Democracy in Action P2020

TENNESSEE

11 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau)
Total Resident Population, July 1, 2019 est. 6,829,174
Total Registration, Nov. 2020 >
(Tennessee does not register voters by party).
Tennessee has: 95 counties.
Largest counties: Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, Rutherford.
Largest cities: Nashville-Davidson, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga.

Government
Governor: Bill Lee (R) elected in 2018.
State Legislature: Tennessee General Assembly House: 99 seats Senate: 33 seats
Local: Counties, Cities NACO
U.S. House: 7R, 2D - 1. P.Roe (R) | 2. T.Burchett (R) | 3. C.Fleischmann (R) | 4. S.DesJarlais (R) | 5. J.Cooper (D) | 6. J.Rose (R) | 7. M.Green (R) | 8. D.Kustoff (R) | 9. S.Cohen (D).
U.S. Senate: Lamar Alexander (R) retiring in 2020, Marsha Blackburn (R) elected in 2018.

2020
U.S. Senate: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R), first elected in 2002, is not seeking re-election. There were competitive primaries on Aug. 6. Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty (R), endorsed by Trump, defeated Vanderbilt surgeon Dr. Manny Sethi in the GOP primary. Memphis activist Marquita Bradshaw (D) was the upset winner of the Democratic primary. Hagerty defeated Bradshaw by 1,840,926 votes (62.20%) to 1,040,691 (35.16%); there were as well nine independent candidates on the ballot.
U.S. House: In TN-1 (eastern tip), Rep. Phil Roe (R), first elected in 2008, is retiring. Running in this solidly Republican district, pharmacist Diana Harshbarger (R) defeated USAF veteran Blair Walsingham (D) by 228,181 votes to 68,617 and 8,621 for Steve Holder (I).
State Legislature: 16 of 33 Senate seats and all 99 House seats were up. The balance in the Senate went from 28R,5D to 27R,6D and the House stayed at 73R,26D.

State of Tennessee
Department of State

TN Republican Party
TN Democratic Party
Libertarian Party of TN
Green Party of TN
Constitution Party of TN

The Tennessean, p
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Politics1-TN
Ballotpedia-TN

The Volunteer State

General Election -- Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Voter registration deadline: Oct. 5, 2020.

Early voting in person: Oct. 14-Oct. 29, 2020.

Early voting: 2,070,339.
Absentee: 210,428.

Official Results >
+Trump/Pence (Rep.)	1,852,475	(60.66)
Biden/Harris (Dem.)	1,143,711	(37.45)
Blankenship/Mohr (Ind.)	5,365	(0.18)
De La Fuente/Richardson (Ind.)	1,860	(0.06)
Hawkins/Walker (Ind.)	4,545	(0.15)
Jorgensen/Cohen (Ind.)	29,877	(0.98)
Kennedy/Jarrett (Ind.)	2,576	(0.08)
La Riva/Freeman (Ind.)	2,301	(0.08)
West/Tidball (Ind.)	10,279	(0.34)
w/ins (5)	862	(0.03)
Total........3,053,851

Ballot Access: Tennessee is one of the easier states for an independent candidate for president to qualify for the ballot, requiring petitions with signatures and addresses of at least 275 voters. Petitions available May 22, 2020 and must be returned by 12:00 noon on Aug. 20, 2020. >

Overview: Tennessee's 11 electoral votes were solidly in the Republican column as Trump-Pence won with a plurality of 708,764 votes (23.21 percentage points), carrying all counties except Shelby, Davidson and Haywood.
Tennessee was in the national spotlight as the site of the second and final presidential debate in Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville on Oct. 22; Trump also did a fundraiser at the J.W. Marriott in Nashville before the debate. Otherwise various parades in support of Trump were the most visible campaign activity (+).
[TNSOS] BALLOT [PDF]

[State Primary: August 6, 2020]

Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Democrats
Biden 215,390 (41.72%), Sanders 129,168 (25.02%), Bloomberg 79789 (15.46%), Warren 53,732 (10.41%)... Total 516,250. details

73 Delegates: 42 District, 14 At-Large, 8 PLEO, 9 Unpledged.

Republicans
Trump 384,266 (96.47%), Walsh 4,178 (1.05%), Weld 3,922 (0.98%), Uncomm. 5,948 (1.49%). Total: 398,314.

