Status quo wins in every closely watched House race

Collage of winning candidates Ronnie Glynn (upper left), Shaundelle Brooks (upper middle), Bo Mitchell (upper right), Jeff Burkhart (bottom left), Mike Sparks (bottom center-left), Elaine Davis (bottom center-right), and Michele Reneau (bottom right) (Photos by the Tennessee General Assembly and individual candidate’s campaigns)

Going into Tuesday night’s general election, Tennessee Democrats had high hopes of whittling into the Republican supermajority by winning a handful of House seats that are currently held by Republicans.  On the flipside, GOP leaders targeted growing their supermajority by flipping three Middle Tennessee seats currently held by Democrats.

Neither came to fruition, but one came close.

State Representative Ronnie Glynn (Photo by Glynn Campaign)

Representative Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, won re-election by just 131 votes in Clarksville’s House District 67. Glynn received 11,051 votes to his Republican challenger, Jamie Dean Peltz’s 10,920.

 “I was hoping for a bigger margin, but I’m not upset. It was always going to be a close race, we knew that, but 50 plus one is a win, and that’s all that matters,” said Glynn in an interview with ClarksvilleNow.com following the election results.

During the campaign Glynn described himself as a “loud voice in opposition to privatize schools with vouchers and charter schools” and he will be expected to join opponents next year who vote against Governor Lee’s universal school choice plan, frequently referred to as vouchers, that would allow parents use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school.

Jamie Dean Peltz (Photo by Peltz Campaign)

Peltz has said she supports “increase educational opportunities for our teachers and students” but did not campaign in support or opposition to the Governor’s universal school choice plan.  Following the election results, she vowed to run for office again. 

“While the results are not as we had hoped, I want to make it clear that I am not going anywhere. This campaign has only strengthened my commitment to our community and deepened my resolve to work even harder. Tonight, we are already looking forward and gearing up for 2026, preparing for the opportunities that lie ahead,” wrote Jamie Dean Peltz on social media.

Republicans and Democrats fail to flip other Middle Tennessee seats

Republicans also failed to unseat Representative Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, in House District 50 and flip Davidson County’s open House District 60.

Republican Metro Council Member Jennifer Frensley Webb outraised Representative Mitchell on the most recent campaign filing, but her 14,084 votes came more than 2 thousand short of the incumbent’s 16,589.  

In House District 60, Democrat Shaundelle Brooks received 16,636 votes to Republican Chad Bobo’s 14,300. That seat opened to challengers when Representative Darren Jernigan, D-Old Hickory, announced he wouldn’t run for re-election. 

Democrats had hopes of unseating Representative Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, in House District 49 and Representative Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville, in House District 75, especially after both challengers reported more contributions than their incumbent opponents on two straight campaign filings.

Those hopes did not materialize on election day.

Representative Burkhart received 11,162 votes to his Democratic party challenger Allie Phillips’ 9,226.

Representative Sparks won by a slightly more comfortable margin, receiving 15,351 votes Democrat Luis Mata’s 11,485.

Status quo for East and West Tennessee

Democrats also hoped to challenge Representative Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville, in East Tennessee’s House District 18 and Representative John Gillespie, R-Memphis, in West Tennessee’s House District 97.

Representative Davis won 18,599 votes to Democrat Bryan Goldberg’s 15,996.

The race was closer in Memphis where Democrat Jesse Huseth reported higher campaign contributions on two straight campaign filings, but his 15,275 votes trailed Representative Gillespie’s 16,352.

Republicans also held on to Hamilton County’s House District 27 seat that opened up when Representative Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, lost in the Republican primary last August to challenger Michele Reneau.

In the general election Reneau received 23,058 votes to Democrat Kathy Lennon’s 15,261.

Winning candidates will return to Nashville for the start of the 114 General Assembly that convenes on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.