2008 Tennessee Senate election


The 2008 Tennessee State Senate election was held on November 4, 2008, to elect 16 of the 33 seats for the Tennessee's State Senate. The elections coincided with the Presidential, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and State House elections. The primary elections were held on August 7, 2008.
Republicans gained 3 seats, reclaiming and expanding their majority that they gained in 2004.

Background

On March 14, 2007, Michael Williams announced that he was leaving the Senate Republican Caucus and becoming an Independent. This left the Senate evenly divided, with 16 Democrats, 16 Republicans, and one Independent. In explaining his move, Williams said: "Some in the party are leading us down a path of bitterness and divisiveness and, in doing so, they have left me. I have not left them." Senate leaders from both parties said Williams' move would make little difference because, as Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle stated, "Mike Williams has never been a guaranteed vote for anyone." Williams decided to seek re-election in 2008. The district he represented is generally regarded as strongly Republican, but Williams said he believes voters appreciate independence. "The largest voting bloc in the state of Tennessee is Independents," he said. "They're just not organized."
In the 2007-2008 edition of the Tennessee Blue Book, Williams listed his party affiliation as "Independent NASCAR Fan."

Results summary

Closest races

Four races were decided by a margin of under 10%:
DistrictWinnerMargin
District 4data-sort-value=1 0.4%
District 12data-sort-value=1 7.2%
District 14data-sort-value=1 7.0%
District 26data-sort-value=1 7.2%

District 2

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticBill Jones1,884Nominee
RepublicanRon Ramsey9,010Nominee

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticBill Jones18,29227.3%
RepublicanRon Ramsey48,77472.7%✔

District 4

Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
RepublicanMike Faulk29,42850.2%✔
IndependentMichael Williams 29,18149.8%

District 6

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticGary Farmer5,584Nominee
RepublicanJamie Woodson14,271Nominee

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticGary Farmer26,17730.9%
RepublicanJamie Woodson58,38469.1%✔

District 8

Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
RepublicanDoug Overbey61,29981.7%✔
IndependentIra "Doc" Lapides13,68518.3%

District 10

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticAndy Berke6,771Nominee
RepublicanOscar Brown2,572Nominee
RepublicanBasil Marceaux, Sr.776

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticAndy Berke47,24071.1%✔
RepublicanOscar Brown19,21628.9%

District 12

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticBecky Ruppe7,317Nominee
RepublicanKen Yager8,394Nominee
IndependentChristopher G. Fenner—Qualified

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticBecky Ruppe27,98344.3%
RepublicanKen Yager32,50951.5%✔
IndependentChristopher G. Fenner2,9544.7%

District 14

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticSteve Roller4,853
DemocraticEric Stewart4,981Nominee
DemocraticJim Woodard3,075
RepublicanMike Niederhauser2,991Nominee
RepublicanCharles Lynn Sebourn1,948
RepublicanJames H. Threet846

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticEric Stewart34,00353.5%✔
RepublicanMike Niederhauser29,58646.5%

District 16

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticDee Butler1,234
DemocraticJean Anne Rogers3,493Nominee
RepublicanJim Tracy5,187Nominee

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticJean Anne Rogers31,74640.8%
RepublicanJim Tracy46,08859.2%✔

District 18

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticJim Hawkins2,888Nominee
RepublicanDiane Black3,899Nominee

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticJim Hawkins29,19634.9%
RepublicanDiane Black54,55265.1%✔

District 20

Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticJoe M. Haynes3,800Nominee
RepublicanDavid Hall1,499Nominee

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticJoe M. Haynes45,21559.0%✔
RepublicanDavid Hall31,41841.0%

District 22

Primaries
General election background
Election officials certified Rosalind Kurita's primary victory. However, Tim Barnes contested the results, claiming that Kurita only won because a large number of Republicans crossed over to vote in Tennessee's open Democratic primary. On September 13, Tennessee Democratic Party officials met in Nashville and voted to strip Kurita of the nomination. Party officials in Kurita's district then held a convention and designated Barnes as the party's candidate in the November general election. Kurita had been on bad terms with party leadership because of her vote for Republican Ron Ramsey, enabling him to win election as Senate speaker.
Kurita also sued the state Democratic Party in federal court, seeking to have her name restored to the ballot. Her lawsuit charged that the Tennessee law allowing political party officials to rule on challenges to primary election results violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because it has no procedural rules to protect due process and it does not allow for judicial review. The complaint also contended that Kurita's rights were violated because rules for the party's review of the primary results were not adopted until the morning of the review meeting, and that the Democratic Party officials did not adequately explain their reasons for overturning the election results. On October 15, 2008, Judge Robert L. Echols of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee dismissed her complaint. His ruling stated that when primary election results are contested, under Tennessee law the primary board has the authority to decide on the party's nominee. Kurita said she would appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, but this effort did not result in the revocation of Barnes having been awarded the nomination.
Kurita subsequently announced that she would seek re-election in November as a write-in candidate.
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
Write-inRosalind Kurita22,80538.1%
DemocraticTim Barnes37,03061.9%✔

District 24

Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticRoy B. Herron45,992100%✔

District 26

On March 20, 2008, former long-time Democratic Speaker of the Tennessee Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee, John Wilde announced his decision not to run for re-election.
Primaries
PartyCandidateVotesResult
DemocraticRandy Camp4,392Nominee
RepublicanDolores Gresham4,902Nominee
RepublicanTim Linder2,949
RepublicanBob Shutt4,848

General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticRandy Camp32,16546.4%
RepublicanDolores Gresham37,18653.6%✔

District 28

Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticJim Kyle39,007100%✔

District 30

Steve Cohen resigned from the chamber shortly after his election in 2004 to the United States House of Representatives, the Shelby County Commission appointed Shea Flinn to fill the seat until a special election could be held. In March 2007, Marrero won the special election for the state senate seat.
Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
DemocraticBeverly Marrero38,680100%✔

District 32

Primaries
General election
PartyCandidateVotes%Result
RepublicanMark Norris56,866100%✔