Lawyers See Mixed Success in Legislative Races

Of the 25 lawyers running for 20 seats seats in the Tennessee General Assembly, several will be moving on to the fall general election. Here are results of how they fared in Thursday's primary elections.

Tennessee State Senate (Complete results available from Tennessee Secretary of State)
District Lawyer Candidate Result
District 2 Doug Overbey Won Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 12 Ken Yager Unopposed in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 16 Steve Roller Finished second in Democratic primary;
winner Jim Lewis faces Republican Janice Bowling
District 16 Justin Walling Finished third in Democratic primary;
winner Jim Lewis faces Republican Janice Bowling
District 20 Phillip North Won Deomcratic primary;
faces Republican Steven Dickerson in general election
District 22 Tim Barnes Unopposed in Democratic primary;
faces Republican Mark E. Green in general election
District 24 John Stevens Won Republican primary;
faces Democrat Brad Thompson in general election
District 30 Jim Kyle Won Democratic primary;
faces Republican Colonel G. Billingsley in general election
District 32 Mark Norris Won Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
Tennessee House of Representatives (Complete results available from Tennessee Secretary of State)
Office Sought Candidate Website
District 2 Ben Mallicote Finished second in Republican primary;
winner Tony Shipley faces Democrat Bruce Dotson in general election
District 4 Thomas Gray Unopposed in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent, but will face former Speaker and Independent candidate Kent Williams in the general election.
District 5 Duncan Cave Finished fourth in Republican primary;
winner David B. Hawk faces Democrat Eddie Yokley in general election
District 5 Bradley Mercer Finished third in Republican primary;
winner David B. Hawk faces Democrat Eddie Yokley in general election
District 17 Andrew Farmer Won Republican primary;
will face Democrat Mike Dockery in general election
District 29 Mike Carter Unopposed in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 41 John Mark Windle Unopposed in Democratic primary;
will face Republican Bobby Stewart in general election
District 44 William Lamberth Unopposed in Republican primary;
will face Democrat Steven Glaser in general election
District 44 Steven Glaser Unopposed in Democratic primary;
will face Republican William Lamberth in general election
District 52 Michael Stewart Unopposed in Democratic primary; no Republican opponent
District 57 Linda Elam Finishes second in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 65 Jeremy Durham Won Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 65 Kenny Young Finished second in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 66 Lee Harrell Finished second in Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 71 Vance Dennis Won Republican primary; no Democratic opponent
District 82 Craig Fitzhugh Won Democratic primary;
will face Republican Johnny Edwards in general election

 

Election Roundup

Circuit Court Races

Jackson: One of the most heavily contested circuit court races in Jackson history ended Thursday evening with Nathan Pride taking a historic victory. Pride, a Jackson attorney, will be the first African American or person of color to serve on the judicial bench

Nashville: Phillip Robinson, a sitting circuit court judge with deep political ties in Nashville, was running without challengers — although two opponents, who later dropped out, appeared on the Aug. 2 ballot. He handily won re-election

General Sessions Races

Davidson County: On Thursday, Democrats Rachel Bell carried her primary strength to the general election, beating independent Michael Rowan for a General Sessions judgeship by a nearly 2-to-1 edge.

Hamilton County: In a clear verdict, voters on Thursday chose attorney Gary Starnes to take the Hamilton County General Sessions bench over the interim judge, David Norton. Starnes beat Norton with 37 percent of the vote Thursday night, with 126 out of 127 precincts reporting. In legal circles, Norton had long been considered the favorite after the Hamilton County Commission appointed him to fill the vacancy left when Judge Bob Moon died in January.

Hawkins County: Republican J. Todd Ross handily defeated Democrat Terry Risner and former judge James F. Taylor for General Sessions judge in Hawkins County

Marshall County: Marshall County Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Lee Bussart Bowles has won another two years on the bench - besting her challenger, Marshall County Attorney Bill Haywood, by about a 3-2 margin.

Sullivan County: Sullivan County's voters have decided to keep General Sessions Court Judge Ray Conkin on the bench in Kingsport. Conkin, a former Sullivan County commissioner, had been appointed in February 2011 to replace retired Judge Duane Snodgrass. William A. "Andy" Law had challenged him for the opportunity to finish the remainder of Snodgrass' term, set to expire in August 2014.

Other Judicial Races: Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich prevailed over Democratic challenger Carol Chumney.

Pro temp Shelby County General Sessions Court clerk Ed Stanton Jr. beat Republican Jim Rout to retain the position of clerk.