2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee
November 7, 2000
| |||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 63.03% [1] 6.41 pp | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||
Frist: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Clark: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Elections in Tennessee |
|---|
| Government |
The 2000 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 7, 2000, as part of the general election including the 2000 U.S. presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bill Frist won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic candidate Jeff Clark.
Bill Frist vastly overperformed George W. Bush in the concurrent presidential election by 13.95%, with Bush facing Vice President Al Gore who held Tennessee's other Senate seat for eight years. Frist also improved on his performance from 1994. This was the last time a Republican has exceeded 60% of the vote in Davidson County in a statewide election.[2]
Republican primary
Bill Frist, incumbent U.S. Senator was unopposed in the Republican primary. He received 186,882 votes.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Frist (Incumbent) | 186,882 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 186,882 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was held on August 3, 2000. In a field of five candidates, Jeff Clark, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, edged out John Jay Hooker to win the nomination.[4][3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jeff Clark | 64,851 | 34.23% | |
| Democratic | John Jay Hooker | 64,041 | 33.81% | |
| Democratic | Mary Taylor-Shelby | 28,604 | 15.10% | |
| Democratic | Shannon Wood | 25,372 | 13.39% | |
| Democratic | James Looney | 6,354 | 3.35% | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 218 | 0.12% | |
| Total votes | 189,440 | 100.00% | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Frist (Incumbent) | 1,255,444 | 65.10% | +8.75% | |
| Democratic | Jeff Clark | 621,152 | 32.21% | −9.89% | |
| Green | Tom Burrell | 25,815 | 1.34% | N/A | |
| Independent | Charles F. Johnson | 10,004 | 0.52% | +0.07 | |
| Independent | Robert Watson | 8,416 | 0.44% | N/A | |
| Independent | David Jarrod Ownby | 4,388 | 0.23% | N/A | |
| Independent | Joel Kinstle | 3,135 | 0.16% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 259 | 0.00% | N/A | ||
| Majority | 634,292 | 32.89% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[6] | Bill Frist Republican |
Jeff Clark Democratic |
Others
Independent/Green |
Margin | Total
votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | % | # | |||
| Anderson | 68.24% | 18,188 | 28.86% | 7,692 | 2.90% | 773 | 10,496 | 26,653 |
| Bedford | 62.33% | 6,683 | 36.69% | 3,934 | 0.98% | 105 | 2,749 | 10,722 |
| Benton | 51.02% | 3,071 | 47.55% | 2,862 | 1.43% | 146 | 209 | 6,079 |
