NASHVILLE - Tennessee voters go to the polls Thursday to decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for Congress and the state Legislature.
With the GOP holding wide majorities in both the congressional delegation and the Tennessee General Assembly, many of the most spirited primary contests are among Republican candidates.
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OPEN CONGRESSIONAL SEAT
Three-term U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher's decision to retire from his 8th Congressional District seat this spring set off a frenzy of activity to succeed him in the heavily Republican district ranging from suburban Memphis through rural northwestern Tennessee.
The most active candidates have been radio station owner George Flinn of Memphis, state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown, former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff of Germantown and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell of Memphis.
The race has also drawn spending from two outside groups: The American Conservative Union has spent about $130,000 to support Kelsey, while the Win for America PAC has spent about the same to oppose Flinn.
Flinn unsuccessfully ran for the 8th District nomination in 2010 and for several other offices since. He has mostly self-funded his bid with a $2.7 million loan to his campaign.
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HOUSE INCUMBENTS CHALLENGED
U.S. Reps. Scott DesJarlais and Diane Black are facing Republican primary challenges from candidates trying to position themselves to the right of the incumbents.
Former state Rep. Joe Carr has taken to conservative talk radio to denounce Black as being part of the establishment in the 6th District running northeast from the Nashville suburbs toward the Cumberland Plateau. Black has shot back that Carr doesn't live inside the district boundaries and that he has become a perennial candidate for any open public office.
DesJarlais has been considered vulnerable ever since it was revealed that he once urged a mistress to seek an abortion and that he once held a gun in his mouth for hours outside his ex-wife's room. DesJarlais, who defeated a 2014 primary challenge by just 38 votes, has denounced this year's challenger, attorney Grant Starrett, as an out-of-state "trust fund millionaire." Starrett has loaned his campaign nearly $900,000.
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JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
Voters will have the choice to retain or replace three new Supreme Court justices - Jeff Bivins, Holly Kirby and Roger Page - and seven other appeals court judges. Only one justice has ever been unseated in a Tennessee retention election, and there has been no concerted effort this year to oust anyone from the bench.
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STATE HOUSE
Embattled state Rep. Jeremy Durham has suspended his campaign amid a flood of sexual harassment allegations outlined in a state attorney general's report, but he remains on the primary ballot. Legislative Republicans have begun to rally behind Durham opponent Sam Whitson, a retired Army colonel. The Williamson County seat is among 31 contested Republican races throughout the state. There are also 16 contested Democratic races.
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STATE SENATE
There are seven contested Republican primaries in the upper chamber of the General Assembly and three contested Democratic primaries. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's retirement from his northeastern Tennessee seat means there will be at least one new senator this fall. The Republican candidates include state Rep. Jon Lundberg, former state Rep. Tony Shipley and former University of Tennessee football player Neal Kerney.
Where to vote in State Primary and Hamilton County General elections
