Tennessee

Tennessee state House sees no major party shifts after 2024 election

Published

1 year ago

November 6, 2024

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.

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Tennessee

US immigration authorities arrest Spanish-language news reporter in Tennessee

Published

1 hour ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

US immigration authorities arrest Spanish-language news reporter in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee but agents didn’t have a warrant, according to court documents filed by this week her lawyer.

Estefany Rodriguez Flores, a reporter for Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of ICE, was arrested Wednesday during a traffic stop and is being detained by ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, according to documents filed in federal court in Nashville. Her lawyers called for her immediate release.

Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S lawfully and has been living in the U.S. for the past five years, court records filed by her lawyer show. She has a valid work permit, and she has applied for political asylum and legal status though her husband, who is a U.S. citizen.

Rodriguez was with her husband in a marked Nashville Noticias vehicle when it was surrounded by several other vehicles and she was taken to a detention center, the news outlet said in a statement.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

ICE scheduled a meeting with Rodriguez on her case but it was rescheduled twice, first because the office was closed during a winter storm and the second time because an agent couldn’t find her appointment in the system, her lawyers said in court documents.

A new meeting was then set for March 17.

When she was arrested, Rodriguez was not shown any arrest warrant, only an immigration document telling her to appear before ICE. Her lawyer, Joel Coxander, has spoken to an ICE agent who indicated that there was no arrest warrant for her at the time of her arrest, her lawyer said in court documents.

Rodriguez joined Nashville Noticias in 2022, covering social, family, health, police and immigration issues, the news outlet’s statement said.

“She needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law,” the statement said.

Read the full statement:

“Official Statement from Nashville Noticias Regarding the Detention of Our Colleague Reporter Estefany Rodríguez by ICE Agents

On March 4, Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, was with her husband, Alejandro Medina III, outside the gym located at 2615 Murfreesboro Pike, when the vehicle they were traveling in (marked with the Nashville Noticias logo) was surrounded by several other vehicles. Several men got out and demanded that our colleague be taken into custody for reasons that the legal team will specify at a later date.

Estefany Rodríguez was taken to a detention center.

Estefany Rodríguez holds a degree in journalism from Colombia, her native country, where she has worked for several years at various news outlets. She joined the Nashville Noticias team in 2022, covering social, family, health, police, and immigration issues.

Nashville Noticias LLC expresses its respect for the laws of the United States and hopes that this situation will be resolved favorably for our colleague so that she can be released soon, as she needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law. Her legal team at MIRA Legal, as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC), are providing legal representation in the case and will have details on the progress and responses from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Federal Court.

Nashville Noticias will also be providing updates on its social media platforms and website, nashvillenoticias.com.

We trust in the justice system of the United States of America.

Respectfully,

Nashville Noticias LLC

March 5 2026″

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Tennessee

Lady Vols fall to Alabama in SEC Tournament for seventh loss in row

Published

13 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Lady Vols fall to Alabama in SEC Tournament for seventh loss in row

GREENVILLE, SC – Lady Vols basketball had an underwhelming showing against Alabama, and it led to a winless trip to the SEC Tournament.

No. 6 seed Tennessee (16-13) never led in the second-round matchup with No. 11 Alabama (23-9) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 5, and extended its losing streak to seven games with the 76-64 loss.

Janiah Barker led the Lady Vols with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting, five rebounds and a steal, but also had seven turnovers. Zee Spearman added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting with six rebounds, an assist and two blocks.

Talaysia Cooper, the team’s leading scorer, did not play in the game after 6:27 left in the third quarter. She had four points on 1-for-4 shooting with two assists, two steals and a rebound in 12 minutes.

The Lady Vols tied the game 12-12 in the first quarter, and by halftime they trailed by double digits – they never came back within single digits after halftime. Their defense didn’t show any improvement as they allowed Alabama to shoot 50% from the field and gave up 19 points off their 18 turnovers. Tennessee only scored 11 points off 13 forced turnovers.

The Lady Vols fell behind early when Alabama destroyed their press, passing through it for easy buckets to build a lead. When Tennessee stopped pressing, it still couldn’t get enough stops in the halfcourt. Alabama outscored UT 36-24 in the paint.

Freshman guard Deniya Prawl, who was listed as out on the SEC availability report, was not on the bench with the team.

Watch Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama

Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama: Live score updates

Tennessee got outscored 22-17 in the third and Alabama took a 61-46 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tide shot 55% from the field in the third.

Tennessee’s defense couldn’t get a stop on defense, and it wasn’t even pressing much anymore. Alabama went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-point lead before Zee Spearman hit a layup to cut it to 15, and Tennessee trailed 53-38 at the media timeout with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

Alabama outscored Tennessee 8-3 to open the third quarter, and after five straight points for the Tide that included a late closeout by Talaysia Cooper and a turnover on the inbound by Janiah Barker, Kim Caldwell called timeout with 8:47 left in the quarter.

Caldwell was not happy and yelled, “wake up!” as she walked onto the court to meet her team. Alabama led 47-32.

Tennessee’s defense got better in the second quarter, and it held Alabama to 14 points. However, its shotmaking did not improve and it committed eight turnovers. The Tide scored 12 points off Tennessee’s 12 turnovers.

