Democrats haven't won a statewide election in Tennessee in a decade. They've watched Republicans secure super majorities in both state legislative chambers, capture seven of Tennessee's nine congressional districts and dominate every presidential race in the Volunteer State since Al Gore lost his home state in 2000.
But during these tough times for Tennessee Democrats - which have included fielding obscure statewide candidates with names like Charlie Brown - one silver lining emerged and remains: mayors of the state's largest cities.
As the state has reddened politically, mayors of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville - all Democrats - have become the strength of the party and a bench as its looks for viable candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. In recent years, party leaders have routinely pointed to the crop of mayors as the centerpiece of a strategy for Democrats to make a comeback.
Read more at our news partner's website, tennessean.com.