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Tennessee Senate election: Voucher sponsor falls and other results

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.



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What went wrong for Tennessee basketball in loss to Kansas in Las Vegas

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What went wrong for Tennessee basketball in loss to Kansas in Las Vegas


LAS VEGAS – Tennessee basketball squandered a chance to finish 3-0 at the Players Era Festival and remain undefeated.

The No. 16 Vols (7-1) went away from what built their 12-point lead early in the second half, and Kansas (6-2) stormed back to win 81-76 in the third-place game at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 26.

Here’s what went wrong for Tennessee in its first loss of the season.

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Tennessee settled for too many 3-pointers

Tennessee shot 28% on 25 attempts from 3-point range, and it settled for too many shots behind the arc in the second half.

The Vols shot 5-for-13 on 3-pointers in the first half, which wasn’t a bad mark considering Ja’Kobi Gillespie went an uncharacteristic 0-for-3 before halftime. But then they shot 2-for-12 in the second half, and they didn’t score at the rim enough.

“I told our post guys when they’re out there shooting jump shots, I’m sure (Kansas coach) Bill (Self) and his staff were sitting on the bench saying, good let them do it. Let him. We don’t want them in there,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “That goes back to where we didn’t follow the things we talked about and what we need guys to do.”

Barnes didn’t think all the 3-pointers were necessarily bad shots, but there were times they needed to drive the ball and get to the foul line when they were in the double bonus. Barnes believed the 22 free throw attempts would have been even with Kansas’ 30 if the Vols had tried to drive the ball more.

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Vols let offensive struggles dictate defense in second half

Tennessee’s 12-point lead started to crumble when the Vols let their offensive struggles dictate their defense.

Kansas started chipping away when it grabbed two offensive rebounds on the same possession and hit a 3-pointer. Then Felix Okpara missed a jumper and Jaylen Carey sent Kansas to the free-throw line. Nate Ament then missed shots on two straight possessions and UT gave up a transition 3-pointer.

Then the Vols started fouling and gave up three and-one plays in an almost three-minute span. Tennessee missed another jumper shortly after and gave up three straight layups to Kansas for a 6-0 run to take a 68-64 lead.

“Second half, I thought they out-competed us when it counted,” Barnes said. “And that’s the hardest thing to take when they’re doing things that we could have done.”

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Tennessee needs more from its starting frontcourt

Barnes wasn’t happy with the fact that Okpara and Cade Phillips didn’t have a single offensive rebound between them. The two starters in the frontcourt only combined for five rebounds total in a game that Tennessee got outrebounded 37-36.

The pair combined for 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting, and Okpara went 3-for-4 on free throws.

Barnes said the Vols can’t put everything on Gillespie, who shot 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. Gillespie had a heavy load over three days, averaging 34.3 minutes, and he had some great looks that just didn’t fall.

“You look at the stat sheet, too many guys that honestly didn’t do the things that they need to do to help us win,” Barnes said.

Carey was a bright spot in Tennessee’s frontcourt with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. But Barnes believes he can be even better after shooting 3-for-6 on free throws.

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“The guys that want to learn from this will do it,” Barnes said. “And they’ll get better and move forward, but it’s not going to get any easier, which is the way it should be.”

Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalllBluesky: @corahall.bsky.social‬. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe





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First Alert Forecast: Much colder air returning to Middle Tennessee

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First Alert Forecast: Much colder air returning to Middle Tennessee


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Be ready to bundle up the next few days.

NEXT 24 HOURS

A mild start to our Wednesday, with many of us in the 50s, and no major weather issues as we head out the door early today.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny and breezy with temperatures in the mid-50s and winds gusting over 20 mph at times.

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Tonight will be much colder, with temperatures dropping into the 30s.

Full weather forecast for Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky with meteorologist Stefano DiPietro.

TODAY’S FORECAST

MORNING – Mild and breezy. Temperatures in the 50s.

AFTERNOON – Staying breezy with winds gusting as high as 25 mph. Mostly sunny. Temperatures in the mid-50s.

EVENING – Partly cloudy. Getting colder quickly. Lows in the 30s.

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THANKSGIVING FORECAST

MORNING – Cold start. Partly cloudy. Temperatures in the 30s.

AFTERNOON – Very chilly and breezy. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Wind gusts near 20 mph.

EVENING – Mostly clear. Even colder. Lows in the 20s.

FRIDAY’S FORECAST

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MORNING – Frigid and frosty start. Temperatures in the 20s.

AFTERNOON – Staying chilly and mostly sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 40s.

EVENING – Mostly clear, staying cold. Lows in the 30s.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

Clouds increase on Saturday, but we’ll stay dry with temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Showers and even some rumbles of thunder move in Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

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As of now, we do not expect severe weather. Rain will taper off by Sunday afternoon with highs staying in the 50s.

NEXT WEEK

Dry and chilly on Monday under a partly sunny sky with highs in the mid to upper 40s.

We’re closely monitoring a storm system for next week that will bring rain, and potentially even some wintry weather to parts of the Midstate.

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Tennessee Football Wide Receivers Make History Against Florida

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Tennessee Football Wide Receivers Make History Against Florida


The Tennessee Volunteers played on the road during one of the toughest atmospheres that they will ever see, as it is quite the task to go into The Swamp and compete with not only the Florida Gators, but the hostile environment that comes with it. That is exactly what the Tennessee Volunteers did, which is something they expected to do, but made official.

The Tennessee Volunteers have been haunted by a lasting streak of losses in Gainesville that dates back to 2003. That came to an end on Saturday, as the Vols defeated the Gators under a dominant performance in the first half that seemed to mellow out a bit in the second half. The Vols walked away with a 31-11 victory in what would go down as one of the better performances that the Vols have had in recent memory when it comes to a road game.

Kelsey Pop

Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope during the first day of Tennessee football practice at Anderson Training Facility in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022.

Kns Tennessee Football Practice / Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

While fans had a chance to celebrate this win, many have yet to realize that the Tennessee Vols made some history at a certain position group. The Vols made history for the first time in their program, as they eclipsed 700 receiving yards with three receivers. This is the first time that this has ever been done.

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The leading receiver for the Vols this season is Chris Brazzell. Brazzell has 926 yards on the season at this point. He also has 8 touchdowns to show at this point in the season. He is an outside receiver who has tortured some defenses this year, which has led to him being the primary focus of any defensive coordinator’s plans and scheme. Brazzell is a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.

Another receiver who has 700 yards at this point is Braylon Staley. Staley is currently at 771 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Vols have been getting him the ball more and more, as he is the slot receiver, who has been utilized very well in this later part of the season.

The last receiver to eclipse 700 yards is Mike Matthews. Matthews is currently at 712 yards and 4 touchdowns. Sure, he is having the lesser of the seasons at this point, but at any chance he can turn it on, which is something he has shown all season long.

There are two more games left for the Vols, but one left in the regular season. If a guy like Chris Brazzell opts to leave for the Draft, he may opt out of the bowl game (just an educated guess), but guys like Matthews and Staley could very well play in both, as both guys are set to return to college next year due to eligibility issues. Neither is eligible to leave college for the draft.



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