1984 United States Senate election in Tennessee
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The 1984 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 6, 1984, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Tennessee. Popular three-term Republican incumbent Howard Baker, who had served as United States Senate Majority Leader since 1981 (Minority Leader from 1977 to 1981) decided not to seek re-election in order to concentrate on a planned bid for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination (which did not happen, as he later accepted a White House Chief of Staff position under President Ronald Reagan). This left the seat open.
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November 6, 1984
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 County results Gore: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Ashe: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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In the general election, Democratic candidate Al Gore, son of former senator Albert Gore Sr., won easily, flipping the Republican held seat to Democratic hands.
Democratic Primary
Democrats nominated Representative and future Vice President Al Gore, whose father, Albert Gore Sr., had once held Tennessee's other Senate seat.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Al Gore | 476,582 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 476,582 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- State Senator Victor Ashe
- Jack McNeil
- Hubert David Patty
Results
In the primary, held on August 2, Ashe easily emerged as a winner.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Victor Ashe | 145,744 | 86.47% | |
| Republican | Jack McNeil | 17,970 | 10.66% | |
| Republican | Herbert David Patty | 4,777 | 2.83% | |
| Republican | Write-in | 49 | 0.03% | |
| Total votes | 168,540 | 100% | ||
General election
Although the Senate election coincided with the landslide re-election of President Reagan, who carried Tennessee by a wide margin, this time his victory did not have any coattails, as it did in 1980, and Democrats picked up three Republican seats. One of the Democratic gains was in Tennessee, where conservative Democrat Gore won in a landslide:[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Al Gore | 1,000,607 | 60.72% | |
| Republican | Victor Ashe | 557,016 | 33.80% | |
| Independent | Ed McAteer | 87,234 | 5.29% | |
| Independent | Khalil-Ullah Al-Muhaymin | 3,179 | 0.19% | |
| Total votes | 1,648,036 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
By county
| County[3] | Albert Gore, Jr. Democratic |
Victor Ashe Republican |
Others Independent |
Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | % | # | |||
| Anderson | 61.0% | 15,971 | 35.7% | 9,348 | 3.2% | 846 | 6,623 | 26,165 |
| Bedford | 79.4% | 7,075 | 19.1% | 1,702 | 1.5% | 135 | 5,373 | 8,912 |
| Benton | 77.4% | 4,573 | 20.6% | 1,214 | 2.0% | 120 | 3,359 | 5,907 |
| Bledsoe | 51.3% | 1,749 | 45.5% | 1,554 | 3.2% | 109 | 195 | 3,412 |
| Blount | 46.5% | 13,431 | 45.2% | 13,068 | 8.3% | 2,409 | 363 | 28,908 |
| Bradley | 41.9% | 9,444 | 53.6% | 12,086 | 4.6% | 1,035 | -2,642 | 22,565 |
| Campbell | 59.1% | 5,827 | 39.4% | 3,887 | 1.5% | 150 | 1,940 | 9,864 |
| Cannon | 80.7% | 2,825 | 17.9% | 627 | 1.4% | 48 | 2,198 | 3,500 |
| Carroll | 63.5% | 6,520 | 34.1% | 3,504 | 2.4% | 250 | 3,016 | 10,274 |
| Carter | 42.5% | 6,906 | 49.2% | 8,002 | 8.3% | 1,347 | -1,096 | 16,255 |
| Cheatham | 71.9% | 5,071 | 24.2% | 1,708 | 3.9% | 274 | 3,363 | 7,053 |
| Chester | 58.9% | 2,643 | 35.8% | 1,605 | 5.3% | 237 | 1,038 | 4,485 |
| Claiborne | 53.0% | 3,662 | 45.6% | 3,145 | 1.4% | 97 | 517 | 6,904 |
| Clay | 69.5% | 1,795 | 30.1% | 778 | 0.3% | 8 | 1,017 | 2,581 |
| Cocke | 38.0% | 3,113 | 59.2% | 4,848 | 2.8% | 231 | -1,735 | 8,192 |
| Coffee | 72.1% | 9,522 | 25.9% | 3,416 | 2.1% | 274 | 6,106 | 13,212 |
