United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2010

The 2010 congressional elections in Tennessee were held on November 2, 2010 to determine who would represent the state of Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected serve in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013.

Tennessee has nine seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census.

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2010[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats Before Seats After +/–
Republican 955,078 61.2% 4 7 +3
Democratic 541,527 34.7% 5 2 -3
Independent 62,524 4.01% 0 0 0
Totals 1,559,129 100.00% 9 9 —

Congressional districts

District 1

This district covers northeast Tennessee, including all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County. It had been represented by Republican Phil Roe since 2009. The winner of the GOP primary was all but assured of representing the district in Congress as this is one of the safest seats for the GOP; it had held the seat continuously since 1881 and, since prior to the Civil War, the GOP or its predecessors had held the seat for all but four years.

Phil Roe (R) won reeelection.

District 2

This district lies in the east central part of the state, based in Knoxville and is largely coextensive with that city's metropolitan area. It had been represented by Republican Jimmy Duncan since November, 1988. The winner of the GOP primary was all but assured of representing the district in Congress as this was one of the safest seats for the GOP (even safer than the neighboring First District); the GOP or its predecessors had held the seat continuously since prior to the Civil War.

Jimmy Duncan (R) won reelection.

District 3

Republican Representative Zach Wamp announced that he would be running for Governor in 2010, leaving the third district open.[2]

The nominees were attorneys John Wolfe (D) and Chuck Fleischmann (R). The general election was a four-way race with two independent candididates, Savas Kyriakidis and Mark DeVol, running strongly respectively in Hamilton County and Anderson County.

Chuck Fleischmann (R) won the election.

District 4*

Democratic incumbent Lincoln Davis ran for reelection, challenged by Republican nominee Scott DesJarlais, a physician in Jasper, and Independents Paul H. Curtis (PVS), James Gray (campaign site, PVS), Richard S. Johnson (PVS), and Gerald York (campaign site, PVS).

Davis had represented the district since 2003. He turned down a run for governor, deciding to run for reelection instead.[3]

This district lies in Middle and East Tennessee.

Scott DesJarlais (R) won the election.

District 5

This district lies in Middle Tennessee, including almost all of Davidson County, half of Wilson County, and half of Cheatham County. Nearly two-thirds of the district's voting population lives in Nashville. It had been represented by Democrat Jim Cooper since 2003.

Jim Cooper (D) won reelection.

District 6*

This district lies in Middle Tennessee, including all of Bedford, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Marshall, Overton, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, and Trousdale Counties, as well as a portion of Wilson County. It had been represented by Democrat Bart Gordon since 1985. Gordon announced on December 14, 2009 that he would not be seeking another term, leaving the sixth district open.[3]

State Senator Jim Tracy, State Senator Diane Black, Rutherford County Republican Chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik, United States Army Reserve Major General Dave Evans, realtor Gary Mann, and businessman Kerry Roberts ran for the Republican nomination.[4] Democratic candidates included lawyer and Iraq veteran Brett Carter, aviation safety inspector George Erdel, ex-marine Ben Leming, Henry Barry, and Devora Butler.

The nominees were Brett Carter (D) and Diane Black (R).

Diane Black (R) won the election.

District 7

This district lies in Middle and southwestern Tennessee, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It had been represented by Republican Marsha Blackburn since 2003. She faced a challenge from Austin Peay University professor and Democrat Dr. Greg Rabidoux.[5]

Marsha Blackburn (R) won reelection.

District 8*

Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner, who had represented the district since 1989, announced his retirement in December 2009 leaving the eighth district open.[3]

Steve Fincher was the Republican nominee,[6] and State Senator Roy Herron was the Democratic nominee.[7] Also on the ballot are Tea Party candidate Donn Janes (campaign site, PVS), who earlier dropped out of the Republican primary, and Independent Mark J. Rawles (campaign site, PVS).[8]

This district covers roughly the northwestern part of the state.

Stephen Fincher (R) won the election.

Endorsements

Herron had been endorsed by the state's two largest newspapers, the Memphis Commercial Appeal[9] and the Nashville Tennessean.[10]

Fincher had been endorsed by former Governor Winfield Dunn, Citizens United, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and State Senator Dolores Gresham.[11]

Forecasts

As of October 22, 2010, Rothenberg Political Report rated the race as "Lean Republican",[12] Real Clear Politics as "Leans GOP".[13] Charlie Cook as "Lean Republican",[14] CQ Politics as "Likely Republican",[15] Larry Sabato as "Likely R",[16] and Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post placed the race at number 23 of the races most likely to change party hands.[17]

District 8 has a PVI of R+13. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican U.S. Senator John McCain carried the district with 56% of the vote.[18]

Polling

Poll Source Dates Administered Stephen Fincher (R) Roy Herron (D) Donn Janes (I) Undecided
Memphisnewsblog.com August 10–11, 2010 47% 37% 5% 11%

District 9

This district lies in southwestern Tennessee, located entirely within Shelby County and including most of the city of Memphis. It had been represented by Democrat Steve Cohen since 2007. The Republicans nominated Charlotte Bergmann, who owns a Memphis-based marketing firm, Effective PMP, LLC.

Steve Cohen (D) won reelection.

Key

* A district that has a PVI of a party that is represented by the opposite party, and applies to an EVEN score

References

External links

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