Tennessee
Tennessee Senate election: Voucher sponsor falls and other results

It was a big night in Tennessee state Senate races for state-funded school vouchers, as two anti-voucher lawmakers were defeated in Republican primaries. But in what could become a critical loss, incumbent Senate Education Chairman Jon Lundberg ― who sponsored Gov. Bill Lee’s voucher legislation this year ― was defeated by Donald Trump-endorsed anti-voucher candidate Bobby Harshbarger.
As the primaries unfolded, several races for Tennessee state Senate became referendums on the issue of state-funded private school vouchers, with out-of-state groups pouring millions into key state legislative races.
Longtime incumbent Frank Niceley was ousted following an aggressive ad blitz from pro-voucher PAC School Freedom Fund, which attacked Niceley as “liberal with our money.” The same PAC bought ads attacking Rep. Bryan Richey, who sought an open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Art Swann. Pro-voucher candidate Tom Hatcher won that primary.
But despite nearly $200,000 spent by outside groups to support Lundberg in his hotly contested race against Harshbarger, a pharmacist from Kingsport who is son of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Trump endorsement, and support from a PAC that shares a treasurer with his mother’s congressional campaign, pushed Harshbarger to the finish line. He opposes vouchers.
Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Ferrell Haile successfully defended his seat in a challenge from the right from Chris Spencer, who accused Haile of being “anti-child.”
Here’s a look at the other competitive state Senate primaries in Thursday’s election.
Tennessee state Senate District 4
In one of the most closely watched state Senate races this year in District 4, incumbent Sen. Jon Lundberg fell behind Thursday evening and was defeated by challenger Bobby Harshbarger in the Republican primary. Harshbarger was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Lundberg was chair of the Senate Education Committee and had served in the legislature since 2006. He was the sponsor of Gov. Bill Lee’s statewide universal school voucher program this year and a vocal advocate for school choice policies.
Harshbarger is the son of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Kingsport, and a pharmacist and small business owner from Sullivan County. Harshbarger earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump shortly before an assassination attempt last month. Harshbarger is the subject of a complaint with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance alleging coordination with political action committee East Tennessee Conservatives PAC, which sent text messages attacking Lundberg. The PAC shares a treasurer with Congresswoman Harshbarger’s campaign.
The district includes Hawkins and Sullivan counties in upper East Tennessee.
Tennessee state Senate District 18
Tennessee Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, fended off a primary challenge from the right in Republican Chris Spencer, who racked up endorsements as a “true constitutional conservative Republican.” Haile comfortably defeated Spencer on Thursday.
Haile raised a hefty war chest to fund his re-election bid and defend against Spencer, who earned endorsements from singer-songwriter John Rich, women’s sports activist Riley Gaines and Nashville auto magnate Lee Beaman. Spencer pledged to support anti-abortion legislation, work with the Tennessee Firearms Association on gun policies, vet school curriculums for “leftist propaganda and inappropriate sexualization of our children,” and support funding for better teacher and support staff pay.
Facing Spencer’s accusations of being “anti-child,” Haile pointed to his record sponsoring legislation to establish Tennessee’s Safe Baby Courts, which seek to smooth transitions for adoptive families, and supporting legislation to ban medical and surgical gender transition for minors, and to prohibit transgender children from participating in sports that do not align with their gender assigned at birth. Haile supports expanding access to publicly funded private school vouchers.
Haile will face Democrat Walter Chandler, of Hendersonville, in November. Chandler is an aerospace engineer with experience at Belcan and Boeing. His legislative priorities include expanding Medicaid, gun reform, expanding pre-K and opposing private school vouchers.
The district includes Sumner and Trousdale counties.
Tennessee state Senate District 2
In a race that became a referendum on state-funded school vouchers, pro-voucher candidate Tom Hatcher won the open Republican primary for state Senate District 2, defeating state Rep. Bryan Richey and businessman John Pullias.
Richey, a Navy veteran who has served in the Tennessee House of Representatives, succumbed to an onslaught of hundreds of thousands of dollars in opposing ads bought by the School Freedom Fund, which criticized him as a “soft on crime liberal.” The PAC is affiliated with the Club for Growth and poured $3.6 million into five Tennessee legislative races attacking candidates who oppose publicly funded school voucher programs.
Hatcher is a Blount County native who served as Blount County Circuit Court Clerk for 30 years. He was also previously a Blount County Sheriff’s Deputy. He now faces Democrat Patti Young, a retired Maryville City Schools teacher who operates a small equestrian facility and summer camp in Blount County.
The district includes Blount, Monroe, Polk and part of Bradley counties in East Tennessee. The seat is open following the retirement of state Sen. Art Swann, R-Maryville.
Tennessee state Senate District 6
Incumbent Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, defeated a challenge from the right by Monica Irvine in the Republican primary for Senate District 6.
Massey, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, will now face Democrat Dominica Bryan in the November general election. Massey cosponsored Lee’s school voucher proposal this year. Bryan is a longtime investigator with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
The district includes part of Knox County.
Tennessee state Senate District 8
In another race that turned into a referendum on state-funded school vouchers, longtime incumbent Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, was ousted in an expensive race for state Senate District 8 by Republican challenger Jessie Seal.
Niceley is a farmer and businessman who has represented the district since 2012 and previously served six terms in the state House of Representatives. Niceley was another target in the School Freedom Fund’s negative ad blitz, attacked for opposing publicly funded school voucher programs.
Seal, of Claiborne County, is a public relations director for a medical facility and an officer in the Claiborne County Republican Party.
Seal now faces Democrat R.E. Ellison in the November election. Ellison, a retired computer science professional, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The district includes Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Sevier and Union counties in East Tennessee.
Tennessee state Senate District 10
Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, handily fended off a primary challenge from former Red Bank city commissioner Ed LeCompte. Gardenhire has represented the district since 2013 and is currently chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Gardenhire will now face Democrat Missy Crutchfield of Chattanooga in the November election. Crutchfield, an activist and co-editor of Be Magazine, unsuccessfully ran for Hamilton County School Board earlier this year. She is the daughter of Ward Crutchfield, who previously held Gardenhire’s seat.
The district includes includes Bledsoe, Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie counties in Southeast Tennessee.
Tennessee state Senate District 12
Incumbent Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, won the Republican primary in Senate District 12, defeating Teena Hedrick, a retired nurse practitioner from Roane County. Yager is chair of the Senate Republican Caucus and has represented the district since 2006. Yager was a teacher in Harriman City Schools and later served as county attorney and county executive.
Yager now faces Democrat Curtis Kelly of Clarkrange in the November election. Kelly, a student at Roane State Community College, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The district includes includes Campbell, Clay, Fentress, Macon, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Roane and Scott counties.
Tennessee state Senate District 24
Incumbent Sen. John D. Stevens, R-Huntingdon, won the Republican primary in Senate District 24, defeating Charlies “Charlie” Cooper, an Army veteran who is the budget administrator and public relations director for Benton County government.
Stevens is a lawyer from Huntingdon who has represented District 24 since 2012.
The district includes Benton, Carrol, Gibson, Henry, Houston, Obion, Stewart and Weakley counties in Middle and West Tennessee.
Tennessee state Senate District 30
Incumbent Sen. Sara P. Kyle, D-Memphis, won the Democratic primary in Senate District 30, defeating Erika Stotts Pearson of Memphis. Kyle is an attorney who has been in the Tennessee Senate since 2015. She previously served as director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.
The district includes part of Shelby County.

