Many key lawmakers face opposition in 2004 elections
All members of the state’s congressional delegation and many key state lawmakers will face opposition in the 2004 elections, according to state election officials.
The state’s filing deadline passed on Thursday, and about one-third of incumbent state legislators were assured of new terms in office because they have no primary or general election opponents.
But some of the General Assembly’s most prominent politicians, including Lt. Gov. John Wilder, House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, Senate Speaker Pro Tem JoAnn Graves, Senate Democratic Caucus leader Joe Haynes and Senate GOP Caucus leader Ron Ramsey, will face opposition.
State Election Coordinator Brook Thompson said the qualifying petitions are still unofficial until the signatures can be verified, and candidates can withdraw until noon on April 8.
“It seems like we had a few more petitions, especially at the congressional level,” Thompson said Friday in Nashville. “It’s hard to tell where we are on that because some candidates who turned in petitions have no intention of campaigning.”
Thompson said the majority of petitions should be verified next week.
The most serious congressional challenge likely will come in the sprawling 4th District, where incumbent Lincoln Davis, a Democrat from Pall Mall, will again face opposition from Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma. In 2002, Bowling received more than 45 percent of the vote in losing to Davis. Davis received 52 percent of the vote to return control of the redrawn, rural 24-county district to Democrats.
Also filing to run in the 4th District are two Republicans, one Democrat and an independent.
In the state Senate, Republicans need to gain just two seats to have control of the 33-member chamber and 11 of the 16 seats are up for re-election this year are held by Democrats.
Eight of those Democratic seats will be opposed. Wilder, speaker of the Senate, likely faces Ron Stallings, a Bolivar Republican who is son of former state Rep. Rob Stallings. Haynes faces only a primary candidate, while Graves will likely face State Rep. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, after the Aug. 5 primary.
Of the five contested Republican seats, Ramsey of Blountville will likely face John McKamey, a Piney Flats Democrat and Sullivan County Executive from 1990-1994.
In the state House, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 54-45, all seats are up for re-election this year.
Naifeh will battle Republican Jesse Cannon, a physician from Tiptonville who has already begun actively campaigning.
All Democratic incumbents in the House are seeking re-election, while eight Republican incumbents are not seeking re-election. There is a Democrat running in each of those contests.
Republicans filed as candidates in 26 of the 54 districts now held by Democrats, leaving 28 districts without a GOP candidate in November. Democrats filed as candidates in 24 of the 45 districts now held by Republicans, leaving 21 Republican districts without a Democratic candidate in November.
State Democratic Chairman Randy Button says Gov. Phil Bredesen’s approval rating — 72 percent in a recent poll — will be a plus for party candidates in legislative races. Republican Chairman Beth Harwell said she expects President Bush to be a boost for her party’s candidates.
“We certainly believe George Bush is going to run strong in Tennessee and pull people to the polls,” she said. “He is on the ballot, and Phil Bredesen is not on the ballot.”
The state primary is Aug. 5 and the general election is Nov. 2.