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.
___
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.
___
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.
___
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.
___
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.
___
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
Prosecutors: Tennessee lawmaker planned to profit from tax hike
Previous Article