A look back at Tennessee’s biggest political storyline this year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — So many large headlines and so many consequential tales in 2022. Among the many largest: one other shift in Tennessee’s political panorama. And all of it started with the rap of a gavel in January.

The 112th Basic Meeting of Tennessee lawmakers started in earnest in January with the Republican Supermajority able to flex their legislative muscle by re-drawing the state’s political map. It is a requirement each 10 years to theoretically to re-shape consultant boundaries to replicate a rising, shifting inhabitants.

“They take a look at the way in which these inhabitants facilities have modified and draw the strains accordingly. That is the way in which it occurs each 10 years,” mentioned Gov. Invoice Lee.

However politically, it is a chance — utilized by each events throughout the US — to realize voting benefits.

The proposed maps of Tennessee’s Congressional districts drew eyeballs on to Nashville — the place the fifth District, a longtime Democratic stronghold — morphed to incorporate a number of counties. The neighboring sixth and seventh Districts squeezed their manner into large chunks of Davidson County. Clearly, Republican leaders noticed an opportunity to dilute the fifth and switch it purple.

“It simply completely is senseless,” mentioned Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, mentioned.

“You realize three congressmen is best than one, that is our opinion,” Home Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, mentioned.

The writing on the maps led veteran Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper to see the writing on the wall, deciding to step down quite than run for a brand new time period — an uphill battle in a newly drawn district.

“My choice is 100% as a result of legislature’s gerrymandering. It is a unhappy day not for me, however for Nashville.”

Cooper’s choice triggered a cavalcade of candidates — speeding to prepare, fundraise, and enter the race. Amongst them: conservative Morgan Ortagus, a former State Division spokeswoman backed by former President Trump.

Within the weeks and months following, different Republicans joined the race, together with former Home Speaker Beth Harwell, retired Brigadier Basic Kurt Winstead and investor Baxter Lee. Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles jumped into the crowded discipline in March. Democratic activist Odessa Kelly, who thought of a major problem in opposition to Congressman Cooper, as a substitute shifted her focus to the seventh District to tackle incumbent Republican Mark Inexperienced.

Because the candidates started to prepare and fundraise, a shocker from the state Republican occasion occurred. On April 19, the GOP Govt Committee voted to take away three of the Republican candidates within the fifth District race: Ortagus, Lee, and Robby Starbuck, a music video producer who introduced his candidacy in 2021. At situation was whether or not the three met the necessities of being “bonafide” Tennessee Republicans, which features a constant voting historical past within the state. Authorized challenges to the choice fell quick.

That left three front-runners for the Republican nomination: Harwell, Winstead, and Ogles.

After a summer time crammed with assault advertisements from “outdoors” teams, the voters had their say within the Aug. 4 major.

Andy Ogles, the fiery conservative from Columbia, Tennessee, marched into the final election battle in opposition to Democratic challenger Heidi Campbell, a neighborhood state lawmaker.

Along with his preliminary select of the race, former President Trump endorsed Ogles, who spent the months earlier than November pitching his positions to a friendlier voters within the “new” fifth district. And by Election Day in November it turned clear: the brand new district designs would supply simply what state Republicans hoped: the colour “purple” shaded into one other of Tennessee’s 9 Congressional districts.

Ogles, together with incumbents John Rose and Mark Inexperienced within the sixth and seventh districts respectively, coasted to victory, leaving only one Democrat representing Tennessee in Congress: Steve Cohen within the ninth Congressional District.