General Election Winners in Tennessee, 1992-2016

1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016
Clinton 47.08%	Clinton 48.00%	Bush 51.14%	Bush 56.80%	McCain 56.90%	Romney 59.48%	Trump 60.72%

and the details...

General Election -- Tuesday, November 8. 2016

Voting Eligible Population*: 4,899,384.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 51.2%.

Voter registration deadline: Oct. 11, 2016.

Early voting in person: Oct. 19-Nov. 3, 2016.

Official Results >
+Trump/Pence (Rep.)	1,522,925	(60.72)
Clinton/Kaine (Dem.)	870,695	(34.72)
De La Fuente/Steinberg (Ind.)	4,075	(0.16)
Johnson/Weld (Ind.)	70,397	(2.81)
Kennedy/Hart (Ind.)	2,877	(0.11)
Smith/White (Ind.)	7,276	(0.29)
Stein/Baraka (Ind.)	15,993	(0.64)
McMulllin (w/in)	11,991	(0.48)
Castle (w/in)	1,584	(0.06)
more w/ins (6)	214	-
Total........2,508,027

more w/ins: Cherunda Fox 6 Tom Hoefling 132 Kyle Kenley Kopitke 0 Laurence Kotlikoff 20 David Limbaugh 53 Marshall Schoenke 3

Total votes cast: 2,545,271 ...includes:
Absentee by mail voters: 64,199
Early voters: 1,625,790

Overview: As expected Tennessee ended up squarely in the Trump column. The Republican ticket amassed a plurality of 652,230 votes (26.00 percentage points), carrying all but three counties (Shelby, Davidson, and Haywood). 66.4% of votes were cast absentee by mail or early vote.
There were few visits by the principals: Tim Kaine did a fundraiser at Valentino's Ristorante in Nashville on Aug. 23; Jill Stein rallied at Amurica Studios in Memphis on Oct. 3; and Bill Weld rallied at Minglewood Hall in Memphis on the evening of Nov. 2. Additionally Donald Trump Jr. did a fundraiser at the home of Sandy and Mike Stresser in Franklin on Sept. 1.
Constitution Party nominee Darrell Castle, a Tennessee native who practices law in Memphis, failed to make the ballot in his home state.
Clinton | Trump
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 4,563,192.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 57.0%.

Early votes: 1,407,021 (56.76% of total).

Absentee by mail votes: 65,323.

Total registration: 4,013,242.

Official Results >
+Romney/Ryan (Rep.)	1,462,330	(59.48)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	960,709	(39.08)
Goode/Clymer (Const.)	6,022	(0.24)
Stein/Honkala (Grn.)	6,515	(0.26)
Anderson/Rodriguez (I)	2,639	(0.11)
Johnson/Gray (I)	18,623	(0.76)
Miller/Abernethy (I)	1,739	(0.07)
Total........2,458,577

Total votes cast: 2,478,870.

2012 Overview
The Romney-Ryan ticket won with a plurality of 501,621 votes (20.40 percentage points), carrying all but four counties (Shelby, Davidson, Hardeman and Haywood). There were a few visits, most for fundraising: Mitt Romney (June 12 fundraiser in Nashville area; Romney also used the airport in Blountville a couple of times en route to events in Eastern Virginia), Ann Romney (Sept. 14 fundraiser in Chattanooga) and Paul Ryan (Sept. 27 fundraisers in Knoxville and Memphis); Joe Biden (May 7 fundraiser in Nashville) and Michelle Obama (June 28 A.M.E. Church Conference in Nashville and fundraiser in Memphis; April 17 fundraiser in Nashville); Green party nominee Jill Stein made four stops in Western and Central TN on Nov. 1; and Libertarian VP nominee Jim Gray appeared in Bristol and Johnson City on Oct. 15).
Obama | (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 4,533,233.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 57.3%.

