NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) — Nashville voters flipped the only seat Republicans lost Tuesday in the Tennessee General Assembly.
District 20 Republican Steve Dickerson lost his State Senate seat to Democratic challenger Heidi Campbell, the former Mayor of Oak Hill. Campbell won by a slim three percent margin.
Dickerson was one of the Tennessee legislature's few moderate Republicans. He often sided with Democrats on testy issues, including medical marijuana.
In another election note, Tennesseans on Tuesday elected the state’s first openly LGBTQ lawmakers to the State Assembly.
WTVF-TV reports Democrat Torrey Harris will represent a Memphis district in the Tennessee House. Republican Eddie Mannis will represent a Knoxville district in the lower chamber.
Prior to yesterday’s election, Tennessee was one of just five states that didn’t have an openly gay lawmaker holding state office.
