2004 Tennessee Senate election
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November 2, 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 of the 33 seats in the Tennessee State Senate 17 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Results: Republican gain Republican hold Democratic hold No Election Vote Share: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg/1280px-Lieutenant_Governor_Ron_Ramsey_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
| Elections in Tennessee |
|---|
 |
 Government |
The 2004 Tennessee State Senate election was held on November 2, 2004, to elect 16 of the 33 seats for the Tennessee's State Senate. The elections coincided with the Presidential, U.S. House, and State House elections. The primary elections were held on August 5, 2004.[2]
Following the 2004 elections, Republicans gained control of the Tennessee Senate for the first time since 1869, holding a slim one-vote majority. Although Republicans held a majority, they were unable to take control of the Senate leadership. On January 11, 2005, Republican senators Michael Williams of Maynardville and Tim Burchett of Knoxville joined Democrats to re-elect long-time Speaker John Wilder. Wilder won 18–15 and was sworn in for his eighteenth term as lieutenant governor. Their defections, along with unanimous Democratic support, ensured Wilder remained in power.[3]
As part of the power-sharing arrangement that followed, Wilder named Williams Speaker pro tempore and gave Republicans majorities on seven of the Senate’s nine committees. However, he kept five Democratic chairmanships, leaving Democrats in charge of two committees, including the influential Finance Committee. The compromise angered many Republicans, who felt they had been unfairly denied full control despite their majority.[4]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Rothenberg[5] | Lean D | October 1, 2004 |
Results summary
| Party | Candidates | Votes | Seats | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | Before | Up | Won | After | +/– | |||
| Republican | 13 | 468,015 | 45.63% | 15 | 5 | 7 | 17 |  2 | |
| Democratic | 15 | 548,347 | 53.47% | 18 | 11 | 9 | 16 |  2 | |
| Independent | 2 | 9,203 | 0.90% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  | |
| Total | 1,025,565 | 100.00% | 33 | 33 | | ||||
| Source: [1] | |||||||||
Closest races
Three races were decided by a margin of under 10%:
| District | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| District 12 | Democratic | 8.8% |
| District 16 | Republican (gain) | 3.4% |
| District 18 | Republican (gain) | 3.2% |
Results by district
| District | Democratic | Republican | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 2 | 22,867 | 34.42% | 43,560 | 65.58% | – | – | 66,427 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 4 | – | – | 45,160 | 100.00% | – | – | 45,160 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 6 | 21,809 | 26.87% | 59,367 | 73.13% | – | – | 81,176 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 8 | 20,356 | 28.32% | 48,200 | 67.06% | 3,316 | 4.61% | 71,872 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
| District 10 | 44,256 | 71.51% | 17,635 | 28.49% | – | – | 61,891 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 12 | 35,624 | 54.40% | 29,864 | 45.60% | – | – | 65,488 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 14 | 47,178 | 100.00% | – | – | – | – | 47,178 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 16 | 34,675 | 48.29% | 37,125 | 51.71% | – | – | 71,800 | 100.00% | Republican gain |
| District 18 | 39,894 | 48.42% | 42,496 | 51.58% | – | – | 82,390 | 100.00% | Republican gain |
| District 20 | 57,503 | 100.00% | – | – | – | – | 57,503 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 22 | 36,806 | 56.87% | 27,909 | 43.13% | – | – | 64,715 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 24 | 45,335 | 65.01% | 24,400 | 34.99% | – | – | 69,735 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 26 | 37,211 | 55.54% | 29,784 | 44.46% | – | – | 66,995 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 28 | 40,765 | 100.00% | – | – | – | – | 40,765 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 30 | 42,254 | 67.20% | 14,736 | 23.44% | 5,887 | 9.36% | 62,877 | 100.00% | Democratic hold |
| District 32 | 21,814 | 31.34% | 47,779 | 68.66% | – | – | 69,613 | 100.00% | Republican hold |
See also
- 2004 Tennessee elections
- 2004 Tennessee House of Representatives election
References
- ^ Re-elected as Speaker due to crossover votes from two Republicans.
- ^ "Tennessee State Senate elections, 2004". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- ^ Ashe, Victor. "Victor Ashe: Jimmy Matlock's attack on Tim Burchett marks start of GOP silly season". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ "In the Tennessee Senate, a Historic Shift of Power". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ^ Jacobson, Louis (October 1, 2004). "Handicapping the State Legislatures: A 50-State Preview". The Rothenberg Political Report: 7–10 – via Harvard Dataverse.
