Tennessee voters will see a crowded field of candidates for state and national offices on the Aug. 2 ballot.
Qualifying closed Thursday for people seeking their party's nomination for the offices of governor, U.S. Senate and House and state Senate and House. When the deadline passed, more than 40 people had qualified to run for governor and nearly 20 filed papers for U.S. Senate, according to the Tennessee secretary of state's office and the Hamilton County Election Commission.
In U.S. House District 3, incumbent U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann has four Republican challengers - "Mr. Jim" Elkins, Chattanooga; Jeremy Massengale, Cleveland; Harold E. Shevlin, Ooltewah, and William E. Spurlock Sr., Chattanooga. The winner fill face Democrat Danielle Mitchell on Nov. 6.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, in District 4, has a GOP challenge from Jack Maddux, of Cleveland. Two Democrats, Mariah Phillips and Steven Reynolds, both of Murfreesboro, are competing to face the Republican winner, and independent Michael Shupe, of Columbia, will face off with both party winners.
In state party executive committee elections, two Democrats and four Republicans are seeking nominations in District 10; it's two and three, respectively, in District 11.
After years of heavy Republican dominance when Democrats sometimes didn't even field candidates, the Hamilton County Democratic Party pointed out it is contesting every local state legislative seat this year.
"This is about accountability," local party chairwoman Khristy Wilkinson said in a news release. "Our Republican elected representatives in the General Assembly have been holding wages low, keeping Tennesseans from accessing the healthcare they need, and chronically underfunding our schools for too long. It's our duty to challenge their incumbency for the good of the people."
Contests for Hamilton County's state House seats drew interest, as well.
In District 26, Republican incumbent Gerald McCormick has no primary challenger. David Jones and Jean-Marie Lawrence are competing on the Democratic side.
Patsy Hazlewood in District 27 also has no Republican challenger. Danielle Johnson and Brent Morris are in the Democratic primary.
Five Democrats - Jackie Anderson Thomas, Dennis Clark, Yusuf Hakeem, Melody Shekari and Brandon Woodruff - are scrapping for the Democratic nomination in District 28, where incumbent JoAnne Favors is retiring. The winner will face Republican Lemon C. Williams Jr.
Incumbent Republican Mike Carter is alone in the District 29 primary; he'll face Democrat Tammy Magouirk in November.
And in District 30, Republicans Esther Helton and Jonathan Mason will face off for the right to contest independent J. Michael Holloway and Democrat Joda Thongnopnua.
Incumbent Republican Bo Watson, in Senate District 11, will face Democrat Randall "Randy" Price in November.
The state and national primaries are held with the county general election, when voters will cast ballots for county mayor, sheriff, county commission, the register of deeds and some nonpartisan school board races.
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Here are the names of local and regional candidates who tossed hats in the ring for Tennessee governor and U.S. Senate:
Governor
Basil J. Marceaux Sr., R, Soddy-Daisy
William Andrew Helmstetter, I, Cleveland
Matthew Koch, I, Chattanooga
Toney Randall Mitchell, I, Cleveland
George Blackwell Smith III, I, Chattanooga
Ryan Alexander Stuart, I, Soddy-Daisy
Mike Toews, I, Signal Mountain
Nicholas vonWerssowetz, I, Chattanooga
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U.S. Senate
David Anderson, R, Chattanooga
"Mr. Jim" Elkins, R, Chattanooga
John Wolfe, D, Chattanooga
Trudy A. Austin, I, Crossville
John Carico, I, Cleveland