Tennessee General Assembly 2026 Primaries Guide: The Races to Watch
2026 is a marquee election year in Tennessee, as voters head to the polls this week to decide primaries stretching from the governor's mansion to the state Capitol. On Thursday, August 6, primary elections will be held for Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Tennessee Senate (in odd-numbered districts), Tennessee House, and Republican and Democratic State Executive Committees.
In the Tennessee General Assembly specifically, all 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives are on the ballot, along with 17 out of 33 seats in the Tennessee Senate – the odd-numbered districts, which run on their four-year cycle this year. We’re taking a look at which members are facing primaries in August, who will be in contested races in the General Election, and who is running unopposed.
Arm yourself with these early insights to get a head start on your advocacy and lobbying strategy as you look ahead to the 2027-2028 biennium.
Current Party Count:
The TN Senate is currently made up of 27 Republican and 6 Democratic Members. 17 out of 33 seats are up for re-election in November 2026.
The TN House is currently made up of 75 Republican and 24 Democratic Members. All 99 seats are up for re-election in November 2026.
Key Dates:
March 10, 2026 – Filing deadline to run in a Primary.
August 6, 2026 – Primary Elections.
November 3, 2026 – General Election.
November 2026 – Prefiling for the 2027 legislative session begins immediately following certification after the November 2026 election.
January 12, 2027 – Start of Tennessee Legislative Session.
Term Reminders:
Tennessee Senators serve staggered four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.
Tennessee Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits.
Key Takeaways
Across both chambers, 35 districts will hold a Primary Election on August 6 (30 in the House and 5 in the Senate), and 19 sitting members face a challenger from within their party. 11 seats are open, with their incumbents declining to seek re-election. Here’s how it breaks down:
Tennessee Senate (17 Districts)
5 Districts (out of 17) will hold a Primary Election for the Senate. 6 Partisan Primaries will be held, with District 17 simultaneously holding a Democratic and Republican Primary.
1 Member (Lt. Gov. Randy McNally) is not seeking re-election, opening up the most senior seat in the chamber. At minimum, 1 new Senate member will be elected in November to replace his seat.
4 Incumbent Republican Members have challengers in the August primary races.
1 Democratic Member has a challenger in the August primary race.
6 Incumbents (3 Republicans and 3 Democrats) will be running unopposed in November. At minimum, we expect these 6 Senate members to return in 2027-2028.
Tennessee House of Representatives (99 Districts)
30 Districts (out of 99) will hold a Primary Election for the House. 32 Partisan Primaries will be held, with Districts 8 and 78 simultaneously holding Democratic and Republican Primaries.
10 Members (8 Republicans and 2 Democrats) are not seeking re-election. At minimum, 10 new House members will be elected in November to replace these seats.
10 Incumbent Republican Members have challengers in the August primary races.
4 Incumbent Democratic Members have challengers in the August primary races.
25 Incumbents (14 Republicans and 11 Democrats) will be running unopposed in November. At minimum, we expect these 25 House members to return in 2027-2028.
1 District – District 93 (Part of Shelby County) is a special case with its own rules – keep reading for details.
Tennessee Senate
Incumbents Not Seeking Re-Election (Open Seats)
Sen. Randy McNally (R-District 5; Anderson, Knox and Loudon Counties) is not seeking re-election, opening the most senior seat in the chamber. McNally has been a member of the Senate since 1987, served as Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate since 2017, and was a House member prior to his time at the Senate, from 1979-1986.
With no incumbent on the ballot, a new Senator will represent District 5 in the 2027-2028 biennium. The November race is set between former Representative Jimmy Matlock (R) and educator David Miller (D).
In the news: Tennessee Lt. Gov. McNally won’t run for reelection; wraps nearly 50-year career (Tennessee Lookout)
Incumbents with Primary Challengers
4 Incumbent Republican Members are in primary races.
1 Incumbent Democratic Member is in a primary race.
District 17 (Davidson and Wilson Counties) is the one Senate district holding both a Democratic and Republican primary. Sen. Mark Pody (R) is the incumbent.
Incumbents Running Unopposed in November
6 Incumbents are running unopposed in November – 3 Democrats and 3 Republicans.
That means we expect, at a minimum, these 6 Senate members will return in 2027-2028 – as they do not have primary challengers or opponents from the other party.
