominating petition must be signed by the candidate and at least 25 voters who are registered in the candidate's district.[5][6]
- 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.[6]
- 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][6]
- 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.[7][8]
- The nominating petition must be signed by at least 25 voters who are registered anywhere in Tennessee.[7][9]
- 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.[6]
- The candidate must file the nominating petition no later than noon on the first Thursday of April.[7][9]
- 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.[7][9]
- 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.[10][11]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Tennessee State Senate, a candidate must be:[12]
- 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[13] | |
|---|---|
| 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
Tennessee legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[14]
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
2020 Presidential election results
Presidential election in Tennessee, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
60.7
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1,852,475 | 11 |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
37.5
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1,143,711 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (Independent) |
1.0
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29,877 | 0 | |
 
| Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent) |
0.3
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10,279 | 0 | |
 
| Don Blankenship/William Mohr (Independent) |
0.2
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5,365 | 0 | |
 
| Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Independent) |
0.1
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4,545 | 0 | |
 
| Alyson Kennedy/Malcolm Jarrett (Independent) |
0.1
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2,576 | 0 | |
 
| Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Independent) |
0.1
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2,301 | 0 | |
 
| Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Independent) |
0.1
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1,860 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.0
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862 | 0 | ||
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Total votes: 3,053,851 |
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Tennessee
Redistricting following the 2020 census
On November 22, 2023, the Davidson County Chancery Court struck down the state Senate map, declaring it unconstitutional. The court ordered the state to create a new state Senate map by January 31, 2024.[15] On April 13, 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court on April 6, blocking the same state Senate map. Gov. Lee signed the state's legislative districts into law on February 6, 2022.[16]
Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Tennessee State Senate Districts
until November 7, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Tennessee State Senate Districts
starting November 8, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
See also
| Tennessee | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tennessean, "Tennessee Supreme Court reverses lower court order blocking state's new Senate map," April 13, 2022
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Petition Information," accessed April 11, 2022
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tennessee Department of Elections, "Qualifying Procedures for Candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Tennessee Code, "Chapter 2-5-101," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Tennessee Department of Elections, "Qualifying Procedures for Candidates for Governor," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Code, "Chapter 2-5-103," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Qualifying Procedures for United States Senate Tennessee Candidates for United States Senate," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Department of Elections, "Write-In Candidacy Form," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Code, "Chapter 2-7-133," accessed April 29, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Qualifications for elected offices in Tennessee," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Tennessee Constitution, "Article II, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Judges rule Tennessee Senate map unconstitutional, order legislature to redraw by Jan. 31," November 22, 2023
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Gov. Bill Lee signs redistricting bills dividing Davidson County into three congressional districts," February 7, 2022
