Tennessee

Tennessee U.S. Senate Democratic 2024 primary candidates and who’s running for Congress

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

Tennessee U.S. Senate Democratic 2024 primary candidates and who’s running for Congress

Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is running for a second term, and Democrats will have a primary on Aug. 1 to determine who faces her in November.

In East Tennessee congressional races, there are no primaries but the candidates are set and we interviewed them in preparation for the general election.

Below are the responses from the candidates who met with Knox News reporters and editors for an interview.

U.S. Senate

Republican

Marsha Blackburn, incumbent, 72, Republican, politician

Could not be reached.

Democrats

Marquita Bradshaw, 50, Democrat, community organizer

Could not be reached.

Gloria Johnson, 61, Democrat, retired educator

Why are you running? (from in-person interview)

Johnson is running for both the U.S. Senate and to retain her seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She’s eyeing Washington because she feels Tennessee’s current federal delegation isn’t serving working families, she told Knox News they’re not bringing legislation that makes life better for Tennesseans.

How would you approach representing the entire state? (from in-person interview)

Johnson said while she represents only parts of Knoxville, her votes matter across the whole state. She said she has experience working statewide because she often talks with Democrats in counties that don’t have Democratic representatives. As a candidate, she emphasized the importance of traveling to all counties in the state because different areas have different needs.

Civil Miller-Watkins, 58, Democrat, educator

Why are you running? (from in-person interview)

Miller-Watkins is running because she wants to be a voice for Tennessee’s rural communities. She said there isn’t a Tennessee senator speaking out for rural communities, which is important because agriculture is a big part of Tennessee’s identity. She said her experience on the Fayette County school board and working with federal funds there has introduced her to the federal government. She’s best suited to fight for families because she’s surrounded by family members in various stages of life.

You’re in a crowded Democratic primary. How do you edge out your opponents? (from in-person interview)

Miller-Watkins said her lived experiences will set her apart from her opponents. She’s lived all over the state so she’s familiar with the different needs of Tennessee’s unique regions. As a teacher, she said, she’s seen gun safety issues play out every day. Her experience as a mother have opened her eyes to imbalances in maternal healthcare for people of color. She said she’s appealing to people by letting them know one of her opponents is running two races and the other has run before and lost.

U.S. House of Representatives

District 2

Tim Burchett, incumbent, 59, Republican, politician

Declined to participate.

Jane George, 61, Democrat, business owner

What is the most important issue voters are talking to you about? (from in-person interview)

George said she’s running her campaign through the lens of women’s rights because issues across the spectrum affect women disproportionally. Because women in Tennessee are fed up with their representatives not supporting their rights. The distinction of “pro-abortion” and “anti-abortion” is a personal choice, she said, but she’ll always fight for women to make that decision on their own. She also hopes to raise women’s platform in the workforce and to establish a living, sustainable and equal wage for women in Tennessee.

You’re running in the general election against an incumbent who has enjoyed electoral success for decades. How will you sway voters who are so used to voting for him? (from in-person interview)

George said people, including Republicans, are unhappy with their current representation. She said there isn’t enough being done to help women in East Tennessee get the health care they need, and she’s the best option to fight for that care. She hopes to emphasize that improving women’s rights will help the nation’s economy. “More women are being admitted into universities than men, more women are graduating than men and more are admitted to graduate school than men,” she said. She wants to stop giving tax breaks to big corporations and help lower-income families.

District 3

Jack Allen, 73, Democrat, retired bank president

Why are you running? (from in-person interview)

Allen said he got in the race because he wants voters to have an option besides the incumbent. He said he’s been surrounded by strong women his entire life and wants to be a voice for women in health care and workplace conversations. Instead of current legislators bringing people together, he sees people being pulled apart. He also has accounting experience and knows the legislators are not being financially responsible.

How do you plan on representing constituents who you believe deserve stronger representation? (from in-person interview)

Allen touted his ability to surround himself with people who are experts in their fields. He knows he won’t be able to fix everything, but he wants to listen to people who know their craft to tackle one issue at a time. When it comes to aiding what he called a medical care desert in his district, Allen wants to bring medical professionals to the table and consider changing the country’s health care system. He knows people in congress are focused on getting reelected, which prevents them from having tough conversations that make a difference. He said he’s different because he doesn’t need a career in government, he just wants to change the status quo.

Chuck Fleischmann, incumbent, 61, Republican, attorney

What are you proud of from your time serving in the House? Why should voters elect you for another term? (from in-person interview)

Fleischmann has used his seven terms in office to move through leadership ranks. He’s the chair of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on the House Committee on Appropriations and serves on the defense subcommittee. Fleischmann’s district is home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, and he told Knox News the committee positions he’s worked for allow him to secure even more funding and attention for those assets. He also touted his ability to use earmarks to direct funding towards projects that help his district and his ability to assist the other Tennessee representatives and Gov. Bill Lee.

How do you address the growing dissatisfaction that so many voters have with the political system? (from in-person interview)

Fleischmann referenced his time witnessing fights between Republicans and Democrats over the U.S.-Mexico border. He said divisiveness is present in both bodies of Congress and the electorate has gotten more polarized, to the point where people can’t even have conversations. “I used to blame Congress for that, but it’s reflective of the bitter polarization we see with our constituents,” he said. He said polarization comes from low voter turnout and combatting that starts in the schools and with strong election integrity. He said he doesn’t care for the weighted voting system states like Maine and Alaska use.

Jean Howard-Hill, independent

Could not be reached.

