Early Voting Begins in Davidson County for Key Races
Starting from Friday, residents of Davidson County can head to the polls for early voting in the county general election, along with the state and federal primaries. These elections are scheduled for Aug. 1. The polling locations will open from 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday until July 27.
US Senate Race
In the contest for the U.S. Senate seat, Sen. Marsha Blackburn has a challenger from her own party, Tres Wittum. For the Democratic nomination, Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown, Civil Miller-Watkins, and state Rep. Gloria Johnson from Knoxville are on the ballot.
5th Congressional District
In the 5th Congressional District race, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles seeks reelection with a primary challenge from Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston. Activist and nonprofit founder of Rise and Shine Tennessee, Maryam Abolfazli is the lone Democrat running in the primary.
Hopes for Reelection
U.S. Reps. John Rose and Mark Green are running in their respective districts without any Republican challengers. Rose’s 6th District has three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination: Lore Bergman, Clay Faircloth, and Cyril Focht. In the 7th District, Green is expected to face off against former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry in the general election. Barry is the only candidate in the Democratic primary for this seat.
Tennessee’s District 20 Senate Race
Tennessee’s District 20 Senate position, currently held by Sen. Heidi Campbell, who faces no opposition as a Democrat, is also up for grabs. Wyatt Rampy is running for the Republican nomination.
State’s House of Representatives Election
The Tennessee House of Representative districts including parts of Davidson County that are up for election are 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, and 60. With foreseen competition across these districts, District 60 is the particular contest to pay attention to. After former Rep. Darren Jernigan switched to a role in Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration, the field has become open in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.
A Glance at Other Contest
In another contest, Metro Councilmember Jennifer Frensley Webb is running in District 50’s Republican primary. The seat is now occupied by Bo Mitchell, an unopposed Democrat in that primary. District 51, held by Democrat Aftyn Behn, will also see her running unopposed in either primary. The same goes for District 54 Rep. Vincent Dixie, District 55 Rep. John Ray Clemmons, District 58 Rep. Harold Love Jr., and District 59 Rep. Caleb Hemmer.
Other Major Contests
Notably, Rep. Justin Jones is seeking reelection for his seat in District 52 with no opposition in the Democratic primary. Laura Nelson is running for the Republican nomination. Similar electoral dynamics are also prevalent in District 53, where Rep. Jason Powell is aiming for the Democratic nomination and is likely to face, in the general election, Yog Nepal, the only contender for the Republican nomination.
Post the Primary
After the March primary, most of the county’s general election outcome is almost predictable as many candidates are running unopposed. Stephanie Williams, the Democratic nominee, is unchallenged for the 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Division IV seat. The current assessor of property, Vivian Wilhoite, is the Democratic nominee with no opposition. Board seats for Metro Nashville Public Schools in Districts 3, 5, 7, and 9 are all single-candidate races as well.
Oak Hill Municipal Election
Oak Hill is also conducting its municipal election for two city commissioners. Only two candidates are running: David DeMarco and Winston Evans.
