One incumbent loses, two close races come down to the wire in Tennessee state House primary

The Tennessee House of Representatives on the first day of the 2024 legislative session. (Photo: John Partipilo)

(Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional data as final voting numbers became available.)

A longtime gun control advocate seeking a Tennessee House seat in Nashville advanced in Thursday’s primary elections while an Oak Ridge Republican incumbent lost his seat and two Republican races remained too close to call.

In Franklin, the Gov. Bill Lee-backed and pro-school voucher candidate held a 95 vote lead, and the chairwoman of the state House finance committee trailed in Chattanooga by 137 votes.

Reeves narrowly tops Beathard in Franklin

Lee Reeves narrowly won a three-person Republican primary for District 65.

The seat, which covers Fairview, southern Franklin and part of Thompson’s Station in Williamson County, has been held by Republican Rep. Sam Whitson since 2016.

Reeves, a school voucher advocate who received an endorsement from Lee, had 3,141 votes to Williamson County Commission Chair Brian Beathard’s 3,046. Former Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee member Michelle Foreman trailed in a distant third.

Whitson did not support school vouchers and after his retirement Lee and pro-school voucher groups targeted the seat as a potential flip. Voucher groups independently spent nearly $970,000 supporting Reeves’ candidacy as of July 30. Reeves, who holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and practices real estate law, explicitly states on his campaign website that he supports “education freedom scholarships” in Tennessee.

The winner will face Democratic candidate LaRhonda Williams in November.

Renau beats Hazlewood in District 27 outside Chattagnooga

Small business owner Michele Reneau narrowly beat District 27 incumbent Patsy Hazlewood by 137 votes.

Hazlewood has represented the narrow district running through a portion of Chattanooga, Signal Mountain and Soddy-Daisy since 2014. She entered the race with nearly $456,000 already in her campaign account and reported bringing in an additional $189,000 in 2024. She also received $6,000 in “in-kind” contributions for media and messaging from House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s political action committee, according to her most recent campaign finance disclosure.

Reneau began fundraising in 2023 and reported raising a total of almost $76,000 as well as a few thousand dollars in in-kind contributions from multiple individuals. She was endorsed by Tennessee Right to Life and the Tennessee Firearms Association.

The winner will face Democratic challenger Kathy Lennon, a former Hamilton County Board of Education member, in the general election.

Lennon has raised around $34,000 in 2024, so far.

Brooks bests Brasher in District 60 race

Shaundelle Brooks is one step closer to trading her seat in the Tennessee legislature’s gallery for a House Representative title of her own.

Brooks and Tyler Brasher — both first-time candidates touting years of civic engagement — faced off in the Democratic primary for a Nashville seat recently vacated by longtime Democratic state Rep. Darren Jernigan, who left office to work for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

Brooks has made herself a fixture at the Capitol since the murder of her 23-year-old son Akilah DaSilva in a 2018 Nashville Waffle House mass shooting. The former parole officer decided to run for a seat in the rotunda where she often advocated for gun control after Democratic state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled for leading a gun-control protest from the floor following a Nashville school shooting that killed three children and three adults.

Brooks received endorsements from multiple local politicians and community leaders, including Jones and Pearson, as well as the advocacy organizations Planned Parenthood, The Equity Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC).

Brasher, a healthcare management and finance consultant, serves on the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce and was elected by the Metro Nashville Council to serve on the city’s Health and Educational Facilities Board. Brasher was endorsed as a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate and had union endorsements from Service Employers (SEIU 205) and firefighters (IAFF Local 140). He also received the stamp of approval from multiple Nashville council members.

Brasher posted a statement congratulating Brooks around 9 p.m. “I know she and her team will campaign hard to keep District 60 Blue in the General (election),” he wrote.

Brooks raised nearly $87,000 in 2024, according to campaign finance records. Brasher raised around $51,000.

In the Republican primary for the District 60 House seat, Chad Bobo, former aide to House Speaker Cameron Sexton, bested Christoper Huff, who ran against Jernigan in 2022, losing 60%-40%.

Bobo reported raising around $36,000 so far in 2024, and will face Brooks in the general election.

District 33: Scarbrough unseats Ragan

John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican who has represented Anderson County in the state House since 2011, lost his bid for reelection in the Republican primary.

Rick Scarbrough, a former police chief in Clinton, defeated Ragan by 52%-47%.

Scarbrough ran his campaign on being a calm listening voice for the area, in contrast to Ragan, who is seen as a fighter. In his campaign materials, Scarbrough made a subtle dig at Ragan saying, “We need thoughtful leaders who listen and work to solve problems, not chase headlines.”

Ragan has been known for embracing controversial bills. He tried to pass a bill during the 2024 legislative session banning local governments from being able to offer reparations for slavery, which Memphis Democrat Pearson called a “racist” bill.

Scarbrough will face Democrat Anne Backus, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in November.

Todd holds onto seat in District 73 race

Incumbent Rep. Chris Todd will remain the District 73 representative for another term.

The Jackson Republican bested former Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris in his first face off against a Republican opponent since he first claimed the seat, which represents majority conservative portions of Jackson and Madison County, in 2018.

With no Democratic challenger for the general election, Todd is expected to win the seat outright on Nov. 5.

Harris and Todd each entered the early voting period with similar coffers in the mid-$180,000 range, but independent political interest groups Americans for Prosperity and Tennessee Federation for Children — both of which support school vouchers — spent around $60,000 combined to support Todd.

Harris campaigned on the idea of grassroots support from the district, not accepting funds from “special interest groups.”

Grills beats Cobb in District 77

Incumbent Rep. Rusty Grills held onto the District 77 seat encompassing Dyersburg, Tiptonville and parts of Union City in West Tennessee, defeating James “Bubba” Cobb in the Republican primary.

Grills entered the race with nearly $99,000 in his campaign coffers, and raised an additional $93,000 in 2024.

Cobb reported receiving almost $18,000.

Pro-school voucher groups independently spent a combined around $49,000 to support Grills’ reelection ($8,000 from Tennessee Federation for Children, over $31,000 from Americans for Prosperity Action and nearly $10,000 from Tennesseans for Student Success).

Americans for Prosperity spent almost $5,000 opposing Cobb, while Tennessee Federation for Children spent $8,000 in opposition to Cobb’s campaign.

Shaw handily wins primary in District 80

Incumbent District 80 Rep. Johnny Shaw won a crowded Democratic primary for the seat with 73% of the vote against Madison County Commission member Sheila Godwin and former Bolivar City Councilman Jonathan Joy. Shaw has represented the district, which includes a southwestern slice of Jackson, a portion of Brownsville and Bolivar, since 2000.

Shaw will face Republican candidate and Hardeman County Commissioner Brad Grantham, who ran unopposed in the Republican party’s primary, on Nov. 5.

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