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
Emerging data centers: New TN law to protect ratepayers goes into effect in July
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A new Tennessee law aimed at protecting utility customers from the growing energy demands of data centers will take effect in July.
The legislation comes as more than 60 data centers power artificial intelligence and other cyber operations across the state, with about one-third located in the greater Nashville area. As the race to build and power AI infrastructure accelerates nationwide and globally, Tennessee lawmakers say they’re working to ensure ratepayers are not saddled with the added costs of serving these massive facilities.
“We want to have data centers. But we want to put guardrails around that to protect our ratepayers,” said state Rep. Ed Butler, R-Rickman, during a legislative committee hearing in March.
Under the new law, data centers must pay for any new infrastructure required to support their operations, including substations and other power-related upgrades. Utilities are prohibited from passing those costs on to residential and business customers.
“In the rural areas they’re putting a lot of these. And we have had a lot of increased utility bills,” said state Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, during the same March committee hearing on the legislation.
Powers questioned if data centers could be contributing to ratepayer costs. That question wasn’t clearly answered. Regardless, legislators voted the measure through, and Gov. Bill Lee signed it into law to help prevent that from happening.
“If there was a substation that was needed to be put in to provide power for this data center, then the data center would pay for the substation,” Butler said during the hearing.
As communities across Tennessee consider proposals for new data centers, and new laws to regulate (or contain) them, some local leaders remain opposed to bringing the facilities to their areas.
“I don’t think they fit in Robertson County, and definitely not in my community,” said Cedar Hill Mayor John Edwards, who is proposing a two-year moratorium on data centers in his city.
Electric providers and utilities are also preparing for future demand. The Tennessee Valley Authority reports data centers currently account for about 18% of its industrial power load, a figure that’s predicted to potentially double by 2030.
The new law also allows utilities, including TVA, to establish a separate customer or rate class specifically for data centers, providing an additional safeguard against shifting costs to other customers.
As energy demand continues to surge, state lawmakers say the goal is to ensure Tennessee stays competitive, while families and businesses do not see higher electric bills because of data center expansion.
Data center advocates, meanwhile, say many facilities generate much of their own power on-site and use advanced cooling systems that require little or no water.
If TVA moves forward with creating a separate customer or rate class for data centers, FOX17 will continue to follow those developments.
Tennessee
ABC broadcast goes out during Tennessee softball vs Texas Tech in WCWS
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sometime during the top of the second inning of Tennessee softball’s matchup with Texas Tech, the ABC broadcast cut out due to technical difficulties.
According to the broadcast, a power outage at Devon Park was responsible for the technical difficulties. Viewers on ABC instead got to watch “Squeeze Play” with whip-around coverage of NCAA baseball regionals.
The broadcast didn’t return until the last out to end the third inning.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols (48-10) are playing No. 11 seed Texas Tech (58-7) on May 30 for a spot in the Women’s College World Series semifinals.
Viewers missed out on Karlyn Pickens sitting down the Red Raiders in order and then a fantastic diving catch by second baseman Emma Clarke in the third inning.
Tennessee also loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning, but Clarke popped up to the first baseman, who then collided with Clarke on the baseline in order to make the catch to end the inning.
A win would send Tennessee to its third WCWS semifinals appearance in the last four seasons. A loss would drop it into an elimination game against No. 8 seed UCLA on May 31 (7 p.m., ABC).
The Lady Vols will also face their former third baseman Taylor Pannell, who transferred to Texas Tech after a breakout season for Tennessee in 2025.
Tennessee upset No. 2 seed Texas, the reigning national champions, with a 6-3 win to open the WCWS on May 28.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
Tennessee
What channel is Tennessee softball vs Texas Tech on today? Time, TV schedule to watch WCWS game
Tennessee softball faces Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series winner’s bracket on May 30 at Oklahoma City.
The Lady Vols (48-10) outlasted Texas on May 28 to move on to the 1-0 game.
Texas Tech (58-7) shut out Mississippi State in the WCWS opener on May 28.
The winner is one win away from the championship series and gets another off day, while the loser plays an elimination game on May 31.
Here’s how you can watch Tennessee softball vs. Texas Tech:
Tennessee softball vs Texas Tech on on May 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City will be televised on ABC.
- Game time: 3 p.m. Eastern
- Date: Saturday, May 30
Thursday, May 28
- Game 1: Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0 (5)
- Game 2: Tennessee 6, Texas 3
- Game 3: Alabama 6, UCLA 3
- Game 4: Nebraska 5, Arkansas 3 (10)
Friday, May 29
- Game 5: Mississippi State vs. Texas, 7 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 6: UCLA vs. Arkansas, approx. 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Saturday, May 30
- Game 7: Texas Tech vs. Tennessee, 3 p.m. on ABC
- Game 8: Alabama vs. Nebraska, 7 p.m. on ESPN
Sunday, May 31
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 3 p.m. on ABC
- Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 7 p.m. on ESPN
Monday, June 1
- Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 12 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner (if necessary), approx. 2 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 13: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
- Game 14: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner (if necessary), approx. 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
WCWS Championship Series
Best-of-three series
- Game 1 (Wednesday, June 3): Game 12 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 8 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 2 (Thursday, June 4): 8 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 3 (Friday, June 5): 8 p.m. on ESPN (if necessary)
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