Former Rep. Timothy Hill, who was appointed to fill House District 3 seat following the resignation of Scotty Campbell, was elected yesterday to fill the remainder of Campbell’s term, WJHL reports. Hill, a Republican, prevailed over Democrat Lori Love. Hill held the same seat from 2013-2020 and rose to the position of House majority whip. He gave up the seat in 2020 to run for Congress after U.S. Rep. Phil Roe announced his retirement. He and other Republican hopefuls lost the primary to now-Rep. Diana Harshbarger. The state House seat became vacant when Campbell resigned in in April over sexual harassment issues.

Progressive activist Aftyn Behn defeated former Metro Council member Anthony Davis for the Democratic nomination to replace Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, who died in June. Davis had been serving as the interim representative after the council appointed him to the post. Behn now will face Republican David Hooven in the general election scheduled for Sept. 14. The Tennessean has more on the race.

Democratic Representatives Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, yesterday won their respective races to return to the state House of Representatives after being expelled in April for their involvement in gun safety protests. Both were reappointed by their respective city councils a week later and won their primary races in June. Jones defeated Republican Laura Nelson to retake House District 52. Pearson defeated independent candidate Jeff Johnston to retake House District 86. The Tennessean has more on their election.

Metro Nashville Council member Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli, a member of former Gov. Bill Haslam's administration, will advance to a runoff election on Sept. 14 to determine Nashville’s next mayor. The Tennessean reports that none of the 11 candidates garnered the necessary 50% plus one vote to win the election outright. O'Connell netted just over 27% of the vote while Rolli, a conservative business strategist and former campaign manager, earned 20%. The paper also has a wrap up of results from a number of Metro Council races as well as the race for vice mayor.

Memphis City Councilman Frank Colvett announced today he is dropping out of the race for mayor on the October ballot, the Daily Memphian reports. Colvett, who is a two-term city councilman, did not endorse any of the remaining candidates. His departure from the race leaves 18 contenders on the ballot.

Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, raised about $2 million in their week-long absence from the state House after expulsion in March. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the removal of Jones and Pearson allowed the lawmakers to raise money during the legislative session, which is normally not permitted. Jones raised $1,079,688.86 over the first six months of the year, and Pearson raised $1,058,036.34. Part of Pearson’s total includes the roughly $52,000 he raised at the start of 2023 to win his House seat in a special election held in January. Both face Republican opponents in the Aug. 3 general election.

“Welcome to Capitol Hill,” a new book by veteran Tennessee state house reporters Joel Ebert and Erik Schelzig, will be available Aug. 17 through Vanderbilt University Press. The book covers Gov. Ray Blanton's pardon scandals, the secret FBI wiretap used in the Rocky Top investigation and more recent examples of sexual misconduct in the legislature. Axios Nashville reports that the authors say studying the scandals is more than just an academic exercise; it reveals the vital importance of the media as a watchdog. Several times, the public learned of politicians' dubious behavior through investigations by Nashville journalists, including Schelzig and Ebert's own reporting of the more recent scandals.

Nashville attorney Joanne Sowell has decided not to run as a Democrat for U.S. Senate next year, the Nashville Post reports. Sowell had established a campaign in April and raised nearly $130,000 from individual donors. She filed a campaign termination report today and has returned a large portion of donations. Sowell’s departure from the race leaves state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, as the only possible candidate who has expressed interest. She told the paper in May that she is “definitely considering a run.”

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) today released the results of a survey evaluating four candidates running for Knoxville municipal judge in the Aug. 29 election. The survey asked each KBA member to rate candidates on seven attributes: knowledge, skill, experience, training, education, professional ethics and temperament. The purpose of the survey, according to KBA President Loretta Cravens, is to inform the public of the opinions of attorneys actively practicing in the region regarding candidates’ fitness to serve in a judicial position. Candidates reviewed include Andrew Beamer, Tyler M. Caviness, Judge John R. Rosson Jr. and Mary L. Ward.

Early voting is underway for the Aug. 3 election in Davidson County. Voters will cast a ballot for mayor, vice mayor, and district and at-large Metro Council seats. The special general election for state House District 52 and the Democratic and Republican primaries for state House District 51 also will be on the ballot. For those who want to vote absentee, the deadline to request a ballot is July 27. Find polling places, hours and other election information.