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United States Senate election in Tennessee (August 2, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 17 - Nov. 1
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.[2]
2020 →
← 2014
|
U.S. Senate, Tennessee |
---|
Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: April 5, 2018 |
Primary: August 2, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Bob Corker (Republican) |
How to vote |
Poll times: Varies by county Voting in Tennessee |
Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Lean Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican |
Ballotpedia analysis |
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th Tennessee elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
A Democratic Party primary election took place on August 2, 2018, in Tennessee to determine which Democrat would run in the state's November 6, 2018, general election.
This page focuses on the Democratic primary. For an overview of the election in general, click here.
Former Gov. Phil Bredesen announced that he was considering a Senate run on October 16, 2017. He was the last Democrat to win statewide office, having been re-elected to his second term by a margin of 39 points in 2006.[3]
Because the Senate race fell on the same day as the governor's race, Democrats considered conditions for the election to be more favorable than the typically red state would normally provide. "This is a political earthquake. Having two open, statewide races is a rare occurrence in Tennessee. The opportunity for Democrats is to field common-sense, inspiring leaders who can unite the state and move us forward," said Lisa Quigley, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.).[4]
Candidates and election results
Phil Bredesen defeated Gary Davis and John Wolfe in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee on August 2, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tennessee
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Phil Bredesen | 91.5 | 349,718 |
![]() | Gary Davis ![]() | 5.3 | 20,170 | |
John Wolfe | 3.2 | 12,269 |
Total votes: 382,157 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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
- Billy Bailey (D)
Campaign finance
The table below contains data from FEC Quarterly October 2017 reports. It includes only candidates who reported at least $10,000 in campaign contributions as of September 30, 2017.[5]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 95 Tennessee counties—1 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
Hardeman County, Tennessee | 7.92% | 5.91% | 6.18% |
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Tennessee with 60.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 34.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Tennessee cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Tennessee supported Democratic candidates for president and Republican candidates equally. The state, however, favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Tennessee. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns show the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns show the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[6][7]
