| Tennessee Republican Party | |
| Party Articletitle: | Republican Party (United States)--> |
| Colorcode: |
|
| Headquarters: | 95 White Bridge Road, Suite 414 Nashville, Tennessee 37205 |
| Chairperson: | Scott Golden |
| Leader1 Title: | Governor of Tennessee |
| Leader1 Name: | Bill Lee |
| Leader2 Title: | Senate Leader |
| Leader2 Name: | Lt. Gov. Randy McNally |
| Leader3 Title: | House Leader |
| Leader3 Name: | Speaker Cameron Sexton |
| National: | Republican Party |
| Colors: | Red (unofficial) |
| Seats1 Title: | United States Senate delegation |
| Seats2 Title: | United States House of Representatives delegation |
| Seats3 Title: | Seats in the Tennessee State Senate |
| Seats4 Title: | Seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives |
| State: | Tennessee |
The Tennessee Republican Party (TRP or TNGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Tennessee. Since the mid-1960s, the state has become increasingly Republican. The current chairman of the Republican Party of Tennessee is Scott Golden. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling the majority of Tennessee's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, both houses of the state legislature, and the governorship.
Upon its entry into the Union in 1796, Tennessee was strongly Democratic-Republican. Tennessee became a two-party system for more than 20 years during the Jacksonian era. The Democratic Party was formed by Jackson followers, and this party was dominant against the rival Whig Party led by Henry Clay. But in 1835, there was a turn in power of party, and a Whig governor was elected. Tennessee, after the American Civil War was part of the Democratic South for about a century. East Tennessee, however, remained strongly Republican. Even though the state was predominantly Democratic, two different presidential elections won the state of Tennessee in 1920 and 1928. In the 1960s and 1970s Republicans made a push into the Democratic power when, in 1966, Howard Baker was elected US senator. Then again Republicans made another push when Winfield Dunn was elected governor, the first Republican Governor in over 50 years.[1]
Republicans rarely held seats in the U.S. House from the South during the Solid South period with the party only holding two seats in Tennessee between 1947 and 1952, out of the 105 seats in the south. Republicans won 80 of 2,565 congressional elections in the south during the first half of the 20th century. 50 of these victories were in eastern Tennessee.
The Tennessee Republican Party has had five chairmen since 2005. On December 11, 2004, the State Executive Committee unanimously elected Bob Davis[2] as Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party to serve for the calendar years 2005 and 2006. He was subsequently elected to a second two-year term, 2007 and 2008, but resigned from the chairmanship in August 2007 to become Senior Adviser to presidential candidate Fred Thompson. The party's State Executive Committee then chose Robin Smith,[3] former chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party and vice chairman of the Tennessee GOP under Davis, to complete Davis's two-year term.
Republicans won a victory in Tennessee's 2008 elections, when the party won majorities in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly for the first time since the Reconstruction Era election of 1868. Smith was unanimously re-elected at the end of 2008 to a full two-year term as chairman for calendar years 2009 and 2010. In April 2009, Smith announced her resignation in order to run for Congress in Tennessee's 3rd congressional district in the August 2010 Republican primary.[4]
The Chairman of the Republican Party of Tennessee is Scott Golden, who was elected on December 3, 2016.[5]
The Tennessee Republican Party controls the governor's office and a supermajority in the Tennessee Senate and the Tennessee House of Representatives. Republicans hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and 8 of the state's 9 U.S. House seats.
As of 2024:
As of 2024:
Here is the structure of the party as of December 2011[6]
The state executive committee (SEC) operates as the governing body for the state party. They establish rules and measures that best promote the success of the Republican Party and the broadening of its base. The SEC serves as the TRP's state primary board and establishes to guide and direct County Republican Parties. One man and one woman are elected from each state senate district.[7]
See also: 2010 Tennessee elections.
In the 2010 Tennessee gubernatorial election, Republican nominee Bill Haslam flipped the governors seat. With the state legislature also being controlled by Republicans, this established a historic Republican government trifecta for the first time since the reconstruction era election of 1869.[8] Ever since this election, Republicans have maintained their trifecta, electing Republicans since then.
See also: 2008 Tennessee elections.
See also: 2012 Tennessee elections. In 2008 Republicans won a historic victory when the party won majorities in both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly for the first time since the reconstruction era election of 1868.[9]
Since 2008, Republicans have maintained their majorities in both chambers and gained a historic Supermajority in both chambers in 2012.[10]
Like other Southern states, before the 1960s, Tennessee was a solidly Democratic state. However, that started to change in the 1970s.
Since 2000, Republicans have maintained their presidential election winning streak. The last time Tennessee voted for a Democratic presidential nominee was in 1996
See also: List of United States senators from Tennessee.
See also: List of United States representatives from Tennessee.
Republicans have held hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats since 1994. The current Republican senators are Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.
Republicans have also held a majority of U.S. House seats since 2010. The current delegation is an 8-1 Republican majority.
In 2008, the Tennessee Republican Party issued a press release that featured a photo of Senator Obama dressed in traditional Kenya clothing that the TN GOP called "Muslim attire" and used Obama's middle name "Hussein." Both Senator John McCain and State Democratic Chairman Gray Sasser decried the press release.[15] [16]