Tennessee
Tennessee state House sees no major party shifts after 2024 election
Tennessee Republicans continued to hold a grip on legislative politics in Tennessee with a wave of House victories across the state Tuesday night, though it was an election night more defined by the status quo as both parties maintained their numbers in the House.
Democrats sought to capitalize on a turbulent two years in House politics and claw back a few seats from the GOP’s 75-member a supermajority in the 99-seat House. Democrats eyed bids to flip some of the five competitive seats in Knox, Montgomery, Shelby and Rutherford counties.
Republicans, meanwhile, eyed potential gains in Montgomery and Davidson counties.
In the end, none of those results materialized, for either party. Instead, each party managed to hold on to a handful of open seats.
In House District 67, incumbent Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, clung to his seat by less than 130 votes, narrowly holding off Republican challenger Jamie Pelz.
Another close race in the Montgomery County area was the House District 75 race, where first-time candidate Allie Phillips challenged incumbent Rep. Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville.
Phillips, who was inspired to run for office after a personal experience with abortion access and pregnancy loss, ran a heavy ground game and garnered substantial donations in one of the more vulnerable districts in the state.
But Burkhart was able to hold on, leading Phillips by about 700 votes as of 9:30 p.m., maintaing the seat for Republicans.
In Nashville’s House District 60, gun safety advocate Shaundelle Brooks narrowly defeated former Republican legislative aide Chad Bobo, who received financial backing from more than a dozen sitting GOP lawmakers in an effort to flip the open Davidson County seat.
Brooks led with about 55% of the vote to Bobo’s 45%.
Here’s a look at other contested legislative races, according to unofficial results as of early Wednesday morning.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 3
Incumbent Rep. Timothy Aaron Hill, R-Blountville, won reelection against Democrat Lori Love.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 5
Incumbent Rep. David Hawk, R-Greenville, won reelection against independent candidate Rebecca Anderson.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 6
Incumbent Rep. Tim Hicks, R-Gray, won reelection against Democrat Brad Batt.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 7
Incumbent Rep. Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, won reelection against Democrat Sylvain Bruni.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 8
Incumbent Rep. Jerome Moon, R-Maryville, won reelection against Democrat Sue Dubois.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 11
Incumbent Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, won reelection against Democrat Justin Gross.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 12
Republican Fred Atchley beat out Democrat Leslie Braddock to win the open seat vacated by Rep. Dale Carr, R-Sevierville.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 13
Incumbent Rep. Robert Stevens, R-Smyrna, handily defeated Democrat Jonathan Yancey in the District 13 race. Stevens, who previously served on the Rutherford County Commission, won a second term in the state legislature.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 14
Incumbent Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, beat Democrat Amanda Collins.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 15
Incumbent Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, beat Republican Justin Hirst.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 16
Incumbent Rep. Michele Carringer, R-Knoxville, won reelection against Democrat Lauren Carver.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 18
Incumbent Rep. Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville, won reelection against Democrat Bryan Goldberg.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 20
Republican Tom Stinnett won election against Democrat Karen Gertz in the open seat, which was vacated by Rep. Bryan Richey, R-Maryville, when he launched a failed state Senate bid.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 21
Incumbent Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, defeated Democrat Kenneth Moore.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 22
Incumbent Rep. Dan Howell, R-Cleveland, won reelection against Democrat Anna Grabowski.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 23
Incumbent Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, won reelection against Democrat David Thomforde.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 24
Incumbent Rep. Kevin Raper, R-Cleveland, won reelection against Democrat Andrea Chase.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 25
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, won reelection against Democrat Wesley Adkins.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 26
Incumbent Rep. Greg Martin won reelection against Democrat Allison Gorman.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 27
Michele Reneau, a Republican who toppled the seat’s incumbent in the primary, beat out Kathy Lennon.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 28
Incumbent Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, D-Chattanooga, won reelection against independent candidate Thomas Brooks.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 29
Incumbent Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, defeated Democrat Ryan Scofield to win reelection.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 30
Incumbent Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, R-East Ridge, won reelection against Democrat Heather McClendon.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 31
Incumbent Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, defeated Democrat Brittany Lynn Warfel and independent William Jenkins to win reelection.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 33
Republican Rick Scarbrough beat Democrat Anne Backus for the seat, previously held by Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 34
Incumbent Rep. Time Rudd, R-Mrufreesboro, beat Democrat Amelia Pant in the House District 34 race. Rudd has served in the legislature since 2017.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 35
Incumbent Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, won reelection Tuesday against Democrat Lexi Melton. Slater, a dean at a private Christian college in Gallatin, is a voucher support and a self-described “pro-life” legislator.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 37
Incumbent Rep. Charlie Baum, R-Murfreesboro, won a fourth term over Democrat Cheri Brown.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 38
Incumbent Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, won reelection against independent candidate Alexander Armor.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 39
Incumbent Rep. Iris Rudder, R-Winchester, defeated Democrat Rose Mary Drake to win reelection.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 40
