Tennessee Voter Guide: Key competitive state Senate races on Aug. 1

• The voter registration deadline was on July 2.
• Election day for the primaries and county general election is Thursday, Aug. 1.
• Early voting runs from July 12 through July 27.

School vouchers. Gun control. Third-grade reading. All are top issues before Tennessee voters head to the polls on Aug. 1 to cast ballots in primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and the state legislature.

In the state Senate, half of the 33 seats are up for a vote this year. In 2024, even-numbered districts face election for four-year terms and there are competitive Republican or Democratic primaries in nine districts. Independents will appear on the ballot in November. Here's what you need to know about the competitive primaries on the Aug. 1 ballot.

Tennessee state Senate District 2

Tennessee Senate District 2 is an open seat, vacated by retiring state Sen. Art Swann, R-Maryville. The district includes Blount, Monroe, Polk, and part of Bradley counties.

Republican Tom Hatcher is a Blount County native who served as Blount County Circuit Court Clerk for 30 years. He is a former Blount County Sheriff's Deputy. According to his campaign website, Hatcher's priorities, if elected, are protecting Tennesseans' Second Amendment rights, advocating for anti-abortion policies, and fiscal responsibility.

Republican John G. Pullias is businessman from Monroe County. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Pullias owns the Chilhowee Inn in Walland, Tennessee, long-term rental company Gray Mountain Properties, and a consulting business. According to his campaign website, Pullias supports ending the sales tax on groceries, and would advocate for local autonomy, and education policies that allow public money to follow each student.

Republican Bryan Richey, of Maryville, is a Navy veteran who has served in the Tennessee House of Representatives since 2022. During his term in the House, Richey supported legislation to prohibit local governments from enacting "red flag" laws to allow a judge to order a person's guns to be confiscated from them, and legislation to prohibit out-of-state travel with minors for the purposes of abortion or gender transition medical treatments without parental consent. Richey is a financial advisor for MetLife. According to his campaign website, Richey would advocate for school choice policies that allow parents to choose where their children attend school whether public, private, or home schools, and would oppose sales tax increases.

Democrat Patti Young is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Young is a retired Maryville City Schools teacher and owns and operates a small equestrian facility and summer camp in Blount County. Young's legislative priorities include expanding access to affordable health care, increasing public school funding, and reversing restrictions on abortion access in Tennessee.

Tennessee state Senate District 4

Tennessee Senate District 4 is currently held by Sen. Jon Lundberg. The district includes Hawkins and Sullivan counties in upper east Tennessee.

Republican Bobby Harshbarger is a pharmacist and small business owner from Sullivan County, and son of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger. He was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to serve on the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy. According to his campaign website, Harshbarger would oppose establishment of "red flag" laws in Tennessee (lawmakers passed a law prohibiting local governments from adopting such laws this year), prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports (the legislature passed a law requiring athletes to compete on teams that align with their sex at birth in 2022), and support anti-abortion and pro-Second amendment policies.

Incumbent Sen. Jon C. Lundberg, R-Bristol, is currently chair of the Senate Education Committee, and has served in the state legislature since 2006. He co-sponsored legislation to eliminate handgun carry permit requirements, and legislation to shield firearms manufacturers from liability. Last year, he championed Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to establish a statewide universal school voucher program to offer taxpayer-funded scholarships to all children, regardless of ZIP code or income, to attend a private school of their choice. Lundberg has also backed legislation banning medical and surgical gender transition treatments for minors, and sponsored the Human Life Protection Act in 2019, which triggered a total ban on all abortions in Tennessee following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in 2022.

Tennessee state Senate District 6

Tennessee Senate District 6 is currently held by Sen. Becky Duncan Massey. The district includes part of Knox County.

Republican Monica Irvine is a small business owner from Knoxville. If elected, she says she'll work to ensure public schools are "laser focused on teaching" and exposing students to career pathways, while keeping "sexuality out of the classroom." She would also oppose red flag laws on guns and tax increases.

