Tennessee Democrats and Republicans are touring the state to rally voters as early voting heats up in Tennessee.
Democrats met in Chattanooga and Republicans met in Collegedale this week to discuss party agendas and hype Hamilton County voters. Early voting excitement remains apparent in the early voting numbers, according to the Hamilton County Election Commission.
As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, 47,957 voters cast ballots in Hamilton County since early voting commenced, including those voting by mail.
“Right now it’s probably 5% to 10% higher than what we saw in 2020, but we expect by the end to be closer to 15% to 20% higher than what we saw in 2020 if the trend holds like it has these first few days,” said Hamilton County Administrator of Elections Scott Allen by phone. “That would put us on target for 115,000 to 120,000 early and absentee voters.”
In 2020, there were 103,591 total ballots cast during early voting.
While the election commission does not know the partisan breakdown of early voters — because Tennesseans don’t register to vote within political parties — the commission analyzed early voters based on balloting history. As of Monday, based on the most recent primary election participation of voters, of the 43,177 early votes at the time, 19,988 of the Hamilton County early voters had voted as Republicans, 12,815 as Democrats and 10,374 as nonpartisan.
‘Cost-Cutting Caravan’
On Monday, a “Cost-Cutting Caravan” of Democrats visited Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge to outline policy goals for the next state legislative session, with the theme of rebuilding the state’s middle class. Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons spoke at the event, along with state delegation candidates including state Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, D-Chattanooga, state House District 26 nominee Allison Glorman, state House District 27 nominee Kathy Lennon, state House District 29 nominee Ryan Scofield, state House District 30 nominee Heather McClendon and state Senate District 10 nominee Missy Crutchfield.
“Our Republican leadership has not been able to create policies that help our citizens, that help our middle class with wages, with health care, and enough is enough,” Lennon said, “so let’s elect representatives that are going to speak for the people of Tennessee.”
Lennon faces Republican Michele Reneau at the polls as voters cast ballots.
Clemmons said Democrats want to end the grocery sales tax, lower prescription drug costs, improve infrastructure, fill potholes and invest in Tennessee families.
“The Democrats are running on lowering cost for working families,” Clemmons said, “focused on those dinner table issues that mean so much to every Tennessee family.”
McClendon, who is running against Republican state Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, R-East Ridge, plugged free meals in schools and universal preschool as two education policy initiatives she’d like to see pass the state legislature.
“If we invest in our children, we are investing in our future economies,” McClendon said.
Scofield, who is challenging state Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, for his Tennessee House District 29 seat, said Medicaid expansion in Tennessee is part of the Democratic platform.
‘Tennessee Freedom Tour’
On Tuesday, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville arrived at Little Debbie Park in Collegedale in a large red bus on his “Tennessee Freedom Tour.” Sexton said he is now on his third run of the bus tour after making his rounds across the state in 2022 and 2020. U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, came along for the ride and was joined by state Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, state Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, R-East Ridge and Tennessee House District 27 Republican nominee Michele Reneau.
“It’s old-school politics,” Sexton said in an interview. “It’s a great way to get out and meet hundreds of people, thousands of people as you accumulate this, and listen to them about what they’re looking for, but they also see that we are united as a state and we’re going to move forward on a conservative agenda.”
Rose emphasized strong conservative values as a necessity in passing on the country to future generations. He said it’s his job as a congressman to take Tennessee’s values to Washington and get Washington out of Tennessee.
Attendees, decked out in red, white, and blue and merchandise featuring Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, chanted “Trump, Trump, Trump,” and “fight, fight, fight,” following Rose’s comments.
“This is Trump country, this is GOP country,” Vital said, “from the top of the ballot to the bottom of the ballot.”
Helton-Haynes said Tennessee is the best of America, and that District 30 “ain’t buyin’ what the far left is peddlin’.”
“What we need to do in this election is prove that Tennessee nor District 27 is going purple,” Reneau said. “We are absolutely red and we are going to keep it that way.”
Early voting began Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 5. For more information, visit electhamiltontn.gov.
Contact Sarah Dolgin at sdolgin@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6556.