Incumbents with No Primary, but Contested General Election
Below are the remaining 5 Districts that are not holding August Primaries, but will have an incumbent running in a contested General Election in November:
Tennessee House of Representatives
Incumbents Not Seeking Re-Election (Open Seats)
10 Incumbents are not seeking re-election for the 2027-2028 Session. Currently, 8 of these seats are held by Republican Members and 2 by Democrats. Below is a list of the 10 incumbents who are not seeking re-election:
Republican Incumbents not seeking re-election (8)
Rep. Bud Hulsey (R-District 2; Part of Sullivan County)
Terms in Office: 6 (since 2015)
Committee Leadership: Appropriations and Oversight Subcommittee (Chair); Disaster Relief Committee of Extraordinary Session (Vice-Chair); Joint Ways and Means Committee (Co-Chair)
Rep. Jerome Moon (R-District 8; Part of Blount County)
Terms in Office: 5 (since 2017)
Committee Leadership: Cities & Counties Subcommittee (Chair)
Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-District 11; Cocke and part of Hamblen and Jefferson Counties)
Terms in Office: 8 (since 2011)
Committee Leadership: Joint Judiciary and Government (Chair)
Rep. Ron Travis (R-District 31; Bledsoe, Rhea, Sequatchie and Van Buren Counties)
Terms in Office: 7 (since 2013)
Rep. Monty Fritts (R-District 32; Part of Loudon and Roane Counties)
Terms in Office: 2 (since 2023)
Committee Leadership: Naming & Designating Committee (Vice-Chair); Joint Education, Health and General Welfare Committee (Vice-Chair)
Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-District 45; Part of Sumner County)
Terms in Office: 4 (since 2019)
Rep. Mary Littleton (R-District 78; Cheatham and part of Dickson Counties)
Terms in Office: 7 (since 2013)
Committee Leadership: Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee (Chair)
Rep. Debra Moody (R-District 81; Tipton and part of Haywood Counties)
Terms in Office: 7 (since 2013)
Committee Leadership: Calendar & Rules Committee (Chair); Calendar & Rules Committee of 1st Extraordinary Session (Chair); Calendar & Rules Committee of Extraordinary Session II (Chair)
Democratic Incumbents not seeking re-election (2)
Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-District 59; Part of Davidson County)
Terms in Office: 2 (since 2023)
Rep. Johnny Shaw (D-District 80; Part of Hardeman, Haywood and Madison Counties)
Terms in Office: 13 (since 2001)
Of these 10 open districts:
9 Districts will hold primary races – See table below.
1 District will not have a primary race – Gary Stidham (R) is the only candidate currently on the ballot for District 2 (Part of Sullivan County). Assuming no write-in candidates, he will be the 2027-2028 member. See table below.
Incumbents with Primary Challengers
Republican Incumbents with Primary Challengers (10)
10 Incumbent Republican Members are in primary races. See table below.
In 2 of these 10 Districts, there are no Democrats running, so the winner of these Primaries will be running unopposed come November:
District 1 (Part of Sullivan County) – Rep. John Crawford vs. Jessica Means
District 36 (Campbell, Union and part of Claiborne Counties) – Rep. Dennis Powers vs. Noah Smith
Democratic Incumbents with Primary Challengers (4)
4 Incumbent Democratic Members are in primary races. See table below.
In all 4 of these Districts, there are no Republicans running, so the winner of these Primaries will be running unopposed come November.
Incumbents Facing the Winner of a Primary Race
In 7 Districts, the incumbent Representative will be facing the winner of the following primaries come November.
Incumbents Running Unopposed in November
25 Incumbents are running unopposed in November – 14 Republicans and 11 Democrats. See table below.
That means we expect, at a minimum, these 25 House members will return in 2027-2028 – as they do not have primary challengers or opponents from the other party.
Incumbents with No Primary, but a Contested General Election
Below are the remaining 42 Districts that are not holding August Primaries, but will have an incumbent running in a contested General Election in November:
Republican Incumbents – No August Primary and running in November Race (36)
Democratic Incumbents – No August Primary and running in November Race (6)
A Special Case: House District 93 (Part of Shelby County)
House District 93 is a unique case – no candidates qualified to appear on the ballot, making it an entirely write-in election (both for the August Primary and November General Election).
Rep. T.J. Hardaway was appointed on May 6, 2026, to fill the seat of his late father, longtime Rep. G.A. Hardaway. While he intends to seek re-election, Rep. Hardaway did not receive the required number of signatures to have his name printed on the ballot. A candidate who does not appear on the ballot can either:
Run as a write-in candidate in the August primary, where they must receive 5% of the votes of active voters, or
Run as a write-in candidate in the November general election, where whoever receives the most votes wins.
Rep. Hardaway has indicated that he is focusing his efforts on the November General Election.
More on House District 93 in the news:
TJ Hardaway, son of late TN state representative, to run for dad’s seat (Commercial Appeal)
Summary
With 116 seats in the Tennessee General Assembly on the ballot in November (all 99 House seats and 17 out of 33 Senate seats), the results of the August primaries foreshadow where turnover is possible, which incumbents face challengers, and who is positioned to return for the 2027-2028 legislative session.
As a reminder, the key takeaways are:
35 Districts across both chambers will hold an August primary (30 House, 5 Senate). Senate District 17 and House Districts 8 and 78 are the only Districts simultaneously holding Democratic and Republican Primaries.
19 Incumbents have challengers in the August primary races.
11 Incumbents are not seeking re-election (10 House and 1 Senate). At minimum, 11 new members will be elected in November to replace these seats.
31 Incumbents will be running unopposed in November. At minimum, we expect these 31 members to return in 2027-2028.
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Roboro AI provides legislative intelligence for advocacy professionals. All information is current as of August 3, 2026.