Incumbent Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, has served in the state Senate since 2012, and is chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. She is the daughter of former U.S. Rep. John Duncan, and sister of former Congressman Jimmy Duncan, who between the two, represented the 2nd Congressional District from 1965 until 2008. Massey signed on as a cosponsor of Gov. Bill Lee's proposal for a statewide universal school voucher program in 2024. During her time in office, she has been an advocate for policies to support children and adults with disabilities, and children in foster care.

Democrat Dominica Bryan is a longtime investigator with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. In a news release announcing her candidacy, Bryan said if elected she would advocate for fully funding public schools, restoring access to abortion, expanding Medicaid and passing gun safety reforms.

Tennessee state Senate District 8

Tennessee Senate District 8 is currently held by Sen. Frank Niceley. The district includes Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Sevier, and Union Counties in East Tennessee.

Incumbent Sen. Frank S. Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, is a farmer and businessman who has represented the district since 2012, and previously served six terms in the state House of Representatives beginning in 1988. Niceley recently supported legislation to criminalize camping on public property, citing Adolf Hitler as an example of someone who worked his way out of homelessness. He opposed legislation to make cockfighting a felony, arguing that it is a cultural tradition that brings in tourist dollars from other states. He has sponsored legislation to cut regulations for Tennessee farmers, including a bills legalizing sales of raw butter by licensed dairies, and legalizing distribution of raw milk through herdshare agreements, and a bill to allow poultry farmers to process up to 20,000 birds per year on their farms.

Republican Jessie Seal, of Claiborne County, is a public relations director for a medical facility, and an officer in the Claiborne County Republican Party. According to his campaign website, Seal is seeking the Republican nomination because he feels Niceley has been complacent and unengaged, and he wants to provide better representation for the district. If elected, Seal says he would work to enact "strict laws" against "illegal invaders" crossing borders into Tennessee.

Democrat R. E. Ellison, of Seymour, is a retired computer science professional. According to her campaign website, she would work to protect social security and Medicare, increase minimum wage to $20 per hour, restore access to abortion, and advocate for new gun safety laws.

Tennessee state Senate District 10

Tennessee Senate District 10 is currently held by Sen. Todd Gardenhire. The district includes Bledsoe, Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie Counties in southeast Tennessee.

Incumbent Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, has represented the district since 2013 and is currently chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Gardenhire is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, Tennessee Right to Life, and the National Federation for Independent Businesses. While in office, Gardenhire has supported legislation to strengthen Tennessee's open records laws, and in 2015 was a key vote against then Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee health insurance expansion that would have provided coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans. He personally intervened in a lawsuit filed last year seeking release of the Covenant school shooter's writings, alongside other media outlets including The Tennessean seeking their release. Also this spring, Gardenhire sponsored legislation seeking to bar outside groups from intervening in public records lawsuits ― as the Covenant School and Covenant Presbyterian Church intervened in that suit.

Republican Ed LeCompte is a former Red Bank city commissioner and 40-year veteran city economic development official. According to his campaign website, if elected, LeCompte would support gun rights, investments in the state's infrastructure, and policies that promote energy independence.

Democrat Missy Crutchfield, of Chattanooga, is an activist and co-editor of Be Magazine. Crutchfield unsuccessfully ran for Hamilton County School Board earlier this year. She is the daughter of Ward Crutchfield, who previously held Gardenhire's seat. If elected, Crutchfield says she would work to restore abortion access and expand affordable health care options, oppose private school choice vouchers, support gun safety reforms, and advocate for criminal justice reforms that include reentry pathways for rehabilitated felons.

Tennessee state Senate District 12

Tennessee Senate District 12 is currently held by Sen. Ken Yager. The district includes Campbell, Clay, Fentress, Macon, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Roane, and Scott counties.

