Following the 2010 Census, the Tennessee General Assembly re-drew district lines to make more state House and Senate districts favorable for Republicans. Democrats had done the same thing for the previous 70 years following decennial censuses.
In that redrawing, Senate District 10 went from being slightly more favorable for a Democrat candidate to one slightly more favorable for a Republican candidate. Then-Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, chose not to run for re-election in 2012, then ran for mayor for Chattanooga the following spring, and won.
Longtime Republican activist Todd Gardenhire eked out a win in the 2012 Republican Senate primary over Greg Vital, then had an easier time defeating the Democrat, then-Chattanooga Councilman Andre McGary, in the general election.
Since being sworn in, the first-term senator has been anything but the shy, retiring sort.
“You never have to wonder where I stand,” Gardenhire, 68, said. “Am I well-liked? Probably not. Am I respected? I hope so.”