2006 Tennessee Senate election

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For related races, see 2006 United States state legislative elections.
Not to be confused with 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee.

2006 Tennessee Senate election
← 2004 November 7, 2006 2008 →
17 of the 33 seats in the Tennessee State Senate
17 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader John Wilder
(lost re-election as Speaker) 		Ron Ramsey
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat 26th district 4th district
Last election 16 seats 17 seats
Seats before 15 18
Seats won 16 17
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 382,417 430,988
Percentage 47.01% 52.99%
Results:
     Democratic gain
     Republican hold      Democratic hold
     No Election
Vote Share:
     50–60%      60–70%      >90%
     50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90%
Speaker before election

John Wilder
Democratic

Elected Speaker

Ron Ramsey
Republican

The 2006 Tennessee State Senate election was held on November 7, 2006, to elect 17 of the 33 seats for the Tennessee's State Senate. The elections coincided with the Governor, U.S. House, and State House elections. The primary elections were held on August 3, 2006.[1]

Following the 2006 elections, Democrats regained District 27 after the party-switching incumbent Don McLeary lost re-election. This returned the Tennessee State Senate to a narrow 17–16 Republican majority, the same margin as in 2004. Unlike in 2005, when two Republicans sided with Democrats to re-elect John Wilder as Speaker, Republicans remained united this time and successfully elected Ron Ramsey, making him the first Republican Senate Speaker since Philip P.C. Nelson in 1869.[2]

Background

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Beginning in 2005, Republicans gained control of the Tennessee Senate for the first time since 1869, holding a slim one-vote majority. Despite the edge, Republicans were denied control of the chamber's leadership. On January 11, 2005, two Republican senators—Michael Williams of Maynardville and Tim Burchett of Knoxville—broke with their party and voted with Democrats to re-elect long-time Senate Speaker John Wilder by an 18–15 margin, and was sworn in for his eighteenth term as lieutenant governor. Their defections, combined with Wilder's unanimous Democratic support, secured his hold on the speakership.[3]

As part of the power-sharing arrangement that followed, Wilder appointed Williams as Speaker pro tempore and gave Republicans majorities on seven of the Senate's nine committees. However, he retained five Democratic committee chairmen, leaving Democrats in charge of two committees, including the influential Finance Committee. This compromise angered many Republicans, who felt they had been unfairly denied full control despite their majority.[4]

In February 2006, Democratic senator Don McLeary switched his party affiliation to the Republican Party.[5] This grew the senate majority temporally to a 18–15 Republican edge.

Aftermath

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When the Senate reconvened in January 2007 following the 2006 elections, the political dynamics shifted. Both Michael Williams and Tim Burchett cast their votes for Republican Ron Ramsey. There was a crossover vote from Rosalind Kurita, a Democratic senator from Clarksville, who surprised colleagues by voting for Ramsey. Kurita described her action as a “vote of conscience,” arguing that Republicans had been undemocratically denied leadership two years earlier. With her support, Ramsey was elected Senate Speaker by an 18–15 margin, becoming the first Republican to hold the position in nearly 140 years. Kurita was subsequently chosen as Speaker pro tempore.[4][6]

Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
Rothenberg[7] Lean R November 4, 2006

Results summary

[edit]
Party Candidates Votes Seats
No. % Before Up Won After +/–
Republican 13 430,988 52.99% 18 11 10 17 Decrease 1
Democratic 13 382,417 47.01% 15 6 7 16 Increase 1
Total 813,405 100.00% 33 33 Steady
Source: [1]
Popular vote
Republican
 
 52.99%
Democratic
 
 47.01%
Senate seats
Republican
 
 51.52%
Democratic
 
 48.48%

Closest races

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One race was decided by a margin of under 10%:

District Winner Margin
District 27 Democratic (gain) 0.90%

District 1

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Southerland 15,859 100.00%
Total votes 15,859 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Duran Williams 3,862 100.00%
Total votes 3,862 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 1
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Southerland 31,958 68.82%
Democratic Duran Williams 14,476 31.18%
Total votes 46,434 100.00%
Republican hold

District 3

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rusty Crowe 18,984 100.00%
Total votes 18,984 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 3
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rusty Crowe 34,245 100.00%
Total votes 34,245 100.00%
Republican hold

District 5

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Randy McNally 17,784 100.00%
Total votes 17,784 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 5
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Randy McNally 48,574 100.00%
Total votes 48,574 100.00%
Republican hold

District 7

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Burchett 11,372 100.00%
Total votes 11,372 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 7
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Burchett 36,594 100.00%
Total votes 36,594 100.00%
Republican hold

District 9

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dewayne Bunch 10,079 55.95%
Republican Lindsay L. Hathcock, Jr. 5,839 32.41%
Republican Gary Benefield 2,097 11.64%
Total votes 18,015 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 9
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dewayne Bunch 34,414 100.00%
Total votes 34,414 100.00%
Republican hold

