2006 Tennessee elections

Tennessee state elections in 2006 were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Primary elections for the United States House of Representatives, governorship, Tennessee Senate, and Tennessee House of Representatives, as well as various judicial retention elections, including elections for three Tennessee Supreme Court justices, were held on August 3, 2006. There were also two constitutional amendments to the Constitution of Tennessee on the November 7 ballot.

2006 Tennessee elections

← 2004 2008 →

United States Congress

Senate

Main article: 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee

Final results by county:

  Corker

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%

  Ford

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%

Incumbent Republican senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, retired after two terms in office. The open seat was narrowly won by Republican nominee Bob Corker, who defeated Democratic nominee Harold Ford Jr.

Results

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2006^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bob Corker	929,911	50.71%	−14.39
	Democratic	Harold Ford, Jr.	879,976	47.99%	+15.78
	Independent	Ed Choate	10,831	0.59%	N/A
	Independent	David Gatchell	3,746	0.20%	N/A
	Independent	Emory "Bo" Heyward	3,580	0.20%	N/A
	Independent	H. Gary Keplinger	3,033	0.17%	N/A
	Green	Chris Lugo	2,589	0.14%	N/A
	Write-in		29	0.00%	N/A
Majority			49,935	2.72%
Turnout			1,833,695	47.49%
	Republican hold		Swing	-14.39

August 3, 2006 primary results

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Harold Ford Jr.	333,789	79.10%
	Democratic	Gary Gene Davis	41,802	9.91%
	Democratic	John Jay Hooker	27,175	6.44%
	Democratic	Charles Smith	14,724	3.49%
	Democratic	Alvin Strauss	4,410	1.05%
Total votes			421,900	100

Republican primary results by county

Corker

•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

Hilleary

•   40–50%
•   50-60%

Bryant

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60-70%
•   70-80%

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bob Corker	231,541	48.13%
	Republican	Ed Bryant	161,189	33.50%
	Republican	Van Hilleary	83,078	17.27%
	Republican	Tate Harrison	5,309	1.10%
Total votes			481,117	100

House of Representatives

Main article: 2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee

District results:

  Democratic

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

  Republican

•   60–70%
•   70–80%

Tennessee elected nine U.S. Representatives, each representing one of Tennessee's nine congressional districts.

Results

District		Incumbent			Results	Candidates
District	2004 CPVI	Representative	Party	First elected
Tennessee 1	R+14	Bill Jenkins	Republican	1996	Incumbent retired. New member elected. Republican hold.	▌Y David Davis (Republican) 61.1% ▌Rick Trent (Democratic) 36.9% Others ▌Bob Smith (Green) 0.6% ▌James Reeves (Independent) 0.6% ▌Michael Peavler (Independent) 0.5% ▌Michael Sabri (Independent) 0.2%
Tennessee 2	R+11	Jimmy Duncan	Republican	1998	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jimmy Duncan (Republican) 77.7% ▌John Greene (Democratic) 22.3%
Tennessee 3	R+8	Zach Wamp	Republican	1994	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Zach Wamp (Republican) 65.7% ▌Brent Benedict (Democratic) 34.3%
Tennessee 4	R+3	Lincoln Davis	Democratic	2002	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Lincoln Davis (Democratic) 67.5% ▌Kenneth Martin (Republican) 32.5%
Tennessee 5	D+6	Jim Cooper	Democratic	1982 1994 (retired) 2002	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Jim Cooper (Democratic) 68.9% ▌Tom Kovach (Republican) 28.0% ▌Virginia Welsch (Independent) 2.1% ▌Scott Knapp (Independent) 1.0%
Tennessee 6	R+4	Bart Gordon	Democratic	1984	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Bart Gordon (Democratic) 67.1% ▌Randy Stamps (Republican) 31.4% ▌Robert Garrison (Independent) 1.1% ▌Norman Saliba (Independent) 0.5%
Tennessee 7	R+12	Marsha Blackburn	Republican	2002	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y Marsha Blackburn (Republican) 66.0% ▌Bill Morrison (Democratic) 31.8% Others ▌Katey Culver (Green) 0.8% ▌James White (Independent) 0.4% ▌William Smith (Independent) 0.4% ▌John L. Rimer (Independent) 0.3% ▌Gayl Pratt (Independent) 0.3%
Tennessee 8	EVEN	John Tanner	Democratic	1988	Incumbent re-elected.	▌Y John Tanner (Democratic) 73.2% ▌John Farmer (Republican) 26.8%
Tennessee 9	D+18	Harold Ford Jr.	Democratic	1996	Incumbent retired to run for U.S. Senator. New member elected. Democratic hold.	▌Y Steve Cohen (Democratic) 59.9% ▌Jake Ford (Independent) 22.2% ▌Mark White (Republican) 18.0%

