State Rep. Vince Dean moves to run for Tennessee Senate

photo Tennessee state representative Vince Dean.
Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

NASHVILLE - State Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, has picked up papers to run for the Senate District 10 seat, currently held by Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga.

Berke is weighing a race for mayor of Chattanooga.

Meanwhile, Republican Larry Grohn has picked up papers to run in the House District 30 seat now represented by Dean.

Also picking up qualifying papers to run for the 28th Legislative District House seat are Democratic Reps. Tommie Brown and JoAnne Favors, whose districts largely were merged in redistricting recently passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Candidates have until April 5 to file qualifying petitions.

Dean said Monday he plans to get the 25 signatures necessary to qualify.

"I think it's obvious my core values ... strongly represent the majority of the redrawn 10th Senate District," Dean said. "I think the voting record will show also that I represent the values of the majority in that district."

Dean already has made forays into Republican-leaning Bradley County, portions of which GOP lawmakers added to the district along with Republican-leaning East Ridge.

Brown, meanwhile, said "of course," when answering a question about whether she is running.

"My supporters said it is going right into the victory column," she said.

Favors, who currently represents the 29th District which now becomes a Republican-leaning white-majority district, could not be reached for comment.

The 28th District remains a black-majority district. Both Brown and Favors are black.

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