Tennessee
West Tennessee man sentenced to 20 years for enticement of a minor – WBBJ TV

West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of a Minor
Jackson, TN – Garrett Baughman, 19, of Wildersville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from a thirteen-year-old child. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
📸: TBI Sex Offender Registry
Baughman was charged with one count of production of child pornography; one count of use of a facility and means of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice a minor to engage in sexual criminal acts; and one count of receipt of child pornography. Following his guilty plea to the enticement of a minor charge, United States Senior District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Baughman to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Additionally, Baughman must comply with the conditions of the Sexual Offender Registry upon his release.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville-Jackson Resident Agency Child Exploitation Task Force and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Parish prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Tennessee
TN Lottery player wins $510,000 Daily Tennessee Jackpot in Savannah – WBBJ TV

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE TENNESSEE LOTTERY:
$760,000 TENNESSEE CASH WINNER IN SNEEDVILLE, $510,000 DAILY TENNESSEE JACKPOT WINNER IN SAVANNAH
SNEEDVILLE/SAVANNAH – What a night! Two popular Tennessee Lottery in-state games saw jackpot winners last night: One player in Sneedville scored a $760,000 Tennessee Cash win, while another player in Savannah won the Daily Tennessee Jackpot top prize of $510,000.
The Tennessee Cash winning $760,000 ticket was sold at Fastop Market, 127 Tazewell Hwy. in Sneedville.
The Daily Tennessee Jackpot winning $510,000 ticket was sold at Pit Stop, 795 Clifton Road in Savannah.
No additional information is available until the prizes are claimed.
The Lottery reminds players to have fun and play responsibly.
About the Tennessee Education Lottery
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation operates from the revenue it generates through the sale of its products. Since January 20, 2004, the Lottery has raised more than $8 billion to fund designated education programs, including college grants, scholarships, and K-12 after-school programs. In addition to the educational beneficiaries, players have won more than $21.7 billion in prizes and Lottery retailers have earned more than $2 billion in commissions.
For additional information, visit tnlottery.com and follow the TEL on Facebook, X & Instagram.
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Tennessee
AP College Football Rankings: Georgia Bulldogs Ranking Following Win Over Tennessee

The Associated Press has released a new batch of college football rankings following week three of the 2025 college football season.
Week three of the 2025 college football season is in the books as teams all across the country turn their attention to week four. With another exciting week of college football now complete, the Associated Press has released another batch of college football rankings.
Multiple exciting games took place over the weekend and resulted in some massive upsets. Multiple teams inside the top-15 were upset, as 12th-ranked Clemson was defeated by Georgia Tech, 11th-ranked South Carolina was handled by Vanderbilt, and eighth-ranked Notre Dame suffered a shocking loss to Texas A&M at home.
The Georgia Bulldogs were another team to play in an exciting matchup, as they won an overtime thriller against the 15th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on the road. The victory was the Bulldogs’ ninth consecutive win over the Vols and their fifth straight in Neyland Stadium.
The Bulldogs will be off for week four as they partake in their first bye week of the 2025 season. The Dawgs will return to action on Saturday, September 27th, when they host the Alabama Crimson Tide in Athens. It will be the first meeting between these two teams in Sanford Stadium since 2015.
Editor’s note**: This article will be updated as the rankings are released
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