True to its word, the Tennessee Democratic Party has tried to recruit a candidate for every office currently held by a Republican in this year’s state and local elections. Whether any of them can break through is another thing entirely.
Prior to this week, no Republican member of the Hamilton County House legislative delegation had a Democratic opponent. Now they all do. And Republican state Sen. Bo Watson of Chattanooga, who picked up one potential Democratic opponent two weeks ago, now has two.
The delegation’s only Democratic member, Yusuf Hakeem, will have two opponents, too. But he won’t face them until the November general election since both are running as independents.
Since 2010, when Republicans were first able to draw legislative districts to their liking, after decades of Democrats doing it, no Republican in the Hamilton County delegation has lost a seat to a Democrat, or even come close.