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Tennessee, State Senate, District 29

Tennessee State Senate District 29
Current incumbentRaumesh Akbari Democratic Party

Tennessee's twenty-ninth state senate district is represented by Democratic Senator Raumesh Akbari.

Tennessee state senators represent an average of 192,306 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 172,403 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Tennessee State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Tennessee legislators assume office the 15th of January following the election.

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the Tennessee State Senate, a candidate must be:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • 30 years old before the general election
  • A three-year resident of Tennessee before the general election
  • A district resident for 1 year prior to the general election
  • A qualified voter
  • The following situations would eliminate a candidate from qualifying for office:
    • Those who have been convicted of offering or giving a bribe, or of larceny, or any other offense declared infamous by law, unless restored to citizenship in the mode pointed out by law;
    • Those against whom there is a judgment unpaid for any moneys received by them, in any official capacity, due to the United States, to this state, or any county thereof;
    • Those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, and the election of any such person shall be void;
    • Soldiers, seamen, marines, or airmen in the regular army or navy or air force of the United States; and
    • Members of congress, and persons holding any office of profit or trust under any foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States.

Salaries

State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$22,667/year$229/day

Vacancies

In Tennessee, there are two ways a vacancy can be filled in the senate. When twelve months or more remain in a unfilled term, a special election must be held within the allowable time frame set by law. If less than twelve months remain in the term, the current members of the senate must vote on a replacement.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Tennessee State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 6, 2020. The filing deadline is April 2, 2020.

2018

General election
General election for Tennessee State Senate District 29

Raumesh Akbari (D) defeated Tom Stephens (R) in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 29 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Raumesh Akbari (D)
83.5
43,851

Tom Stephens (R)
16.5
8,679

Total votes: 52,530
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 29

Raumesh Akbari defeated Justin Ford in the Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 29 on August 2, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Raumesh Akbari (D)
58.4
14,861

Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

Justin Ford (D)
41.6
10,577

Total votes: 25,438
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 29

Tom Stephens advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 29 on August 2, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Tom Stephens (R)
100
3,873

Total votes: 3,873

2014

Elections for 18 seats in the Tennessee State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 7, 2014. A general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 3, 2014. Lee Harris defeated incumbent Ophelia Ford, Ricky Dixon and Herman Sawyer in the Democratic primary. James Finney defeated Anthony Herron, Jr. in the Republican primary. Harris defeated Finney in the general election.

Tennessee State Senate District 29, General Election, 2014

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngLee Harris 81.9% 27,707
Republican James R. "Jim" Finney 18.1% 6,123
Total Votes 33,830

Tennessee State Senate, District 29 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngLee Harris 42.5% 10,517
Ricky Dixon 27.8% 6,882
Ophelia Ford 27.3% 6,756
Herman Sawyer 2.5% 611
Total Votes 24,766

Tennessee State Senate, District 29 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJim Finney 82% 3,111
Anthony Herron, Jr. 18% 682
Total Votes 3,793

2010

Elections for the office of Tennessee State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 5, 2010, and a general election on November 2, 2010. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 1, 2010. Incumbent Ophelia Ford (D) defeated Robert Hill (R) and Herman Sawyer (I) in the general election. Ford and Hill were unopposed in their respective primaries.

Tennessee State Senate, District 29, General Election, 2010

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngOphelia Ford Incumbent 63.2% 18,234
Republican Robert Hill 26.6% 7,657
Independent Herman Sawyer 10.2% 2,946
Total Votes 28,837

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2014, candidates for Tennessee State Senate District 29 raised a total of $735,283. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $49,019 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Tennessee State Senate District 29

Year Amount Candidates Average
2014 $181,632 6 $30,272
2012 $28,000 1 $28,000
2010 $49,242 3 $16,414
2008 $11,966 1 $11,966
2006 $128,943 2 $64,472
2002 $335,500 2 $167,750
Total $735,283 15 $49,019