District 11

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bo Watson 15,691 100.00%
Total votes 15,691 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Hall 5,881 100.00%
Total votes 5,881 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 11
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bo Watson 39,968 63.94%
Democratic Jim Hall 22,538 36.06%
Total votes 62,506 100.00%
Republican hold

District 13

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Ketron 11,000 100.00%
Total votes 11,000 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Vince B. Springer 8,958 100.00%
Total votes 8,958 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 13
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Ketron 31,457 57.98%
Democratic Vince B. Springer 22,799 42.02%
Total votes 54,256 100.00%
Republican hold

District 15

[edit]
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Burks 20,280 82.18%
Democratic David L. Gentry 4,399 17.82%
Total votes 24,679 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 15
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charlotte Burks 40,911 100.00%
Total votes 40,911 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 17

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mae Beavers 13,591 100.00%
Total votes 13,591 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Rochelle 11,100 60.87%
Democratic Aubrey T. Givens 7,136 39.13%
Total votes 18,236 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 17
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mae Beavers 34,525 57.59%
Democratic Bob Rochelle 25,427 42.41%
Total votes 59,952 100.00%
Republican hold

District 19

[edit]
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thelma M. Harper 10,500 83.84%
Democratic Jesse Frank Tucker 2,024 16.16%
Total votes 12,524 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 19
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Thelma M. Harper 31,207 100.00%
Total votes 31,207 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 21

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Krumm 4,929 82.98%
Republican Manuel Fonseca 1,011 17.02%
Total votes 5,940 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Douglas Henry 8,634 80.10%
Democratic Gary Pennington 2,145 19.90%
Total votes 10,779 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 21
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Douglas Henry 36,834 66.27%
Republican Bob Krumm 18,751 33.73%
Total votes 55,585 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 23

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Johnson 4,623 30.71%
Republican Ray "Chip" T. Throckmorton, III 4,353 28.91%
Republican Tom Neill 3,408 22.64%
Republican Jeff Ford 1,663 11.05%
Republican Bob Barnwell 699 4.64%
Republican Andy Ogles 309 2.05%
Total votes 15,055 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary A. Parker 4,675 100.00%
Total votes 4,675 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 23
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Johnson 46,722 59.27%
Democratic Mary A. Parker 32,109 40.73%
Total votes 78,831 100.00%
Republican hold

District 25

[edit]
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doug Jackson 16,537 85.25%
Democratic Travis Wood 2,861 14.75%
Total votes 19,398 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 25
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Doug Jackson 36,565 100.00%
Total votes 36,565 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 27

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don McLeary 13,305 100.00%
Total votes 13,305 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lowe Finney 10,976 100.00%
Total votes 10,976 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 27
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Lowe Finney 26,804 50.45%
Republican Don McLeary 26,324 49.55%
Total votes 53,128 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

District 29

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Terry Allen Roland 3,972 100.00%
Total votes 3,972 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ophelia E. Ford 15,607 80.83%
Democratic Stephen Haley 3,702 19.17%
Total votes 19,309 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 29
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ophelia E. Ford 29,965 72.37%
Republican Terry Allen Roland 11,438 27.37%
Total votes 41,403 100.00%
Democratic hold

District 31

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Stanley 16,917 100.00%
Total votes 16,917 100.00%
Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ivon L. Faulkner 7,998 100.00%
Total votes 7,998 100.00%
2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 31
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Stanley 36,018 62.48%
Democratic Ivon L. Faulkner 21,625 37.52%
Total votes 57,643 100.00%
Republican hold

District 33

[edit]
Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael G. Floyd 4,910 100.00%
Total votes 4,910 100.00%

Michael G Floyd halted is campaign for Tennessee State Senate.[1]

Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathryn I. Bowers 12,993 57.31%
Democratic Steve Webster 4,991 22.02%
Democratic Jennings Bernard 2,529 11.16%
Democratic John A. Brown 2,157 9.51%
Total votes 22,670 100.00%

Kathryn I. Bowers halted her campaign for Tennessee State Senate after resigning office on September 1, 2006. The Shelby County Democratic Party selected Reginald Tate as a replacement for Bowers on the ballot.[1]

2006 Tennessee Senate election, District 33
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Reginald Tate 41,157 100.00%
Total votes 41,157 100.00%
Democratic hold

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tennessee State Senate elections, 2006". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Locker, Richard. "Tennessee Senate Speaker Ramsey announces he won't run for re-election". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  3. ^ Ashe, Victor. "Victor Ashe: Jimmy Matlock's attack on Tim Burchett marks start of GOP silly season". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "In the Tennessee Senate, a Historic Shift of Power". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  5. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System".
  6. ^ "Rosalind Kurita: Speculation About Deal with Ramsey "Nonsensical"". MemphisFlyer. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  7. ^ "State Legislature Ratings". www.insideelections.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.