Incumbent Rep. Michale Hale, R-Smithville, defeated Democrat Daniel Hawthorne to win reelection.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 41
Incumbent Rep. Ed Butler, R-Rickman, defeated Democrat Joel Derek Hawn to win reelection.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 42
Incumbent Rep. Ryan Williams, R- Cookeville, won reelection against Democrat Amber Taylor.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 44
House Majority Leader and incumbent Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, won reelection against Democrat Brian Robertson in House District 44. Lamberth, among the most influential members of the GOP caucus, will likely sponsor Gov. Bill Lee’s statewide voucher proposal next year.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 45
Incumbent Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, won reelection against Democrat Alison Beale in House District 45. Garrett, the House majority whip, has served in the legislature since 2019.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 46
Incumbent Rep. Clark Boyd, R-Lebanon, won reelection for a fourth term against Democrat Joni Cochran.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 47
Incumbent Rep. Rush Bricken, R-Tullahoma, won reelection against independent Veronica Owens.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 48
Incumbent Rep. Bryan Terry, R-Murfreesboro, won reelection against Democrat Matt Ferry.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 49
Incumbent Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, won reelection against Democrat Luis Mata.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 50
Incumbent Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, won reelection against Republican challenger and Metro Council member Jennifer Frensley Webb.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 51
Incumbent Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, handily won reelection for her second term in a race without a Republican challenger. An independent candidate, Jeff Ketelsen, did not have a significant campaign presence.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 52
Incumbent Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, won reelection to his Davidson County seat against Republican challenger Laura Nelson.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 53
Incumbent Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, won reelection to his seventh term against Republican Yog Nepal and independent candidate Rueben Dockery.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 57
Incumbent Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, won reelection against Democrat Ailina Carona.
Tennessee State House of Representatives District 60
In the rare open seat this cycle, gun safety reform advocate Shaundelle Brooks, a Democrat, narrowly beat out Republican and former legislative aide Chad Bobo. The seat was vacated by Rep. Darren Jernigan, D-Nashville, who is transitioning to a new job with Metro Nashville.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 61
Incumbent Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, won reelection to his second term in the House against Democrat Clair Jones and independent Alana LeBlanc.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 63
Incumbent Rep. Jake McCalmon, R-Franklin, won reelection to a second term against Franklin physician Dr. Laura Andreson, a Democrat.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 64
Incumbent Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, handily won reelection against Democrat Eileen Longstreet.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 65
Real estate lawyer Lee Reeves, a Republican, picked up House District 65 against Democrat LaRhonda Williams. The Williamson County district was an open seat following the retirement of Rep. Sam Whitson, R-Franklin.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 66
Incumbent Rep. Sabi Kumar, R-Springfield, won reelection against Democrat Elizabeth Webb and independent candidate Kevin Mead.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 67
Incumbent Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, won a very narrow victory against Republican Jamie Dean Peltz.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 68
Republican Aron Maberry, a Clarksville-Montgomery County school board member and Clarksville pastor, was elected in House District 68, a seat left open by the retirement of Rep. Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 70
Incumbent Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski, won reelection against Democrat Jason Luttrell.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 71
Incumbent Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown, won reelection against Democrat Tim Coy.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 75
Incumbent Rep. Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville, won a second term in a close race against Democrat Allie Phillips.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 76
Incumbent Rep. Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield, won reelection against independent candidate James Hart.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 78
Incumbent Rep. Mary Littleton, R-Dickson, won reelection over Democrat Deborah Castle Doyle. Littleton currently chairs the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee and is a frequent sponsor of legislation on divisive cultural issues, like a bill this year that codified protections for anti-LGBTQ foster parents.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 80
Incumbent Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, won reelection against Republican challenger Brad Grantham.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 83
Incumbent Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, held the lead early Wednesday against Democratic challenger Noah Nordstrom.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 86
Incumbent Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, won reelection against independent candidate Jeff Johnston.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 88
Incumbent Rep. Larry Miller, D-Memphis, won reelection against Republican Larry Hunter.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 89
Incumbent Rep. Justin Lafferty, R-Knoxville, won reelection against Democrat Cary Hammond.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 92
Incumbent Rep. Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill, won reelection over Democrat Teri Mai in District 92.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 93
Incumbent Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, won reelection against Republican Renarda Renee Clariett.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 94
Incumbent Rep. Ron Gant, R-Piperton, won reelection against Democrat Terry Saine.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, held the lead early Wednesday against against Democrat Jess Huseth.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 98
Incumbent Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, won reelection against Republican Cecil Hale.
