Demetrus Coonrod and Yusuf Hakeem have each beaten the other in elections past. Now, they’re facing off for a third time with Hakeem’s seat in the Tennessee statehouse, representing much of Chattanooga, on the line.
The pair first clashed in 2017, when Coonrod knocked Hakeem off of the Chattanooga City Council. In 2024, Hakeem — then a Democratic incumbent in the District 28 state House post he has held since January 2019 — beat Coonrod by 26 percentage points to keep his seat.
Hakeem’s is the only district in the Hamilton County area represented by a Democrat in the statehouse. He’s one of 23 Democratic state representatives in a House of 100 members, with much of his party’s representation concentrated in Nashville and Memphis.
The district includes parts of downtown Chattanooga, Alton Park, Highland Park, East Chattanooga, North Brainerd, Tyner and parts of eastern Hamilton County.
(READ MORE: What to know and where to vote early in the Chattanooga area)