In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 20 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 50.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 22 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 46.5 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 79 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 36.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 77 out of 99 state House districts in Tennessee with an average margin of victory of 43.8 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
1 | 26.48% | 71.78% | R+45.3 | 19.62% | 76.53% | R+56.9 | R |
2 | 25.47% | 72.94% | R+47.5 | 22.34% | 73.09% | R+50.8 | R |
3 | 23.44% | 74.89% | R+51.5 | 15.82% | 81.34% | R+65.5 | R |
4 | 24.92% | 73.37% | R+48.5 | 17.60% | 79.09% | R+61.5 | R |
5 | 26.22% | 72.04% | R+45.8 | 18.39% | 78.32% | R+59.9 | R |
6 | 27.88% | 70.48% | R+42.6 | 24.82% | 70.87% | R+46.1 | R |
7 | 32.16% | 65.69% | R+33.5 | 28.10% | 67.14% | R+39 | R |
8 | 25.60% | 72.64% | R+47 | 22.13% | 73.51% | R+51.4 | R |
9 | 25.47% | 72.83% | R+47.4 | 16.67% | 80.51% | R+63.8 | R |
10 | 26.13% | 72.49% | R+46.4 | 19.78% | 76.98% | R+57.2 | R |
11 | 24.31% | 73.99% | R+49.7 | 16.57% | 80.41% | R+63.8 | R |
12 | 21.96% | 76.64% | R+54.7 | 18.10% | 78.27% | R+60.2 | R |
13 | 46.29% | 51.08% | R+4.8 | 46.53% | 46.55% | R+0 | R |
14 | 27.16% | 71.40% | R+44.2 | 31.73% | 62.39% | R+30.7 | R |
15 | 64.97% | 32.36% | D+32.6 | 63.19% | 30.19% | D+33 | D |
16 | 26.02% | 72.27% | R+46.3 | 25.79% | 69.20% | R+43.4 | R |
17 | 23.13% | 75.42% | R+52.3 | 17.26% | 79.08% | R+61.8 | R |
18 | 37.12% | 60.80% | R+23.7 | 40.01% | 52.84% | R+12.8 | R |
19 | 24.61% | 73.61% | R+49 | 20.94% | 74.82% | R+53.9 | R |
20 | 26.93% | 71.34% | R+44.4 | 24.49% | 70.69% | R+46.2 | R |
21 | 25.45% | 73.18% | R+47.7 | 21.22% | 75.52% | R+54.3 | R |
22 | 23.71% | 74.79% | R+51.1 | 16.46% | 80.41% | R+64 | R |
23 | 25.15% | 73.42% | R+48.3 | 17.86% | 79.49% | R+61.6 | R |
24 | 24.40% | 74.21% | R+49.8 | 21.09% | 74.46% | R+53.4 | R |
25 | 26.28% | 72.36% | R+46.1 | 20.11% | 77.28% | R+57.2 | R |
26 | 34.03% | 64.08% | R+30.1 | 31.79% | 62.75% | R+31 | R |
27 | 34.43% | 63.74% | R+29.3 | 31.70% | 62.61% | R+30.9 | R |
28 | 80.31% | 18.45% | D+61.9 | 77.92% | 17.79% | D+60.1 | D |
29 | 33.45% | 64.95% | R+31.5 | 29.81% | 65.70% | R+35.9 | R |
30 | 37.06% | 61.14% | R+24.1 | 34.33% | 60.41% | R+26.1 | R |
31 | 27.30% | 71.02% | R+43.7 | 18.77% | 78.05% | R+59.3 | R |
32 | 26.67% | 71.68% | R+45 | 21.60% | 74.28% | R+52.7 | R |
33 | 35.25% | 62.79% | R+27.5 | 31.54% | 63.16% | R+31.6 | R |
34 | 33.18% | 65.32% | R+32.1 | 31.29% | 63.52% | R+32.2 | R |
35 | 23.70% | 74.95% | R+51.3 | 15.89% | 81.43% | R+65.5 | R |
36 | 26.89% | 71.70% | R+44.8 | 18.57% | 78.26% | R+59.7 | R |
37 | 38.33% | 59.99% | R+21.7 | 36.08% | 58.84% | R+22.8 | R |
38 | 24.89% | 73.79% | R+48.9 | 16.00% | 81.84% | R+65.8 | R |
39 | 33.22% | 65.17% | R+32 | 24.43% | 72.61% | R+48.2 | R |
40 | 31.85% | 66.76% | R+34.9 | 23.97% | 72.67% | R+48.7 | R |
41 | 32.24% | 66.34% | R+34.1 | 20.31% | 77.25% | R+56.9 | D |
42 | 30.46% | 67.77% | R+37.3 | 25.64% | 70.08% | R+44.4 | R |
43 | 35.21% | 62.96% | R+27.8 | 22.37% | 74.65% | R+52.3 | R |
44 | 31.04% | 67.73% | R+36.7 | 26.55% | 69.59% | R+43 | R |
45 | 26.81% | 71.94% | R+45.1 | 25.43% | 70.33% | R+44.9 | R |
46 | 31.50% | 67.04% | R+35.5 | 25.22% | 70.47% | R+45.3 | R |
47 | 30.99% | 67.13% | R+36.1 | 23.89% | 72.27% | R+48.4 | R |
48 | 36.74% | 61.61% | R+24.9 | 33.92% | 60.93% | R+27 | R |