Tennessee House of Representatives District 99
Incumbent Rep. Tom Leatherwood, R-Arlington, won a decisive reelection victory against independent candidate William Mouzon.
See Dolly Parton celebrate Tennessean Travel Stop grand opening
The country music legend opened the first location of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — Out on the street, the traffic started jumpin’ as travelers made their way to Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop on opening day.
“Dolly is on her way,” Tennessean Travel Stop owner Gregory Sachs told the media gathered at the new truck destination in Cornersville, saying Parton would cut the ribbon at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.
The anticipation had been building all morning at the new roadside destination along Interstate 65. The 80-year-old country legend arrived wearing a blue-and-pink fringe ensemble, complete with her signature stiletto heels.
The “9 to 5” singer used the moment to make a playful quip about travel stop competitor Buc-ee’s.
“I’m sure some of you want to know why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton said. “Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers.”
Parton ended the brief ceremony with a ribbon cutting, marked by an explosion of multicolored confetti featuring her signature butterfly.
The message drew cheers from guests who had spent the afternoon exploring the property, sampling food from DLY BBQ and trying a “Cup of Ambition” coffee, waiting to see whether Parton would make an appearance. Earlier promotional materials for the grand opening had stated that the country music icon would not attend the public festivities.
The appearance marks one of only a handful of public events for Parton in 2026.
In March, the East Tennessee star returned to Dollywood to launch the theme park’s 41st season after stepping back from several appearances while recovering from health issues and grieving the death of her husband, Carl Dean. During that appearance, Parton told fans she had been rebuilding herself “spiritually, emotionally and physically.”
Parton, who has been open about dealing with kidney stones, said in May that she is working with doctors after “my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past three years.”
What is Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop?
Located at Exit 22 off Interstate 65 in Cornersville, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop officially opened to the public on June 24. The flagship location is a partnership between Parton, her longtime manager Danny Nozell and Gregory H. Sachs, owner of the Tennessean Travel Stop brand.
Inspired by Parton’s decades spent traveling the country by tour bus and her East Tennessee roots, the destination combines fuel services, food, shopping, live music and Tennessee-themed hospitality.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
ESPN projects Tennessee basketball’s Felix Okpara and Ja’Kobi Gillespie to be picked back to back in the second round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. ESPN’s updated mock draft has Okpara at No. 41 overall to the Miami Heat and Gillespie at No. 42 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Nate Ament was the No. 13 overall pick in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Tennessee, which has now had players picked in six straight NBA Drafts, could have three players drafted for just the second time in the modern era of the draft, since it went to two rounds in 1989.
Grant Williams was a first-round pick in 2019, ahead of Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone being picked in the second round.
Where ESPN ranks Felix Okpara, Ja’Kobi Gillespie in NBA Draft
Entering the second round, ESPN has Okpara ranked as the 12th-best player available in the draft. Gillespie is ranked No. 14.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans is ESPN’s No. 1 prospect to start the second round, ahead of North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas, Cincinnati forward Baba Miller, Louisville guard Ryan Conwell and German guard Jack Kayil.