Stephen “Scooter” King, independent

Could not be reached.

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Tennessee

Double rainbows spotted over Middle Tennessee — what causes them

Published

5 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Double rainbows spotted over Middle Tennessee — what causes them

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Isolated showers and storms over the next few days will make for more brilliant color displays across the sky.

Rainbow sightings are becoming more frequent.(Leslie Whited)

Rainbows have been very common across Middle Tennessee for several evenings now. With all the recent rain, conditions have been ideal for fabulous displays of brilliant colors. Some of you have even reported seeing double rainbows. WSMV4 viewer, Leslie Whited, captured the one above, early Tuesday evening, July 14th.

To find out how double rainbows form, let’s first examine how a single rainbow occurs.

Single rainbows form when the sun, positioned behind you, has its light refracted through raindrops ahead of you.

Rainbows form from refracted light.(wsmv)

Those raindrops bend sunlight as it passes into the drops. Then, some of that light reflects off the back of the drop and is bent one more time as it exits the drop. That entire process is called single reflection. Single reflection produces the primary or brightest rainbow.

Single reflection is what makes a rainbow.(wsmv)

Sometimes, some light reflects twice while in a raindrop before exiting. This is called double reflection. Double reflection produces a secondary rainbow. The order of colors within a secondary rainbow is a mirror image of the primary rainbow (i.e. the reverse). Secondary rainbows are not as bright as primary rainbows because less light is double reflected than is single reflected (i.e. some light is lost or attenuated every time light is reflected). Notice the fainter secondary rainbow in Leslie Whited’s double rainbow/storm picture at the top of this article.

The ideal time to see a rainbow is when the sun is relatively low in the sky (and has the best chance of being at your back). That translates to early morning or evening. Since in our current weather pattern, showers and storms are most numerous during the late afternoon and evening, that’s when you’ll have the best chance of seeing a rainbow through the rest of this week. If you’re very lucky, you might even see a double rainbow.

Happy sky watching!

For life-saving weather alerts, customized messages on conditions and forecasts, and videos detailing upcoming weather events, download the WSMV 4 First Alert Weather app for iPhone or Android. Have weather pictures or videos? Share them here.

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This Tennessee school system credits AI with improving student TCAP scores. Here’s how

Published

17 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

This Tennessee school system credits AI with improving student TCAP scores. Here’s how

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee school district is crediting an AI teaching assistant program with helping students improve their TCAP English Language Arts (ELA) scores.

Scott Langford, the director of schools for Sumner County, said in a press release that a preliminary report shows that education tech company CourseMojo has been helping maintain student engagement “at the most rigorous point of the lesson.”

“Students take ownership of their own learning while teachers can measure individual student progress in real-time,” Langford said. “Teachers benefit from the feedback to connect students to the standards included in each activity.”

Sumner County schools conducted a pilot test of CourseMojo for sixth graders in six schools during the 2024-2025 school year. After finding an average 8 percentage point increase on the TCAP ELA assessment for those students, they decided to expand the program’s use to all middle school grades last academic year.

While usage of Coursemojo varied across schools, a preliminary analysis of the district’s 2026 TCAP ELA assessment data showed that groups with an average of 25 or more Coursemojo activities per student improved ELA proficiency by an average of 3.7 percentage points. Groups with little or no use of the program saw -0.2 percentage points during those assessments, the district said.

Eighth-graders had the “strongest gains,” the district said, after “stagnant performance for the last several years.” According to the district, those students who had an average of 25 or more Coursemojo activities had an average increase of 8.7 percentage points in proficiency.

Dacia Toll, co-founder and co-CEO of Coursemjojo, said that the “technology alone doesn’t improve student outcomes,” but that the success depends on how educators implement tools.

“Sumner County Schools has been incredibly thoughtful about integrating Coursemojo while keeping rigorous curriculum and great teaching at the center,” Toll said. “We’re proud to partner with a district that’s so committed to their own learning and to helping every student succeed.”

While the district boasts improved proficiency with the AI tool, it also said that its preliminary findings compare outcomes among school-grade groups with different levels of implementation, “rather than against schools that did not use the platform.”

More analyses are expected to be done with the final TCAP data.

Even with the help of the AI tool, the district was not the top in the state for proficiency increase in its TCAP ELA scores, according to state data.

However, district TCAP results show that from 2024 to 2026, the percentage of middle school students not meeting expectations decreased from 54.7% to 51.9%. The number of students meeting or exceeding expectations increased from 45.3% in 2024 to 48.1% in 2026 for ELA.

While that is an improvement, it remains unclear the exact influence Coursemojo had on those scores. And overall, the results show that less than half of Sumner County middle schoolers are proficient in ELA — a result that echoes statewide.

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Tennessee

TN Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for July 13, 2026

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 13, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 13 drawing

05-25-36-40-48, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from July 13 drawing

06-07-24-29-51, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 13 drawing

Morning: 2-1-5, Wild: 0

Midday: 9-7-0, Wild: 7

Evening: 3-0-2, Wild: 0

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 13 drawing

Morning: 3-9-1-4, Wild: 1

Midday: 2-1-2-3, Wild: 2

Evening: 1-8-7-5, Wild: 9

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from July 13 drawing

13-17-20-22-31

Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Tennessee Cash numbers from July 13 drawing

10-26-29-32-34, Bonus: 04

Check Tennessee Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 13 drawing

01-17-31-39-43, Powerball: 22

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 13 drawing

19-36-38-43-48, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:

Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.

When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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