Gordon Weaver Browning was an American politician who served as the 38th governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939, and again from 1949 to 1953. He also served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1923 to 1935, and was Chancellor of Tennessee's Eighth Chancery District in the 1940s. As governor, he stabilized state finances, doubled the state's mileage of paved roads, and enacted legislation to curb voter fraud. His victory in the hard-fought 1948 gubernatorial campaign helped break the power of Memphis political boss E. H. Crump.
Edward Hull "Boss" Crump Jr. was an American politician from Memphis, Tennessee. Representing the Democratic Party, he was the dominant force in the city's politics for most of the first half of the 20th century, during which the city had a commission form of government. He also usually dominated Tennessee politics from the 1920s to the 1940s. He was elected and served as mayor of Memphis from 1910 to 1915 and again briefly in 1940. However, he effectively appointed every mayor who was elected from 1915 to 1954.
Harry Hill McAlister was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937. He also served as Nashville's city attorney in the early 1900s, and as Tennessee's state treasurer in the 1920s and early 1930s. Inaugurated as governor at the height of the Great Depression, McAlister enacted massive spending cuts in an attempt to stabilize state finances. He coordinated federal programs in the state aimed at providing Depression-era relief.
Malcolm Rice Patterson was an American politician and jurist. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1901 to 1906, and as the 30th governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. He later served as a circuit court judge in Memphis (1923–1934), and wrote a weekly column for the Memphis Commercial Appeal (1921–1933).
Ben Walter Hooper, was an American politician who served two terms as the 31st governor of Tennessee from 1911 to 1915. Elected as a Fusionist candidate, he was one of just three Republicans to hold the office from the end of Reconstruction to the last quarter of the 20th century. His success was due to divisions in the state Democratic Party over prohibition; he received support from some of the party. During his two terms, Hooper signed several prohibition laws, enacted a measure requiring mandatory school attendance, and signed a law requiring direct pay for women workers.
Kenneth Douglas McKellar was an American politician from Tennessee who served as a United States Representative from 1911 until 1917 and as a United States Senator from 1917 until 1953. A Democrat, he served longer in both houses of Congress than anyone else in Tennessee history.
Thomas Clarke Rye was an American politician who served as the 32nd governor of Tennessee from 1915 to 1919. An ardent supporter of prohibition of alcoholic beverages, he helped reunify the state's Democratic Party, which had been divided over the issue for nearly a decade. Rye is perhaps best remembered for enacting the "Ouster Law," which was aimed at curbing the power of political boss E. H. Crump.
Luke Lea was an American attorney, politician and newspaper publisher. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1911 to 1917. Lea was the longtime publisher of The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, and a United States Army veteran of World War I. In 1919 he led an unauthorized and unsuccessful attempt to kidnap the recently exiled German Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Newell Sanders was a Chattanooga businessman who served for a relatively brief time as a United States Senator from Tennessee.
The 1912–13 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. They were the last U.S. Senate elections before the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, establishing direct elections for all Senate seats. Senators had been primarily chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1912 and 1913, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. Some states elected their senators directly even before passage of Seventeenth Amendment. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to adopt measures reflecting the people's will. By 1912, as many as 29 states elected senators either as nominees of their party's primary or in conjunction with a general election.
The 1934 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 1934. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a fourth term in office, defeating Republican former Governor Ben W. Hooper.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate from the State of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander defeated Democrat Gordon Ball, and was re-elected to a third term in office with 61.9% of the vote against 31.9%.
The 1952 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 4, 1952. Incumbent Democratic Senator and President pro tempore of the Senate Kenneth D. McKellar ran for re-election to a seventh term in office but was defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Al Gore Sr. Gore easily won the general election against Republican Hobart Atkins.
The 2020 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 3, 2020, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate. The 2020 U.S. presidential election and elections to the U.S. House of Representatives were also held, as well as the State Senate and State House elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced that he would not run for re-election on December 17, 2018. The former United States Ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty won the open seat by a large margin defeating his Democratic opponent Marquita Bradshaw.
The 1922 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 7, 1922. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Republican former interim Senator Newell Sanders.
The 1928 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 6, 1928. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth McKellar was re-elected to a third term in office, defeating Republican Mayor of Knoxville James A. Fowler.
The 1940 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a fifth term in office, defeating Republican Howard Baker.
The 1946 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 1946. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a sixth term in office. He defeated a primary challenge by Edward W. Carmack Jr. and easily won the general election against Republican William B. Ladd, and Independent candidate John Randolph Neal Jr.
The 1934 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1934. Incumbent Democratic Governor Hill McAlister won re-election to a second term, defeating Independent nominee Lewis S. Pope in a rematch with 61.8% of the vote.
The 1928 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1928. Incumbent Democratic Governor Austin Peay died in office on October 2, 1927. Tennessee’s Democratic Speaker of the Senate, Henry Hollis Horton became governor according to Tennessee’s gubernatorial succession law. In the general election, Henry defeated Republican nominee Raleigh Hopkins with 61.1% of the vote.
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