Early votes: 1,516,031 (57.90% of total).

Absentee by mail votes: 63,929.

Total Registration: 3,946,481.

Official Results >
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	1,087,437	(41.83)
+McCain/Palin (Rep.)	1,479,178	(56.90)
Baldwin/Castle (Ind.)	8,191	(0.32)
Barr/Root (Ind.)	8,547	(0.33)
Charles Jay (Ind.)	1,011	(0.04)
McKinney/Clemente (Ind.)	2,499	(0.10)
Moore/Alexander (Ind.)	1,326	(0.05)
Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.)	11,560	(0.44)
Total........2,599,749

2008 Overview
McCain improved upon Bush's 2004 showing, gaining a plurality of 391,741 votes (15.07 percentage points) and carrying all but six counties (Shelby, Davidson, Hardeman, Haywood, Houston and Jackson). The presidential campaign came to Tennessee for the second presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville on Oct. 7, 2008, but otherwise was quiet (visits). A minor party note: Constitution Party vice presidential nominee Darrell Castle is a Tennessee native.
Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 4,328,446.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 56.3%.

Early voting: Oct. 13-28, 2004 (15 days).
Early votes: 1,107,398 (45.08% of total).

Absentee by mail votes: 54,495.

Total Registration: 3,704,040.

Official Results >
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)	1,036,477	(42.53)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	1,384,375	(56.80)
Michael Badnarik (Ind.)	4,866	(0.20)
Ralph Nader (Ind.)	8,992	(0.37)
Michael Peroutka (Ind.)	2,570	(0.11)
Walt Brown (w/in)	6	-
David Cobb (win)	33	-
Total........2,437,319

Total Votes Cast: 2,456,610

2004 Overview
Bush won Tennessee with a comfortable plurality of 347,898 votes (14.27 percentage points), carrying 77 counties to 18 for Kerry.
General Election Details
Kerry/Allies | Bush-Cheney '04

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 4,162,996.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 49.9%.

Early voting: Oct. 18-Nov. 2, 2000 (15 days). Early votes: 749,170 (35.67% of total).

Absentee by mail votes: 47,954.

Official Results >
Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)	981,720	(47.28)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	1,061,949	(51.14)
C.G.Brown/S.Allen (Ind.)	1,606	(0.08)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)	4,284	(0.21)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)	4,250	(0.20)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (Ref.)	613	(0.03)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)	19,781	(0.95)
Phillips/Frazier (Ind.)	1,015	(0.04)
R.Venson/G.Kelly (Ind.)	535	(0.03)
Write-Ins	428	(0.02)
Total........2,076,181

Total Votes Cast: 2,100,241

2000 Overview
Vice President Gore represented Tennessee for 16 years as a congressman and Senator. He still owns a farm in Carthage near where his mother lives. He moved his national campaign headquarters to Nashville from Washington, DC in October 1999. However, he still could not carry his home state; Gov. Bush won with a plurality of 80,299 votes (3.86 percentage points), carrying 59 counties to 36 for Gore.
General Election Activity

1992 and 1996 General Elections

Archive Pages: 2016 | 2012 | 2008 | 2004 | 2000

1992

Clinton (Dem.).......933,521	(47.08)
Bush (Rep.)...........841,300	(42.43)
Perot (Ind.)............199,968	(10.08)
Others (11+w/ins)......7,849	(0.40)
Total........1,982,638

1996

Clinton (Dem.).......909,146	(48.00)
Dole (Rep.)............863,530	(45.59)
Perot (Ind.)...........105,918	(5.59)
Others (7+scat.)......16,111	(0.85)
Total........1,894,105

399,317 early votes/1,918,156 total votes- (20.82%)