NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — While the country will be waiting to see who will be the next president of the United States after tomorrow's election, local decisions will also be made at the ballot box.
In Tennessee, voters will also be choosing who to send back to the Tennessee General Assembly in January for the next two years.
State house races
A number of races will be easy, uncontested affairs, there are a number of seats Tennessee Democrats hope to either retain or take over for the next legislative session.
Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) is facing off against a Republican challenger in Wyatt Rampy for the District 20 seat in the Tennessee Senate.
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A number of Nashville Democrats in the House of Representatives are also hoping to stave off challenges to their seats, including Reps. Bo Mitchell (D-50), Aftyn Behn (D-51), Justin Jones (D-52), and Jason Powell (D-53).
Mitchell faces Republican Jennifer Frensley Webb, who is also a Metro Councilwoman in District 10. Jones also faces a Republican challenger in Laura Jones, who previously ran against him and lost.
Powell faces both an Independent and a Republican challenge in Rueben I. Dockery and Yog Nepal, respectively.
Behn faces a challenge from Independent candidate Jeff Ketelsen.
The only fully open seat in the general assembly is that of former State Rep. Darren Jernigan, who retired from public office to take a position with Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration. That race saw multiple people enter the field in both primaries in August.
Ultimately, Chad Bobo won the Republican primary. He faces off against Democratic candidate Shaundelle Brooks, an Nashville activist and the mother of Akilah DaSilva, who was killed in the 2018 Antioch Waffle House shooting.
Further north, in Montgomery County, Clarksville residents will have three state house seats to decide on the ballot.
Voters in Districts 67, 68 and 75 will have contested races to decide for representation in the general assembly.
In District 67, incumbent Democratic Rep. Ronnie Glynn faces a challenge from Republican Jamie Dean Peltz. Over in District 75, another incumbent Republican, Rep. Jeff Burkhart, faces a challenge from Democrat Allie Phillips, who went viral for sharing her story of losing her second daughter, Miley Rose, during pregnancy in 2023.
The District 68 race, however, has all new faces in the game. Republican nominee Aron Maberry will face Democratic nominee Garfield Scott.
Transit referendum
The biggest local question for Davidson County voters, however, will be the mayor's proposed transit referendum.
Mayor O'Connell first proposed the sweeping legislation in April, introducing the ordinance to the Metro Council, where he got unanimous approval to send the measure to voters. The Davidson County Election Commission also had to weigh in, approving the ballot initiative to appear in the Nov. 5 general election.
Passage of the initiative would include approving a 0.5% sales tax increase, as well as grants and transportation fares, and debt service, to fund the nearly $3.1 billion capital expenditure.
According to the mayor's office, the recurring costs of the plan are estimated to be $111,000,000.
Additionally, the half-cent tax would sunset upon payment of the transit improvement program and once Metro Council determines by resolution that the revenues from the tax surcharges are "no longer needed for operation" of the program.
Davidson County polls open at 7 a.m. on Election Day and close at 7 p.m.
Those in line before the 7 p.m. close will be permitted to cast their ballot. For more information on Davidson County election information, visit the county election commission office website here.