Popular vote Democratic   50.18% Republican   46.61% Other   3.21%

House seats Democratic   55.56% Republican   44.44%

Gubernatorial

Main article: 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election

Final results by county:

  Bredesen

•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

Incumbent Democratic governor Phil Bredesen was re-elected to a second term with 68.6% of the vote, defeating his Republican challenger Jim Bryson. Improving on his performance from 2002, Bredesen also carried every county in the state.

Results

2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Phil Bredesen (incumbent)	1,247,491	68.60%	+17.95%
	Republican	Jim Bryson	540,853	29.74%	−17.85%
	Independent	Carl Two Feathers Whitaker	11,374	0.63%	N/A
	Independent	George Banks	7,531	0.41%	N/A
	Independent	Charles E. Smith	4,083	0.22%	N/A
	Independent	Howard W. Switzer	2,711	0.15%	N/A
	Independent	David Gatchell	2,385	0.13%	N/A
	Independent	Marivuana Stout Leinoff	2,114	0.12%	N/A
	Write-in		7	0.00%	N/A
Majority			706,638	38.86%	+35.80%
Turnout			1,818,549
	Democratic hold		Swing

August 3, 2006 primary results

Democratic Party primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Phil Bredesen (incumbent)	393,004	88.50
	Democratic	John Jay Hooker	31,933	7.19
	Democratic	Tim Sevier	11,562	2.60
	Democratic	Walt Ward	7,555	1.70
Total votes			444,054	100.00

County results

Republican primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Bryson	160,786	50.03
	Republican	David M. Farmer	50,900	15.84
	Republican	Joe Kirkpatrick	34,491	10.73
	Republican	Mark Albertini	29,184	9.08
	Republican	Wayne Thomas Bailey	24,273	7.55
	Republican	Wayne Young	11,997	3.73
	Republican	Timothy Thomas	9,747	3.03
Total votes			321,378	100.00

State legislature

State Senate

Main article: 2006 Tennessee Senate election

See also: Tennessee General Assembly

Elections for 17 of the 33 seats in Tennessee's State Senate were held on November 7, 2006.

After this election, Republicans had 17 seats while Democrats had 16 seats. Both parties maintained their respective number of seats.

State House of Representatives

Main article: 2006 Tennessee House of Representatives election

The election of all 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives occurred on November 7, 2006.

Democrats won 53 seats, while Republicans won 46 seats. Both parties maintained their respective number of seats.

Ballot measures

Amendment 1

Main article: Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment

Tennessee Marriage Protection Act

Shall Article XI of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section: SECTION___. The historical institution and legal contract solemnizing the relationship of one man and one woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state. Any policy or law or judicial interpretation, purporting to define marriage as anything other than the historical institution and legal contract between one man and one woman, is contrary to the public policy of this state and shall be void and unenforceable in Tennessee. If another state or foreign jurisdiction issues a license for persons to marry and if such marriage is prohibited in this state by the provisions of this section, then the marriage shall be void and unenforceable in this state.
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 1,419,434 81.25% No 327,536 18.75% Valid votes 1,746,970 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 1,746,970 100.00%
Yes   90–100%   80–90%   70–80%   60–70%

The Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment is a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions. The referendum was approved by 81% of voters. It specified that only a marriage between a man and a woman could be legally recognized in the state of Tennessee. This prohibited same-sex marriages within the state, reinforcing previously existing statutes to the same effect^[5] until it was overturned by the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in June 2015.