| Bledsoe | 65.33% | 2,636 | 32.52% | 1,312 | 2.16% | 87 | 1,324 | 4,035 |
| Blount | 75.16% | 28,536 | 20.74% | 7,876 | 4.10% | 1,557 | 20,660 | 37,969 |
| Bradley | 77.44% | 22,264 | 20.68% | 5,945 | 1.88% | 542 | 16,319 | 28,751 |
| Campbell | 61.49% | 6,480 | 36.67% | 3,864 | 1.84% | 194 | 2,616 | 10,538 |
| Cannon | 56.69% | 2,393 | 40.39% | 1,705 | 2.91% | 123 | 688 | 4,221 |
| Carroll | 64.68% | 6,513 | 33.67% | 3,391 | 1.65% | 166 | 3,122 | 10,070 |
| Carter | 75.00% | 13,497 | 22.86% | 4,115 | 2.14% | 385 | 9,382 | 17,997 |
| Cheatham | 67.59% | 7,967 | 28.50% | 3,359 | 3.92% | 462 | 4,608 | 11,788 |
| Chester | 71.08% | 3,702 | 26.56% | 1,383 | 2.36% | 123 | 2,319 | 5,208 |
| Claiborne | 68.51% | 5,530 | 29.04% | 2,344 | 2.45% | 198 | 3,186 | 8,072 |
| Clay | 57.44% | 1,514 | 41.27% | 1,088 | 1.29% | 34 | 426 | 2,636 |
| Cocke | 76.21% | 6,557 | 20.86% | 1,795 | 2.93% | 252 | 4,762 | 8,604 |
| Coffee | 62.56% | 10,188 | 36.35% | 5,920 | 1.08% | 176 | 4,268 | 16,284 |
| Crockett | 65.50% | 3,282 | 33.15% | 1,661 | 1.36% | 68 | 1,621 | 5,011 |
| Cumberland | 70.15% | 12,322 | 26.72% | 4,693 | 3.14% | 551 | 7,629 | 17,566 |
| Davidson | 60.44% | 117,611 | 35.16% | 68,424 | 4.40% | 8,563 | 49,187 | 194,598 |
| Decatur | 59.92% | 2,423 | 38.92% | 1,574 | 1.16% | 47 | 849 | 4,044 |
| DeKalb | 54.99% | 2,948 | 42.01% | 2,252 | 3.00% | 161 | 696 | 5,361 |
| Dickson | 60.95% | 8,463 | 38.22% | 5,307 | 0.84% | 116 | 3,156 | 13,886 |
| Dyer | 65.87% | 7,449 | 32.64% | 3,691 | 1.49% | 168 | 3,758 | 11,308 |
| Fayette | 64.86% | 6,959 | 33.32% | 3,575 | 1.82% | 195 | 3,384 | 10,729 |
| Fentress | 69.84% | 3,684 | 27.58% | 1,455 | 2.58% | 136 | 2,229 | 5,275 |
| Franklin | 56.15% | 7,670 | 41.40% | 5,655 | 2.46% | 336 | 2,015 | 13,661 |
| Gibson | 62.05% | 10,021 | 36.18% | 5,843 | 1.77% | 285 | 4,178 | 16,149 |
| Giles | 56.12% | 5,059 | 40.63% | 3,663 | 3.25% | 293 | 1,396 | 9,015 |
| Grainger | 70.21% | 4,019 | 27.06% | 1,549 | 2.72% | 156 | 2,470 | 5,724 |
| Greene | 75.10% | 13,867 | 22.91% | 4,230 | 1.99% | 367 | 9,637 | 18,464 |
| Grundy | 46.18% | 2,008 | 52.32% | 2,275 | 1.49% | 65 | -267 | 4,348 |
| Hamblen | 72.53% | 13,727 | 25.10% | 4,750 | 2.38% | 450 | 8,977 | 18,927 |
| Hamilton | 66.82% | 78,652 | 31.21% | 36,733 | 1.97% | 2,325 | 41,919 | 117,710 |
| Hancock | 76.52% | 1,320 | 20.41% | 352 | 3.07% | 53 | 968 | 1,725 |
| Hardeman | 57.34% | 4,076 | 38.83% | 2,760 | 3.83% | 272 | 1,316 | 7,108 |
| Hardin | 69.19% | 5,561 | 29.54% | 2,374 | 1.27% | 102 | 3,187 | 8,037 |
| Hawkins | 70.84% | 11,203 | 26.72% | 4,226 | 2.44% | 386 | 6,977 | 15,815 |
| Haywood | 51.65% | 3,063 | 47.08% | 2,792 | 1.27% | 75 | 271 | 5,930 |
| Henderson | 74.87% | 5,757 | 23.03% | 1,771 | 2.09% | 161 | 3,986 | 7,689 |
| Henry | 59.20% | 6,669 | 38.93% | 4,386 | 1.87% | 211 | 2,283 | 11,266 |
| Hickman | 55.39% | 3,772 | 42.88% | 2,920 | 1.73% | 118 | 852 | 6,810 |