49 | 39.71% | 58.68% | R+19 | 37.26% | 57.65% | R+20.4 | R |
50 | 41.70% | 56.68% | R+15 | 44.24% | 50.66% | R+6.4 | D |
51 | 66.01% | 31.55% | D+34.5 | 67.37% | 26.85% | D+40.5 | D |
52 | 67.26% | 31.18% | D+36.1 | 67.30% | 27.78% | D+39.5 | D |
53 | 51.53% | 46.59% | D+4.9 | 54.11% | 38.90% | D+15.2 | D |
54 | 83.83% | 15.06% | D+68.8 | 81.44% | 15.31% | D+66.1 | D |
55 | 56.64% | 40.99% | D+15.7 | 62.66% | 30.37% | D+32.3 | D |
56 | 37.97% | 60.61% | R+22.6 | 47.22% | 46.82% | D+0.4 | R |
57 | 27.13% | 71.48% | R+44.4 | 24.99% | 70.38% | R+45.4 | R |
58 | 86.45% | 11.94% | D+74.5 | 82.52% | 12.58% | D+69.9 | D |
59 | 70.87% | 27.77% | D+43.1 | 70.12% | 26.06% | D+44.1 | D |
60 | 42.92% | 55.47% | R+12.6 | 44.82% | 49.40% | R+4.6 | D |
61 | 25.02% | 73.85% | R+48.8 | 31.20% | 63.62% | R+32.4 | R |
62 | 29.19% | 69.47% | R+40.3 | 22.37% | 74.69% | R+52.3 | R |
63 | 24.83% | 73.95% | R+49.1 | 28.09% | 66.72% | R+38.6 | R |
64 | 31.94% | 66.63% | R+34.7 | 25.56% | 70.79% | R+45.2 | R |
65 | 29.11% | 69.35% | R+40.2 | 29.72% | 64.68% | R+35 | R |
66 | 31.53% | 67.11% | R+35.6 | 24.53% | 71.72% | R+47.2 | R |
67 | 54.58% | 43.95% | D+10.6 | 47.83% | 45.50% | D+2.3 | D |
68 | 35.78% | 62.76% | R+27 | 31.26% | 63.72% | R+32.5 | R |
69 | 40.73% | 57.62% | R+16.9 | 29.72% | 66.98% | R+37.3 | R |
70 | 31.22% | 67.54% | R+36.3 | 22.18% | 75.41% | R+53.2 | R |
71 | 24.67% | 73.66% | R+49 | 15.60% | 81.73% | R+66.1 | R |
72 | 27.58% | 70.95% | R+43.4 | 18.81% | 78.70% | R+59.9 | R |
73 | 32.43% | 66.66% | R+34.2 | 30.38% | 66.96% | R+36.6 | R |
74 | 44.75% | 53.51% | R+8.8 | 32.44% | 62.91% | R+30.5 | R |
75 | 35.99% | 62.32% | R+26.3 | 23.49% | 73.77% | R+50.3 | R |
76 | 31.38% | 67.25% | R+35.9 | 24.03% | 73.21% | R+49.2 | R |
77 | 26.95% | 71.89% | R+44.9 | 19.93% | 77.87% | R+57.9 | R |
78 | 31.74% | 66.52% | R+34.8 | 24.60% | 71.32% | R+46.7 | R |
79 | 32.57% | 66.24% | R+33.7 | 25.73% | 71.87% | R+46.1 | R |
80 | 65.84% | 33.40% | D+32.4 | 59.47% | 38.32% | D+21.2 | D |
81 | 29.62% | 69.23% | R+39.6 | 24.73% | 72.28% | R+47.6 | R |
82 | 47.11% | 52.21% | R+5.1 | 39.75% | 58.51% | R+18.8 | D |
83 | 35.52% | 63.50% | R+28 | 42.62% | 53.17% | R+10.6 | R |
84 | 88.19% | 11.41% | D+76.8 | 87.27% | 10.83% | D+76.4 | D |
85 | 86.69% | 12.90% | D+73.8 | 86.70% | 11.57% | D+75.1 | D |
86 | 76.09% | 23.16% | D+52.9 | 72.98% | 24.31% | D+48.7 | D |
87 | 86.77% | 12.68% | D+74.1 | 86.66% | 11.18% | D+75.5 | D |
88 | 76.07% | 23.17% | D+52.9 | 75.43% | 21.94% | D+53.5 | D |
89 | 29.02% | 69.00% | R+40 | 30.19% | 63.68% | R+33.5 | R |
90 | 82.88% | 15.83% | D+67.1 | 82.77% | 13.27% | D+69.5 | D |
91 | 89.73% | 9.60% | D+80.1 | 86.97% | 10.77% | D+76.2 | D |
92 | 32.45% | 65.92% | R+33.5 | 23.60% | 73.36% | R+49.8 | R |
93 | 78.51% | 20.54% | D+58 | 76.41% | 20.35% | D+56.1 | D |
94 | 31.77% | 67.08% | R+35.3 | 26.34% | 71.15% | R+44.8 | R |
95 | 23.35% | 75.79% | R+52.4 | 28.51% | 67.82% | R+39.3 | R |
96 | 43.76% | 55.37% | R+11.6 | 50.57% | 45.95% | D+4.6 | D |
97 | 37.56% | 61.31% | R+23.8 | 41.60% | 54.17% | R+12.6 | R |
98 | 81.57% | 17.71% | D+63.9 | 80.24% | 17.34% | D+62.9 | D |
99 | 28.53% | 70.51% | R+42 | 29.33% | 67.14% | R+37.8 | R |
Total | 39.08% | 59.48% | R+20.4 | 34.91% | 61.06% | R+26.2 | - |
Source: Daily Kos |
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Tennessee heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Tennessee.