Amendment 2

Main article: 2006 Tennessee Property Tax Relief Amendment

Amendment 2

Shall Article II Section 28, of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee be amended by inserting the following language immediately after the fourth paragraph: By general law, the legislature may authorize the following program of tax relief: (a) The legislative body of any county or municipality may provide by resolution or ordinance that: (1) Any taxpayer who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older and who owns residential property as the taxpayer’s principal place of residence shall pay taxes on such property in an amount not to exceed the maximum amount of tax on such property imposed at the time the ordinance or resolution is adopted; (2) Any taxpayer who reaches the age of sixty-five (65) after the time the ordinance or resolution is adopted, who owns residential property as the taxpayer’s principal place of residence, shall thereafter pay taxes on such property in an amount not to exceed the maximum amount of tax on such property imposed in the tax year in which such taxpayer reaches age sixty-five (65); and (3) Any taxpayer who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older, who purchases residential property as the taxpayer’s principal place of residence after the taxpayer’s sixty-fifth birthday, shall pay taxes in an amount not to exceed the maximum amount of tax imposed on such property in the tax year in which such property is purchased. (b) Whenever the full market value of such property is increased as a result of improvements to such property after the time the ordinance or resolution is adopted, then the assessed value of such property shall be adjusted to include such increased value and the taxes shall also be increased proportionally with the value. (c) Any taxpayer or taxpayers who own residential property as their principal place of residence whose total or combined annual income or wealth exceeds an amount to be determined by the General Assembly shall not be eligible to receive the tax relief provided in subsection (a) or (b)?
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 1,361,682 83.04% No 278,130 16.96% Valid votes 1,639,812 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 1,639,812 100.00%
Yes   80–90%   70–80%
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State[6]

The Property Tax Relief Amendment allows, but does require, the legislature to implement a program of property tax relief for persons 65 years or older.^[7]

Supreme Court

Retention elections (August 3, 2006)

All incumbent Tennessee Supreme Court Justices won their retention elections.

Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice, William M. Barker retention election^[8]

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	510,261	76.83
No	153,895	23.17
Total votes	664,156	100.00

Tennessee Supreme Court Associate Justice, Cornelia A. Clark retention election^[8]

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	478,027	74.44
No	164,109	25.56
Total votes	642,136	100.00

Tennessee Supreme Court Associate Justice, Janice Holder retention election^[8]

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	487,282	75.96
No	154,191	24.04
Total votes	641,473	100.00

Local elections

Clarksville

Main article: 2006 Clarksville mayoral election

Incumbent mayor Don Trotter ran for re-election, but came in third place, with Johnny Piper winning the election, receiving 29.0% of the vote.^[9]

November 7, 2006 Clarksville mayor election^[10]

Candidate	Votes	%
Johnny Piper	7,200	28.98%
Charles W. Smith	5,294	21.30%
Don Trotter (I)	5,204	20.94%
Morrell V. Boyd	4,107	16.53%
Mark Heihle	1,691	6.81%
Ray Stone	703	2.83%
Gary Carpenter	174	0.70%
Jon Lockwood	173	0.70%
Michael Flood	105	0.42%
Wilton Sowell	94	0.38%
Travis E. Rupe	83	0.33%
Write-ins	21	0.08%
Total	24,849	100.00%

See also

• Elections in Tennessee
• Political party strength in Tennessee
• Tennessee Democratic Party
• Tennessee Republican Party
• Government of Tennessee
• 2006 United States elections