Also ranked ahead of Okpara is BYU guard Richie Saunders, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Purdue guard Braden Smith, St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. Ranked between Okpara and Gillespie is Arizona guard Jaden Bradley.
Felix Okpara ‘played his way into the two-way contract mix’
Okpara averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game this season, starting 34 of 35 games. He shot 59.7% from the field, 61.1% on 2-point shots and 63.5% at the foul line.
He played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Tennessee and anchoring the Vols on defense, serving as the rim protector defensively and a rim runner on offense.
Okpara had the fourth-highest standing reach at the NBA Draft Combine in May at 9-foot-4. He was measured at 6-foot-10 without shoes, weighed 237.4 pounds and had a 7-2 wingspan.
“Okpara had a good predraft process,” ESPN wrote, “and played his way into the two-way contract mix as a dependable big man who chips in a little bit of value on both ends.”
Ja’Kobi Gillespie ‘profiles as a potential bench option’ in NBA
Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game while starting all 37 games in his one and only season at Tennessee.
The Greeneville, Tenn., native started his career with two seasons at Belmont, then transferred to Maryland before his homecoming with the Vols as a senior last season.
“After starting his college career at Belmont,” ESPN wrote on Wednesday, “Gillespie had good years at Maryland and Tennessee while playing his way into the NBA picture. He profiles as a potential bench option if his scoring ability can outweigh his size concerns.”
Nate Ament on Tuesday night became Tennessee basketball’s highest NBA Draft pick since Marcus Haislip in 2002 when Ament, the former one-and-done five-star freshman wing for the Vols, was the No. 13 overall pick in the first round when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Haislip also was taken No. 13 by the Bucks.
Ament is the 13th first-round pick in Tennessee program history and the fifth under Rick Barnes. Dalton Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024, Grant Williams was the No. 22 overall pick to the Boston Celtics in 2019 and both Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer were first-round picks in 2021, with Johnson at No. 21 to the Los Angeles Clippers and Springer at No. 28 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Vols have had three players in program history picked in the top 10, but none since 1983.
Tennessee in the NBA Draft’s 1st Round
| Pick | Player | Draft Year | Team |
| No. 4 | Tom Boerwinkle | 1968 | Chicago Bulls |
| No. 7 | Bernard King | 1977 | New York Nets |
| No. 9 | Dale Ellis | 1983 | Dallas Mavericks |
| No. 11 | Ernie Grunfeld | 1977 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| No. 11 | Allan Houston | 1993 | Detroit Pistons |
| No. 13 | Marcus Haislip | 2002 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| No. 15 | Reggie Johnson | 1980 | San Antonio Spurs |
| No. 17 | Dalton Knecht | 2024 | LA Lakers |
| No. 19 | Tobias Harris | 2011 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| No. 21 | Keon Johnson | 2021 | LA Clippers |
| No. 22 | Grant Williams | 2019 | Boston Celtics |
| No. 28 | Jaden Springer | 2021 | Philadelphia 76ers |
Nate Ament was ranked as a top-10 prospect in the NBA Draft
Ament entered draft week ranked as both a top-10 prospect in the draft and a projected top-10 pick.
He moved up one spot in ESPN’s final NBA mock draft on Monday, going from No. 10 to the Milwaukee Bucks to No. 9 to the Dallas Mavericks. He was No. 9 overall on ESPN’s ranking of the best players available entering the draft.
“The Nets at No. 6 are seen as the high end,” Woo wrote, “but scenarios are also in play in which he falls into the second half of the lottery. Teams say he has been selective about scheduling workouts, declining to visit multiple teams in the top 10.
“The Mavericks and Bucks are two possible landing spots. If those teams go a different direction, he could slide.”
Nate Ament’s one-and-done season at Tennessee
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35 games during his lone season with the Vols. He started in all 35 games he played and averaged 29.7 minutes per game while shooting 39.9% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.
He was the No. 3 overall player in the 2025 class in the On3 recruiting rankings and was the No. 2 small forward in the country and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Virginia.
Ament is the highest-ranked prospect that Rick Barnes has added during his tenure at Tennessee and is believed to one of the highest-ranked recruits to sign with the Vols, alongside Tobias Harris and Allan Houston.
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