| Houston | 43.40% | 1,168 | 56.19% | 1,512 | 0.41% | 11 | -344 | 2,691 |
| Humphreys | 47.24% | 2,997 | 50.84% | 3,225 | 1.92% | 122 | -228 | 6,344 |
| Jackson | 42.86% | 1,585 | 55.11% | 2,038 | 2.03% | 75 | -453 | 3,698 |
| Jefferson | 74.16% | 9,788 | 23.24% | 3,068 | 2.60% | 343 | 6,720 | 13,199 |
| Johnson | 76.60% | 4,014 | 20.21% | 1,059 | 3.19% | 167 | 2,955 | 5,240 |
| Knox | 72.11% | 101,551 | 24.98% | 35,185 | 2.91% | 4,099 | 66,366 | 140,835 |
| Lake | 51.21% | 738 | 47.33% | 682 | 1.46% | 21 | 56 | 1,441 |
| Lauderdale | 56.58% | 4,031 | 42.20% | 3,006 | 1.22% | 87 | 1,025 | 7,124 |
| Lawrence | 63.29% | 8,197 | 35.66% | 4,618 | 1.05% | 136 | 3,579 | 12,951 |
| Lewis | 54.89% | 2,334 | 41.42% | 1,761 | 3.69% | 157 | 573 | 4,252 |
| Lincoln | 59.70% | 5,756 | 38.07% | 3,670 | 2.23% | 215 | 2,086 | 9,641 |
| Loudon | 72.35% | 10,694 | 24.84% | 3,672 | 2.80% | 414 | 7,022 | 14,780 |
| Macon | 65.58% | 3,601 | 33.05% | 1,815 | 1.37% | 75 | 1,786 | 5,491 |
| Madison | 67.32% | 22,254 | 31.08% | 10,273 | 1.60% | 530 | 11,981 | 33,057 |
| Marion | 56.58% | 5,592 | 41.74% | 4,126 | 1.68% | 166 | 1,466 | 9,884 |
| Marshall | 59.88% | 5,246 | 37.69% | 3,302 | 2.43% | 213 | 1,944 | 8,761 |
| Maury | 61.99% | 13,997 | 36.55% | 8,252 | 1.46% | 329 | 5,745 | 22,578 |
| McMinn | 71.29% | 11,521 | 26.49% | 4,281 | 2.22% | 359 | 7,240 | 16,161 |
| McNairy | 67.79% | 5,764 | 31.35% | 2,666 | 0.86% | 73 | 3,098 | 8,503 |
| Meigs | 65.19% | 2,088 | 32.56% | 1,043 | 2.25% | 72 | 1,045 | 3,203 |
| Monroe | 67.33% | 8,520 | 30.27% | 3,831 | 2.40% | 304 | 4,689 | 12,655 |
| Montgomery | 66.36% | 24,382 | 31.46% | 11,560 | 2.17% | 798 | 12,822 | 36,740 |
| Moore | 63.03% | 1,267 | 33.98% | 683 | 2.99% | 60 | 584 | 2,010 |
| Morgan | 62.69% | 3,615 | 35.88% | 2,069 | 1.42% | 82 | 1,546 | 5,766 |
| Obion | 63.99% | 6,002 | 34.14% | 3,202 | 1.88% | 176 | 2,800 | 9,380 |
| Overton | 49.83% | 3,001 | 48.79% | 2,938 | 1.38% | 83 | 63 | 6,022 |
| Perry | 53.33% | 1,294 | 44.71% | 1,085 | 1.98% | 48 | 209 | 2,427 |
| Pickett | 67.54% | 1,346 | 31.31% | 624 | 1.15% | 23 | 722 | 1,993 |
| Polk | 58.61% | 3,211 | 39.72% | 2,176 | 1.68% | 92 | 1,035 | 5,479 |
| Putnam | 63.89% | 13,418 | 33.27% | 6,987 | 2.85% | 598 | 6,431 | 21,003 |
| Rhea | 72.26% | 6,136 | 26.19% | 2,224 | 1.54% | 131 | 3,912 | 8,491 |
| Roane | 67.69% | 13,646 | 29.70% | 5,988 | 2.60% | 525 | 7,658 | 20,159 |
| Robertson | 64.32% | 12,135 | 34.24% | 6,461 | 1.44% | 272 | 5,674 | 18,868 |
| Rutherford | 67.56% | 39,497 | 28.99% | 16,947 | 3.45% | 2,016 | 22,550 | 58,460 |
| Scott | 70.09% | 3,695 | 28.89% | 1,523 | 1.02% | 54 | 2,172 | 5,272 |
| Sequatchie | 68.07% | 2,560 | 30.50% | 1,147 | 1.44% | 54 | 1,413 | 3,761 |
| Sevier | 76.75% | 18,237 | 17.67% | 4,198 | 5.58% | 1,326 | 14,039 | 23,761 |
| Shelby | 55.56% | 171,249 | 41.12% | 126,721 | 3.32% | 10,232 | 44,528 | 308,202 |