- Republicans held seven of nine U.S. House seats in Tennessee.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held four 10 state executive positions. The remaining six were officially nonpartisan.
- The governor of Tennessee was Republican Bill Haslam. The state held elections for governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly. They had a 25-69 majority in the state House and a 4-26 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- See also: State government trifectas
- Tennessee was under a Republican trifecta, meaning Republicans had control of the state government.
2018 elections
- See also: Tennessee elections, 2018
Tennessee held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- 1 U.S. Senate seat
- All 9 U.S. House seats
- Governor
- 18 of 33 state Senate seats
- All 99 state House seats
- State legislative special elections
- Local judges
- School boards
- Municipal elections
- 1 local ballot measure
Demographics
Demographic data for Tennessee | ||
---|---|---|
Tennessee | U.S. | |
Total population: | 6,595,056 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 41,235 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 77.8% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 16.8% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.6% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 4.9% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 85.5% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 24.9% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $45,219 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 21.4% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Tennessee. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
As of July 2016, Tennessee's three largest cities were Nashville-Davidson (pop. est. 667,885), Memphis (pop. est. 652,236), and Knoxville (pop. est. 187,347).[8]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Tennessee from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Tennessee Secretary of State.[9]
Historical elections
Presidential elections
Election results (President of the United States), Tennessee 2000-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2016 | ![]() |
60.7% | ![]() |
34.7% | 26.0% |
2012 | ![]() |
59.5% | ![]() |
39.1% | 20.4% |
2008 | ![]() |
56.9% | ![]() |
41.8% | 15.1% |
2004 | ![]() |
56.8% | ![]() |
42.5% | 14.3% |
2000 | ![]() |
51.2% | ![]() |
47.3% | 3.9% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2014
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Tennessee from 2000 to 2014. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
Election results (U.S. Senator), Tennessee 2000-2014 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2014 | ![]() |
61.9% | ![]() |
31.9% | 30.0% |
2012 | ![]() |
64.9% | ![]() |
30.4% | 34.5% |
2008 | ![]() |
65.1% | ![]() |
31.6% | 33.5% |
2006 | ![]() |
50.7% | ![]() |
48.0% | 2.7% |
2002 | ![]() |
54.3% | ![]() |
44.3% | 10.0% |
2000 | ![]() |
65.1% | ![]() |
32.2% | 32.9% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Tennessee.
Election results (Governor), Tennessee 2000-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
2014 | ![]() |
70.3% | ![]() |
22.8% | 47.5% |
2010 | ![]() |
65.0% | ![]() |
33.1% | 31.9% |
2006 | ![]() |
68.6% | ![]() |
29.7% | 38.9% |
2002 | ![]() |
50.7% | ![]() |
47.6% | 3.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Tennessee in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
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 |
See also
- United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2018
- United States Senate election in Tennessee (August 2, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States Senate elections, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ In Tennessee, most polling places were open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. All precincts closed at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and 7:00 p.m. Central.
- ↑ In Tennessee, most polling places were open between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. All precincts closed at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and 7:00 p.m. Central.
- ↑ Associated Press, "Democrat Bredesen confirms interest in Tennessee Senate race," October 16, 2017
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Tennessee Democrats recalculate U.S. Senate race with Corker out," October 9, 2017
- ↑ FEC, "Federal Election Commission," accessed November 5, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ Tennessee Demographics, "Tennessee Cities by Population" accessed September 7, 2018
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed September 7, 2018