Nashville’s State House and Senate Election Results

Voters have elected Tennessee’s 115th General Assembly, which will convene on Jan. 12.

Many of the same faces will return to the state House and Senate, but several seats will see new representation across the state. Democrats were able to pick up six seats in the House, though the body remains controlled by the Republican supermajority. 

Davidson County’s representation in the state House and Senate remains mostly unchanged. This year, state House District 59, which contains the Belle Meade and Bellevue areas, will have new representation as Democrat Mark Proctor has been elected to the traditionally blue seat following former Democratic state Rep. Caleb Hemmer’s decision not to run.

Proctor waded through a crowded Democratic primary in August, beating Rick Ewing, Beth West and Angie Lawless — the latter of whom came within 100 votes of Proctor on primary night in August. On Thursday he defeated Republican Bill Hancock, who ran unopposed in the primary.

A few Republicans tried their hand at cracking the solidly Democratic city’s state House seats, but all were defeated by incumbents.

Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) remains in his District 52 seat, fending off Republican challenger Michele Vetter. House Minority Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) will continue to represent District 55, having faced independent Jayla Thomas. Rep. Shaundelle Brooks (D-Nashville) secured a second term in District 60, defeating Republican Eva Romero.

Democratic state Reps. Bo Mitchell, Aftyn Behn, Jason Powell, Vincent Dixie, Bob Freeman and Harold Love Jr. all ran unopposed and will retain House Districts 50, 51, 53, 54, 56 and 58, respectively.

Democratic state Sens. Charlane Oliver and Jeff Yarbro also ran unopposed. The only contested Davidson County Senate seat was in Republican incumbent Mark Pody’s District 17. Pody fended off a challenge from Theodore “Butch” Baker in the primary and went on to defeat Democrat Lindsey Patrick-Wright in the general election. The district covers portions of both Wilson and Davidson counties, with the Wilson area giving Pody a large conservative advantage.

In Williamson County, Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson handily defeated Democrat David Hardy for Senate District 27. Republican state Reps. Gino Bulso and Jake McCalmon also defeated Democrats Becca Ripley and Laura Andreson in Districts 61 and 63, respectively. 

Incumbent Reps. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) and Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) also will retain their District 65 and 92 seats, respectively, having faced Democrats Julian Pierre-Griffin and Teri Mai.

Republicans continue to dominate the state legislature, maintaining their supermajority status to pass bills aligning with the agenda of the state’s newly elected governor, Republican Marsha Blackburn.

But notably for Middle Tennessee, much of the Rutherford County delegation flipped from Republican to Democrat this election. Incumbents Robert Stevens, Tim Rudd and Mike Sparks were unseated by Brett Windrow, Owen Farnsworth and Connie Casha, respectively. Additionally, the seats held by Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville), Michael Lankford (R-Montgomery County) and John Gillespie (R-Memphis) were flipped by Democrats Bryan Goldberg, Allie Phillips and Jesse Huseth.