| Smith | 48.52% | 2,927 | 50.17% | 3,027 | 1.31% | 79 | -100 | 6,033 |
| Stewart | 49.62% | 2,212 | 47.85% | 2,133 | 2.53% | 113 | 79 | 4,458 |
| Sullivan | 72.53% | 38,463 | 25.51% | 13,527 | 1.96% | 1,042 | 24,936 | 53,032 |
| Sumner | 68.81% | 32,919 | 29.15% | 13,943 | 2.04% | 978 | 18,976 | 47,840 |
| Tipton | 68.70% | 10,933 | 28.86% | 4,593 | 2.45% | 390 | 6,340 | 15,916 |
| Trousdale | 49.80% | 1,248 | 47.69% | 1,195 | 2.51% | 63 | 53 | 2,506 |
| Unicoi | 74.14% | 3,986 | 24.01% | 1,291 | 1.84% | 99 | 2,695 | 5,376 |
| Union | 69.38% | 3,454 | 29.55% | 1,471 | 1.06% | 53 | 1,983 | 4,978 |
| Van Buren | 57.33% | 986 | 41.40% | 712 | 1.28% | 22 | 274 | 1,720 |
| Warren | 57.76% | 7,096 | 39.74% | 4,882 | 2.51% | 308 | 2,214 | 12,286 |
| Washington | 72.35% | 25,481 | 25.14% | 8,856 | 2.51% | 883 | 16,625 | 35,220 |
| Wayne | 71.85% | 3,236 | 27.44% | 1,236 | 0.71% | 32 | 2,000 | 4,504 |
| Weakley | 61.16% | 6,936 | 37.39% | 4,240 | 1.45% | 164 | 2,696 | 11,340 |
| White | 58.24% | 4,505 | 39.68% | 3,069 | 2.08% | 161 | 1,436 | 7,735 |
| Williamson | 80.12% | 44,850 | 17.45% | 9,768 | 2.43% | 1,358 | 35,082 | 55,976 |
| Wilson | 67.75% | 22,781 | 30.02% | 10,095 | 2.23% | 751 | 12,686 | 33,627 |
| Total | 65.10% | 1,255,444 | 32.21% | 621,152 | 2.70% | 52,017 | 634,292 | 1,928,613 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- White (Largest city: Sparta)
- Cannon (Largest city: Woodbury)
- DeKalb (Largest city: Smithville)
- Franklin (Largest city: Winchester)
- Grundy (largest municipality: Altamont)
- Van Buren (largest municipality: Spencer)
- Perry (largest municipality: Linden)
- Dickson (Largest city: Dickson)
- Haywood (largest city: Brownsville)
- Lake (largest municipality: Tiptonville)
- Stewart (largest municipality: Dover)
- Benton (largest municipality: Camden)
- Houston (largest city: Erin)
- Humphreys (largest municipality: Waverly)
- Hickman (Largest city: Centerville)
- Giles (Largest city: Pulaski)
- Marshall (Largest city: Lewisburg)
- Bedford (Largest city: Shelbyville)
- Smith (largest municipality: Carthage)
- Trousdale (largest municipality: Hartsville)
- Clay (largest municipality: Celina)
- Overton (largest municipality: Livingston)
- Jackson (largest town: Gainesboro)
See also
References
General
- ^ "Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2000". Tennessee Secretary of State. November 7, 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ "2000 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "On Politics: Tennessee U.S. Senate". www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
- ^ "United States Senate" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. November 7, 2000.
Specific
- "2000 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee". www.uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
External links
Official campaign website links