Tennessee House of Representatives District 2
| Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 | ||
 | ||
| Current incumbent | Bud Hulsey  | |
Tennessee's second state house district is represented by Republican Representative Bud Hulsey.
Tennessee state representatives represent an average of 64,102 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 57,468 residents.
About the chamber
Members of the Tennessee House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Tennessee legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[1]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Tennessee State Senate, a candidate must:[2]
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be at least 21 years old before the general election
- Have resided in Tennessee for at least 3 years before the general election
- Have resided in the county or district to be represented for at least 1 year, immediately preceding the election
- Be a qualified voter in the county or district to be represented
The following groups of people are ineligible to run for office:[2]
- 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 (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
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[3] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $33,060/year | $379.44/day. Legislators living within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a reduced amount of $86 per day. |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Tennessee General Assembly, there are two ways a vacancy can be filled. When twelve months or more remain before the next general election, a special election must be held within the allowable time frame set by law. If fewer than twelve months remain before the next general election, members of the legislative body in the county where the vacancy occurred must vote on a replacement.[4]
See sources: Tennessee Const. Art. 2, Sec. 15
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2
Incumbent Bud Hulsey defeated Arvil Love Jr. and Robert Ellis in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bud Hulsey (R) | 75.9 | 17,455 |
| Arvil Love Jr. (D) | 21.6 | 4,972 | ||
| Robert Ellis (Independent) | 2.5 | 574 | ||
| Total votes: 23,001 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2
Arvil Love Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Arvil Love Jr. | 100.0 | 1,363 | |
| Total votes: 1,363 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2
Incumbent Bud Hulsey advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 on August 2, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bud Hulsey | 100.0 | 8,482 |
| Total votes: 8,482 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
Elections for 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 7, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 3, 2014. Incumbent Tony Shipley was defeated by Bud Hulsey and in the Republican primary. Nicholas Castle (R) was removed from the candidate list before the primary. J.R. Enfield ran as an Independent. Hulsey defeated Enfield in the general election.[5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Bud Hulsey |
84.2% | 12,249 | |
| Independent | J.R. Enfield | 15.8% | 2,302 | |
| Total Votes | 14,551 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Bud Hulsey |
59.8% | 5,046 |
| Tony Shipley Incumbent | 40.2% | 3,391 |
| Total Votes | 8,437 | |
2012
Elections for the office of Tennessee House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 2, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 5, 2011. Incumbent Tony Shipley (R) defeated Bruce Dotson (D) in the general election and defeated Ben Mallicote in the Republican primary. Dotson was unopposed in the Democratic primary.[7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tony Shipley Incumbent |
68.3% | 16,764 | |
| Democratic | Bruce Dotson | 31.7% | 7,794 | |
| Total Votes | 24,558 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Tony Shipley Incumbent |
50.1% | 3,405 |
| Ben Mallicote | 49.9% | 3,395 |
| Total Votes | 6,800 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 raised a total of $1,183,276. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $47,331 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
| Campaign contributions, Tennessee House of Representatives District 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
| 2016 | $58,672 | 2 | $29,336 | |
| 2014 | $182,662 | 3 | $60,887 | |
| 2012 | $206,588 | 3 | $68,863 | |
| 2010 | $176,502 | 2 | $88,251 | |
| 2008 | $200,375 | 2 | $100,188 | |
| 2006 | $25,894 | 1 | $25,894 | |
| 2004 | $166,937 | 2 | $83,469 | |
| 2002 | $120,735 | 9 | $13,415 | |
| 2000 | $44,911 | 1 | $44,911 | |
| Total | $1,183,276 | 25 | $47,331 | |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tennessee Constitution, "Article II, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Qualifications for elected offices in Tennessee," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Legislature, "Tennessee Constitution," accessed May 22, 2014 (Article II, Section 15)
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "August 7, 2014 Election Results," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Petitions Filed for State Senate and State House of Representatives," accessed April 5, 2014
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Official primary results," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ "Tennessee Secretary of State - Official general election results," accessed October 24, 2013
