Bill Lee
Since the ballots cast in the 2016 presidential election were counted, Democrats across the United States have promised a “Blue Wave” during the 2018 midterm elections. Republicans, Democrats and Independents voted in the midterm elections last month as a sort of referendum on the current work of the president and U.S. Congress. Although Democrats were able to take control of the United States House of Representatives, Republicans maintained control of the Senate.
While the Democrats were unable to fully deliver on their promise of a Blue Wave, elected offices across the country did see a “Pink Wave” from a record number of women elected to office.
In Tennessee, the Blue Wave failed to gain and maintain the necessary momentum to flip a red state, as Tennesseans showed up at the polls in the highest numbers for a midterm election since 1994. Typically, midterm elections experience significantly lower voter turnout rates compared to the presidential elections. Two years ago, in the 2016 presidential election, 66.4 percent, or 2,545,271, of the state’s registered voters cast their ballots. A midterm record 55.9 percent of the state’s registered voters cast their vote in the November 2018 election. By comparison, only 44.36 percent of registered voters cast their vote the 2014 midterm election.
Governor of Tennessee
Next month, Governor-elect Bill Lee will be sworn in as Tennessee’s 50th governor. Lee will replace Governor Bill Haslam, who is bound by term limits. In his administration, Gov. Haslam has focused much of his administration’s goals on education with his Drive to 55 initiative, which led to two free years of college tuition or technical training for high school graduates and free tuition for adult learners. During his campaign, Governor-elect Lee focused on reducing tax burdens and restrictions on businesses to promote economic growth and increasing school choice options for Tennesseans.
Since winning the gubernatorial election, Governor-elect Lee has already begun his transition to fill the role of the state’s highest executive office. Last month, Governor-elect Lee announced his intent to make state government more transparent by overhauling the public records and open meetings laws. He also reasserted his commitment to working closely with state legislators on the state’s budget and including more technical training options in public schools.
Marsha Blackburn
United States Congress
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who won the race for a U.S. Senate seat over Phil Bredesen, will join the 110 women elected to serve in the United States Congress in record numbers this year. This Pink Wave also saw the nation’s first openly LGBT woman, first Native American women and the first Muslim women elected to Congress. No stranger to Congress, Rep. Blackburn has served on Capitol Hill since 2003. In the Senate, Blackburn will be one of 23 women serving in the Senate. Although women make up more than 50 percent of voters, only 20 percent of the current Congress are women. In 2019, women will make up 23 percent of the members of Congress. By maintaining voter engagement and turnout in future elections, women could see a stronger representation in Congress in the near future.
U.S. House of Representatives
Tennessee has nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, and following the 2018 elections the party breakdown remains the same, with seven Republicans and two Democrats representing the people of Tennessee. Voters in the Fourth District, which includes Rutherford County, reelected Rep. Scott DesJarlais for another term. He received 63 percent of the vote over challengers Mariah Phillips and Michael Shupe.
Tennessee General Assembly
This year, the state legislature experienced a record number of incumbents vacating their seats, many in favor of local offices, such as former state Senator Bill Ketron, who was recently elected Rutherford County Mayor. Thirty-two state representatives and senators will swear into their new offices next month. For Representative Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro), Representative Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) and Representative Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville), they will transfer from their seats in the state House of Representatives to the Senate. Otherwise, the freshman class of legislators will be the largest in recent years at 29 new members. Senate Districts 22 (Stewart, Houston and Montgomery counties) and 32 (Tipton and Shelby counties) will hold special elections to fill the seats vacated by Sen. Mark Green and Sen. Mark Norris, respectively. Sen. Green won the election for Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District last month, which was previously held by Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. Sen. Norris was confirmed to a position of United States District Judge of the United States District Court Western District of Tennessee in October.
Newcomers to the state legislature include Charlie Baum (R-Murfreesboro), who will represent District 37. Previously, District 37 was represented by Rep. White. Currently, Baum serves as a Rutherford County Commissioner and has taught economics at Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Economics and Finance since 1999. Previously, Baum served as the economics department chair from 2008–14. He will be joined by Rep. Brian Terry, the incumbent representative from District 48, which covers the eastern portion of Rutherford County. Rep. Terry first joined the state legislature in 2015 and has served as chairman of the House Health Subcommittee and as a member of the House Health Committee and the House Civil Justice Committee. As a legislator, Rep. Terry has focused on issues involving health, education, immigration and business regulations.
2019
The state legislature will convene for the 111th General Assembly on Jan. 8, 2019, and Governor-elect Bill Lee will be sworn in on Jan. 19, 2019. Governor-elect Lee is anticipated to have named the members of his cabinet prior to his inauguration. These cabinet members will lead major agencies for the state, including the Department of Education, Department of Finance & Administration and the Department of Veterans Services, among 20 agencies.
Although the state legislature will not convene for another month, some legislators, such as Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Memphis) have already filed bills. To look up your state representative and senator and look up legislation already filed, visit capitol.tn.gov.
In November, Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature selected their candidates for leadership positions. House Republicans selected their majority leaders, Representative Glen Casada (R-Franklin) to serve as Speaker of the House. Democrats in the House of Representatives selected Representative Karen Camper (D-Memphis) to serve as House Minority Leader and as their candidate for Speaker of the House.
Although the city of Nashville voted overwhelmingly in favor of a community oversight board to investigate allegations of misconduct by the Metro Nashville Police Department, residents of the state’s capitol city should expect opposition from the state legislature next year. Days after the midterm elections, when Nashvillians voted 59 percent in favor of the oversight board, Rep. Casada expressed his opposition to the measure. The representative announced he may file a bill that would nullify the 134,135 votes cast in favor of the oversight board, a move reminiscent of this year’s marijuana decriminalization repeal by the legislature.
While the 2018 midterms failed to live up to the Blue Wave hype, citizens across the country were more engaged and took part in the election process. Although we will continue to have political disagreements with our friends, family and strangers on the internet, an engaged electorate is vital to the democratic process. We must maintain the progress made in voter turnout in 2018 and carry it through to the 2020 presidential election and beyond. When the public is engaged in the political process, we can better hold elected officials accountable and make more informed decisions in the voting booth.