Listed below are the locations of the polling places that will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today: Airport Shepherd Recreation Center 2124 E. Shepherd Road Alton Park 1 & 2 The Bethlehem Center 200 W. 38th St. Amnicola Chattanooga Fire Station 10 910 Wisdom St. Apison 1, 2 & 3 Apison Retreat Center 11206 Old E. Brainerd Road Avondale Avondale Recreation Center 1305 Dodson Ave. Bakewell 1 & 2 Rechoboth Baptist 12622 Dayton Pike Birchwood Meadowview Baptist 10715 Ooltewah-Georgetown Road Bonny Oaks Washington Hill Recreation 4628 Oakwood Drive Brainerd Brainerd Baptist Crossroads (BX) 4011 Austin St. Brainerd Hills Alahambra Shrine Temple 1000 Alhambra Drive Bushtown Carver Community Center 600 N. Orchard Knob Ave. Collegedale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 Collegedale City Hall 4910 Swinyar Drive Concord 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 Concord Baptist 7025 E. Brainerd Road Courthouse 1 & 2 Chattanooga Urban League 730 E. M.L. King Blvd. Dalewood New Hope Baptist 3777 Wilcox Blvd. Dallas 1 & 2 New Salem Baptist 9806 Dallas Hollow Road Downtown 1 & 2 Boynton Terrace Senior Neighbor Center 957 Boynton Drive Dupont The Gathering 4445 Hixson Pike, Hixson East Brainerd 1 & 2 Covenant Presbyterian 8451 E. Brainerd Road East Chattanooga 1 & 2 East Chattanooga Rec Center 2409 Dodson Ave. East Lake East Lake Recreation Center (Gym) 3601 Dodds Ave. East Ridge 1 East Ridge City Hall (Gym) 1517 Tombras Ave. East Ridge 2 The American Legion 3329 Ringgold Road East Ridge 3 East Ridge City Hall, Senior Center (Gym side entrance) 1517 Tombras Ave. East Ridge 4 East Ridge United Methodist 1601 Prater Road Eastdale Eastdale Recreation Center 1314 Moss St. Eastgate 1 & 2 New Covenant Fellowship 1326 N. Moore Road Eastside 1 & 2 McGilvray Gym 1800 Kirby Ave. Fairmount Bachman Community Center 2815 Anderson Pike Falling Water Falling Water Baptist 523 Roberts Mill Road Flat Top Mountain Volunteer Firehall 13331 Jones Gap Road Ganns Middle Valley Church of God 1703 Thrasher Pike Glenwood Glenwood Recreation Center 2610 E. Third St. Harrison 1, 2 & 6 Harrison Ruritan Club 5709 Tyner Lane Harrison 3, 4 & 5 Bayside Baptist 6100 Highway 58 Hixson 1 & 2 Hixson First Baptist 5800 Grubb Road Hixson 3 Burks United Methodist 6433 Hixson Pike Kingspoint 1, 2 & 3 Oakwood Baptist (Gym) 4501 Bonny Oaks Drive Lake Hills Northminster Presbyterian 4791 Hal Drive Lakesite Lakesite City Hall 9201 Rocky Point Road Lookout Mountain Jane Harris Youth Building 301 N. Watauga Lane Lookout Valley 1 & 2 John A. Patten Recreation Center 3202 Kellys Ferry Road Lupton City Lupton Drive Baptist 859 Lupton Drive Meadowview Volunteer Firehall No. 4 10916 Highway 58 Middle Valley 1 & 2 Middle Valley Baptist 7901 Middle Valley Road Missionary Ridge Missionary Ridge Neighborhood Association (Firehall) 36 Sheridan Ave. Moccasin Bend North Chattanooga Recreation Center 406 May St. Mountain Creek 1, 2 & 3 Mountain Creek Church of Christ 985 Runyan Drive Mowbray Mowbray Volunteer Fire Department 1705 Mowbray Pike Murray Hills 1 & 2 St Thaddaeus Episcopal 4300 Locksley Lane North Chattanooga 1 & 2 Knights of Columbus 313 Sylvan St. Northgate 1 & 2 Stuart Height Baptist Church. North Campus 1505 Cloverdale Drive Northwoods 1 & 2 Calvary Baptist Church 5201 Dayton Blvd. Ooltewah 1 & 2 Eastwood Church (Gym) 4300 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road Ooltewah 3, 4, 5 & 6 Seventh-Day Adventist (Gym) 9209 Amos Road Pleasant Grove 1 & 2 Pleasant Grove Baptist 7634 Gann Road Red Bank 1 Disabled American Veterans 619 Memorial Drive Red Bank 2 Red Bank Lion's Club 3704 Dayton Blvd. Red Bank 3 Red Bank Cumberland Presb. 115 Morrison Springs Road Ridgedale 1 & 2 Highland Park Community Center 1714 Duncan Ave. Ridgeside Ridgeside City Poolhouse 300 Shepherd Ave. Riverview Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. Sale Creek Sale Creek Lion's Club 15222 Coppinger Road Signal Mountain 1 & 2 Signal Mountain Presbyterian 612 James Blvd. Snowhill 1 & 2 Greenwood Baptist Church 8529 Snowhill Road Soddy Daisy 1 & 4 Soddy Daisy Senior Citizen Center 190 Depot St. Soddy Daisy 2 & 3 Daisy Church of God 9555 Dayton Pike St Elmo 1 & 2 South Chatt. Recreation Center 1151 W. 40th St. Stuart Heights Rivermont Presbyterian 3319 Hixson Pike Summit 1, 2, 3 & 4 Silverdale Cumberland Presbyterian 7407 Bonny Oaks Drive Tyner 1 & 2 Tyner-East Brainerd Recreation (Gym) 6900 Ty-Hi Drive Valdeau Mtn. Creek Church of Christ 985 Runyan Drive Walden Walden Town Hall 1836 Taft Highway Westview 1, 2 & 3 Christ United Methodist 8645 E. Brainerd Road Woodmore 1 & 2 Brainerd Recreation Center 1010 N. Moore Road