2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee

The Tennessee U.S. House elections took place on November 7, 2006. All nine House seats for Tennessee were up for election.

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2006[1]
Party		Votes	Percentage	Seats	+/–
	Democratic	860,861	50.18%	5	—
	Republican	799,547	46.61%	4	—
	Independents	55,018	3.21%	0	—
Totals		1,715,426	100.00%	9	—

District 1

Incumbent Republican Congressman Bill Jenkins, approaching his seventieth birthday, declined to seek a sixth term in order to spend more time with his family, creating an open seat. This staunchly conservative district, based in northeastern Tennessee, has been held by Republicans since 1881, one of the longest streaks out of any district nationwide. Republican State Representative David Davis won a narrow victory in the Republican primary and moved on to the general election, where he defeated Democratic candidate Rick Trent, a real estate businessman, and several independent candidates by a solid, but smaller margin than is normally seen in this district.

Tennessee's 1st congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David Davis	108,336	61.11
	Democratic	Rick Trent	65,538	36.97
	Independent	Robert N. Smith	1,024	0.58
	Independent	James W. Reeves	1,003	0.57
	Independent	Michael Peavler	966	0.54
	Independent	Michael Sabri	411	0.23
Total votes			177,278	100.00
	Republican hold

District 2

Incumbent Republican Congressman Jimmy Duncan, seeking a tenth term, faced no serious competition from two-time congressional candidate John Greene. This congressional district, based largely in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area, has been continuously held by the Republican Party since 1867 and has a long history of staunch conservatism. Duncan defeated Greene in an overwhelming landslide, as expected, winning another term in Congress.

Tennessee's 2nd congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jimmy Duncan (inc.)	157,095	77.72
	Democratic	John Greene	45,025	22.28
Total votes			202,120	100.00
	Republican hold

District 3

This gerrymandered district, which stretches from the Chattanooga metropolitan area in southern Tennessee to Claiborne County in northern Tennessee, is strongly conservative and has been represented by Republican Congressman Zach Wamp since his initial 1994 election. Seeking a seventh term, Wamp easily dispatched Democratic nominee Brent Benedict to win re-election.

Tennessee's 3rd congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Zach Wamp (inc.)	130,791	65.69
	Democratic	Brent Benedict	68,324	34.31
Total votes			199,115	100.00
	Republican hold

District 4

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Lincoln Davis has represented this district since his 2002 election, claiming the seat that Van Hilleary vacated to run for Governor of Tennessee. Though this district has become more conservative in recent years, it has a long history of electing Democratic Congressmen, including Jim Cooper, Al Gore, and Albert Gore, Sr.. It stretches from the outer reaches of the Nashville metropolitan area, hugs much of the southern Tennessee border, and shoots upwards to Campbell County in northern Tennessee. Davis ultimately defeated Republican candidate Kenneth Martin in a landslide win to seize a third term in Congress.

Tennessee's 4th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lincoln Davis (inc.)	123,666	66.45
	Republican	Kenneth Martin	62,449	33.55
Total votes			186,115	100.00
	Democratic hold

District 5

This Democratic-leaning district, largely based in the city of Nashville, has been represented by Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper since 2002, though he had previously represented an adjacent district from 1983 to 1995. True to the district's liberal tilt, Cooper swamped Republican nominee Thomas Kovach and independent candidate Ginny Welsch to win a third term in Congress.

Tennessee's 5th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Cooper (inc.)	122,919	69.00
	Republican	Thomas F. Kovach	49,702	27.90
	Independent	Ginny Welsch	3,766	2.11
	Independent	Scott Knapp	1,755	0.99
Total votes			178,142	100.00
	Democratic hold

District 6

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Bart Gordon, a high-ranking member on the House Science and Technology Committee, sought a twelfth term in this increasingly conservative district based in the eastern suburbs of Nashville. In a testament to Gordon's moderate tenure, his widespread popularity, and the Democratic wave sweeping the country in 2006, Gordon was re-elected again with nearly seventy percent of the vote.

Tennessee's 6th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bart Gordon (inc.)	129,069	67.09
	Republican	David R. Davis	60,392	31.39
	Independent	Robert L. Garrison	2,035	1.06
	Independent	Norman R. Saliba	884	0.46
Total votes			192,380	100.00
	Democratic hold

District 7

This staunchly conservative district, which stretches from the western suburbs of Memphis, runs along the southern border of Tennessee, and hugs the western suburbs of Nashville, is the state's wealthiest. Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn has represented this district since her election in 2002, replacing Republican Congressman Ed Bryant, who opted to run for Senate. Blackburn was victorious in her bid for a third term, defeating Democratic nominee Bill Morrison and five independents in a landslide.

Tennessee's 7th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Marsha Blackburn (inc.)	152,288	66.05
	Democratic	Bill Morrison	73,369	31.82
	Independent	Kathleen A. Culver	1,806	0.78
	Independent	Mickey White	898	0.39
	Independent	William J. Smith	848	0.37
	Independent	John L. Rimer	710	0.31
	Independent	Gayl G. Pratt	663	0.29
Total votes			230,582	100.00
	Republican hold

District 8

This Republican-leaning district, rooted in the northwestern portion of the state, has been represented by moderate Democratic Congressman John S. Tanner since 1989, and, though it has grown more conservative over the years, has remained loyal to Tanner. Yet again, Tanner, who was seeking his ninth term in Congress, overwhelmed Republican nominee John Farmer to emerge victorious.

Tennessee's 8th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John S. Tanner (inc.)	129,610	73.18
	Republican	John Farmer	47,492	26.82
	Write-ins		6	0.00
Total votes			178,142	100.00
	Democratic hold

District 9

This district, based exclusively within the city of Memphis, has the distinction of being the state's most liberal district, the only district contained within one county, and Tennessee's only African-American majority district. Incumbent Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. opted to run for Senate rather than seeking a sixth term, creating an open seat. Democratic State Senator Steve Cohen won the Democratic primary to replace Ford with a slight plurality, which is tantamount to election in this district. Cohen faced Republican nominee Mark White and Jake Ford, the younger brother of Harold Ford, Jr. Cohen defeated both opponents by a solid margin, and held the distinction of being white and representing a solidly African-American district, a rarity.

Tennessee's 9th congressional district election, 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Steve Cohen	103,341	59.88
	Independent	Jake Ford	38,243	22.16
	Republican	Mark White	31,002	17.96
Total votes			172,586	100.00
	Democratic hold

References

1. http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2006/2006Stat.htm#42

See also