Republican Teena Hedrick is a retired nurse practitioner of 40 years born and raised in Roane County. According to her campaign website, Hedrick would support legislation that prevents tax dollars from going to fund food, lodging, health care, or phones for people in the United States unlawfully. She would also advocate for policies that require parental consent for any medical decision involving a child, and policies that fight censorship.

Incumbent Sen. Ken Yager,R-Kingston, 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. During his time in office, Yager has supported legislation creating a $1.9 billion franchise tax restructure and retroactive refund for businesses, and advocated for balanced budgets and fiscally conservative policies.

Democrat Curtis Kelly, of Clarkrange, is a student at Roane State Community College seeking an associate degree in Computer Science. According to his campaign website, Kelly would advocate for legalizing abortion access, legalizing cannabis and expunging nonviolent cannabis crimes, and expanding access to mental healthcare.

Tennessee state Senate District 18

Tennessee Senate District 18 is currently held by Sen. Ferrell Haile. The district includes Sumner and Trousdale Counties.

Incumbent Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, is seeking reelection for a fourth term. He has represented Senate District 18 since 2010, when he was appointed to represent the district following the resignation of former state Sen. Diane Black. Haile is a farmer and a pharmacist who serves as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate. He sponsored legislation to establish Tennessee's Safe Baby Courts, which seek to smooth transitions for adoptive families, supported legislation to ban medical and surgical gender transition surgeries for minors, and to prohibit transgender children from participating in sports that do not align with their biological sex. Haile supports expanding access to publicly funded private school vouchers.

Republican Chris Spencer is running as a "true constitutional conservative Republican." He has been endorsed by singer-songwriter John Rich, women's sports activist Riley Gaines, and Nashville auto magnate Lee Beaman. Spencer supports making the Bible the official state book of Tennessee, and pledges to support anti-abortion legislation, work with the Tennessee Firearms Association on gun policies, vet school curriculums of "leftist propaganda and inappropriate sexualization of our children," and support funding for better teachers and support staff pay.

Democrat Walter Chandler, of Hendersonville, 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.

Tennessee state Senate District 24

Tennessee Senate District 18 is currently held by Sen. John Stevens. The district includes Benton, Carrol, Gibson, Henry, Houston, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley counties in west Tennessee.

Republican Charles "Charlie" Cooper, is an Army veteran from Benton County. He is currently the budget administrator and public relations director for Benton County Government. He previously worked as a legislative assistant for former Rep. Bruce Griffey. According to his campaign website, Cooper will work to oppose private school vouchers, establish "true Constitutional carry" of firearms, and work to shrink the government and lower taxes.

Incumbent Sen. John D. Stevens, R-Huntingdon, is a lawyer from Huntingdon who has represented District 24 since 2012. While in office, Stevens has supported legislation to eliminate gift and inheritance taxes, cut sales tax on food, repeal the state's amusement tax on gym memberships, and phase out the professional privilege tax for most professions. Stevens has supported legislation to eliminate permit requirements for carrying legally owned handguns, supported legislation to establish the pilot Education Savings Accounts school choice program in Nashville and Shelby County, and supported bills to increase work-based learning and dual enrollment programs.

Tennessee state Senate District 30

Tennessee Senate District 30 is currently held by Sen. Sara Kyle. The district includes part of Shelby County.

Incumbent Sen. Sara P. Kyle, D-Memphis, is an attorney who has been in the Tennessee Senate since 2015. She previously served as director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. During her time in office, Kyle has been a vocal advocate for abortion access, opposing repeated efforts by the Republican supermajority to impose new restrictions on abortion. Kyle has also advocated for gun safety laws, and measures to protect victims of crime.

Democrat Erika Stotts Pearson, of Memphis, unsuccessfully ran for Congress in the 8th Congressional District against incumbent U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, R-Germantown. According to her campaign website, if elected, Pearson's priorities would include addressing the 35% child poverty rate in her district, by increasing access to quality education and expanding affordable healthcare for children, and implementing innovative crime prevention solutions to address Memphis crime.