The Lady Vols only scored 11 points in the second. Janiah Barker led the team with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting with two rebounds in the first half. Zee Spearman added seven points on 3-for-4 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a block.

The Lady Vols regrouped between quarters and outscored Alabama 5-2 in the first three minutes of the second. Nya Robertson hit a 3-pointer and Zee Spearman scored off an offensive rebound to cut Alabama’s lead to 27-23 with 6:47 left in the quarter.

Alabama passed through Tennessee’s press with ease and immediately retook the lead. The Lady Vols weren’t hitting shots and couldn’t get a stop defensively, either. The Tide shot 55% from the field and scored 18 points in the paint.

Alabama also scored seven points off of Tennessee’s four turnovers and outrebounded UT 11-8.

Alabama jumped out to a 12-7 lead, but then Zee Spearman scored five straight points to tie the game 12-12. Then Tennessee was two seconds away from trapping the Tide in the backcourt before Kristy Curry had to call timeout with 3:44 left in the first quarter.

Janiah Barker also had five early points for the Lady Vols.

Deniya Prawl out on SEC injury report

Freshman Deniya Prawl was listed as out on the SEC student-athlete availability report on March 4.

The 6-foot-2 guard has been a solid piece of the rotation for Tennessee this season. Prawl has averaged 3.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and a steal in 15.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.4% from the field.

When does Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama start?

Date: Thursday, March 5
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina

What TV channel is Lady Vols vs. Alabama on today?

Lady Vols basketball 2025-26 schedule, TV times

Nov. 4: NC State 80, Tennessee 77
Nov. 7: Tennessee 97, ETSU 47
Nov. 9: Tennessee 72, UT Martin 61
Nov. 13: Tennessee 68, Belmont 58
Nov. 20: Tennessee 85, MTSU 41
Nov. 23: Tennessee 88, Coppin State 35
Nov. 30: UCLA 99, Tennessee 77
Dec. 3: Tennessee 65, Stanford 62
Dec. 14: Tennessee 112, Winthrop 40
Dec. 20: Louisville 89, Tennessee 65
Dec. 22: Tennessee 89, Southern Indiana 44
Jan. 1: Tennessee 76, Florida 65
Jan. 4: Tennessee 73, Auburn 56
Jan. 8: Tennessee 90, Mississippi State 80
Jan. 11: Tennessee 85, Arkansas 50
Jan. 18: Tennessee 70, Alabama 59
Jan. 22: Tennessee 60, Kentucky 58
Jan. 29: Mississippi State 77, Tennessee 62
Feb. 1: UConn 96, Tennessee 66
Feb. 5: Tennessee 82, Georgia 77
Feb. 8: South Carolina 93, Tennessee 50
Feb. 12: Tennessee 98, Missouri 53
Feb. 15: Texas 65, Tennessee 63
Feb. 17: Ole Miss 94, Tennessee 81
Feb. 19: Texas A&M 82, Tennessee 74
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 100, Tennessee 93
Feb. 26: LSU 89, Tennessee 73
March 1: Vanderbilt 87, Tennessee 77

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: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers

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Tennessee

How much have Tennessee gas prices risen amid war in Iran?

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

How much have Tennessee gas prices risen amid war in Iran?

Gas prices on March 5 have gone up 27 cents in both the U.S., and in Tennessee compared to one week ago, which likely relates to the war in Iran, according to AAA – The Auto Club Group.

The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.25. Tennessee’s average on March 5 is $2.84, according to AAA.

The last time the national average made a similar weekly jump was back in March of 2022 during the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, AAA said.

“Oil prices are rising largely due to growing instability in a region that is essential to global energy markets,” AAA spokesperson Megan Cooper said. “Although the U.S. does not import oil from Iran, the country remains a major producer, supplying nations such as China and India. Any potential disruption to Iranian oil infrastructure can influence global supply expectations.”

Middle Tennessee county averages include:

Davidson County: $2.90
Williamson County: $3.12
Rutherford County: $2.87
Wilson County: $2.88
Sumner County: $2.89
Robertson County: $2.90
Cheatham County: $2.92
Maury County: $2.85.

Crude oil pricing correlates to about 60% of what consumers pay at the pump, Cooper said. Recent global tensions tied to the conflict with Iran are adding upward pressure on crude oil prices, according to AAA.

Also, the Strait of Hormuz is a critical connection for the Persian Gulf to open waters as a shipping lane for crude oil. Because oil is traded globally, a shortfall in one region can impact prices throughout the world.

Tennessee and the southeast portion of the U.S. consistently rank among the least expensive markets for fuel. Proximity to refineries and pipeline infrastructure are major reasons for less expensive gas, according to AAA.

Tennessee is currently the fourth least expensive market in the U.S. for gas. The last time Tennessee’s average was over $3 per gallon for regular unleaded gas was August 2024.

Refineries are also starting the process of producing summer-blend gasoline. which contains additives to help reduce evaporation during warmer months and adds to the cost. Gas demand generally increases with the spring break season and the expectation of more road trips.

Disclaimer: This story was created by reporter Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing.

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