| Crockett | 63.2% | 2,772 | 31.0% | 1,360 | 5.7% | 251 | 1,412 | 4,383 |
| Cumberland | 54.5% | 5,793 | 43.2% | 4,594 | 2.3% | 248 | 1,199 | 10,635 |
| Davidson | 72.7% | 132,696 | 23.7% | 43,309 | 3.6% | 6,497 | 89,387 | 182,502 |
| Decatur | 65.8% | 2,786 | 29.4% | 1,243 | 4.8% | 204 | 1,543 | 4,233 |
| DeKalb | 80.6% | 3,922 | 18.7% | 909 | 0.8% | 38 | 3,013 | 4,869 |
| Dickson | 76.6% | 8,668 | 20.9% | 2,369 | 2.5% | 283 | 6,299 | 11,320 |
| Dyer | 59.6% | 6,166 | 35.8% | 3,702 | 4.7% | 483 | 2,464 | 10,351 |
| Fayette | 62.1% | 4,577 | 32.1% | 2,364 | 5.8% | 426 | 2,213 | 7,367 |
| Fentress | 61.3% | 2,791 | 37.9% | 1,725 | 0.7% | 34 | 1,066 | 4,550 |
| Franklin | 76.9% | 8,534 | 21.8% | 2,419 | 1.4% | 151 | 6,115 | 11,104 |
| Gibson | 69.3% | 11,729 | 27.1% | 4,579 | 3.7% | 618 | 7,150 | 16,926 |
| Giles | 73.2% | 5,240 | 25.2% | 1,805 | 1.6% | 115 | 3,435 | 7,160 |
| Grainger | 43.8% | 2,010 | 52.8% | 2,424 | 3.5% | 160 | -414 | 4,594 |
| Greene | 40.1% | 7,056 | 46.1% | 8,106 | 13.8% | 2,435 | -1,050 | 17,597 |
| Grundy | 78.0% | 2,993 | 19.4% | 746 | 2.6% | 100 | 2,247 | 3,839 |
| Hamblen | 47.6% | 7,452 | 42.3% | 6,628 | 10.1% | 1,583 | 824 | 15,663 |
| Hamilton | 49.2% | 54,623 | 43.8% | 48,548 | 7.0% | 7,742 | 6,075 | 110,913 |
| Hancock | 41.3% | 783 | 56.3% | 1,068 | 2.4% | 45 | -285 | 1,896 |
| Hardeman | 63.5% | 4,494 | 26.2% | 1,854 | 10.3% | 725 | 2,640 | 7,073 |
| Hardin | 60.8% | 4,504 | 36.3% | 2,685 | 2.9% | 213 | 1,819 | 7,402 |
| Hawkins | 45.9% | 6,413 | 46.8% | 6,540 | 7.3% | 1,027 | -127 | 13,980 |
| Haywood | 65.8% | 4,005 | 24.7% | 1,506 | 9.4% | 574 | 2,499 | 6,085 |
| Henderson | 58.9% | 4,423 | 37.9% | 2,843 | 3.2% | 241 | 1,580 | 7,507 |
| Henry | 72.8% | 7,426 | 25.1% | 2,563 | 2.1% | 218 | 4,863 | 10,207 |
| Hickman | 75.9% | 3,983 | 22.1% | 1,161 | 1.9% | 102 | 2,822 | 5,246 |
| Houston | 80.9% | 2,077 | 15.7% | 402 | 3.5% | 89 | 1,675 | 2,568 |
| Humphreys | 81.4% | 4,780 | 16.7% | 980 | 1.9% | 109 | 3,800 | 5,869 |
| Jackson | 87.9% | 3,971 | 11.0% | 496 | 1.1% | 50 | 3,475 | 4,517 |
| Jefferson | 45.2% | 4,733 | 49.2% | 5,148 | 5.6% | 581 | -415 | 10,462 |
| Johnson | 34.2% | 1,563 | 63.5% | 2,900 | 2.2% | 101 | -1,337 | 4,564 |
| Knox | 54.7% | 65,091 | 39.7% | 47,269 | 5.6% | 6,632 | 17,822 | 118,992 |
| Lake | 72.4% | 1,312 | 25.1% | 454 | 2.5% | 46 | 858 | 1,812 |
| Lauderdale | 69.1% | 4,893 | 26.8% | 1,894 | 4.1% | 290 | 2,999 | 7,077 |
| Lawrence | 63.1% | 7,359 | 35.4% | 4,126 | 1.5% | 171 | 3,233 | 11,656 |
| Lewis | 77.2% | 2,424 | 21.2% | 665 | 1.6% | 49 | 1,759 | 3,138 |
| Lincoln | 76.7% | 5,606 | 20.6% | 1,505 | 2.7% | 201 | 4,101 | 7,312 |
| Loudon | 50.5% | 5,190 | 45.1% | 4,631 | 4.4% | 452 | 559 | 10,273 |
| Macon | 74.0% | 3,770 | 25.4% | 1,296 | 0.6% | 32 | 2,474 | 5,098 |
| Madison | 62.8% | 18,791 | 28.9% | 8,637 | 8.3% | 2,483 | 10,154 | 29,911 |
| Marion | 63.0% | 5,399 | 35.2% | 3,016 | 1.9% | 159 | 2,383 | 8,574 |
| Marshall | 76.0% | 4,717 | 22.2% | 1,378 | 1.8% | 113 | 3,339 | 6,208 |
| Maury | 71.8% | 10,990 | 26.4% | 4,042 | 1.8% | 277 | 6,948 | 15,309 |
| McMinn | 49.5% | 7,478 | 47.4% | 7,169 | 3.1% | 462 | 309 | 15,109 |
| McNairy | 61.3% | 5,121 | 35.4% | 2,961 | 3.3% | 275 | 2,160 | 8,357 |
| Meigs | 51.7% | 1,270 | 46.1% | 1,133 | 2.2% | 54 | 137 | 2,457 |
| Monroe | 50.2% | 5,408 | 47.9% | 5,159 | 1.9% | 209 | 249 | 10,776 |
| Montgomery | 67.4% | 14,946 | 27.1% | 6,013 | 5.5% | 1,212 | 8,933 | 22,171 |
| Moore | 79.0% | 1,294 | 19.8% | 324 | 1.3% | 21 | 970 | 1,639 |
| Morgan | 61.8% | 3,001 | 36.0% | 1,747 | 2.3% | 110 | 1,254 | 4,858 |
| Obion | 57.9% | 5,903 | 37.8% | 3,853 | 4.4% | 444 | 2,050 | 10,200 |
| Overton | 81.8% | 4,089 | 17.3% | 864 | 0.9% | 46 | 3,225 | 4,999 |
| Perry | 80.0% | 1,783 | 18.3% | 408 | 1.7% | 38 | 1,375 | 2,229 |
| Pickett | 57.8% | 1,087 | 41.7% | 784 | 0.5% | 9 | 303 | 1,880 |
| Polk | 55.4% | 2,678 | 43.2% | 2,091 | 1.4% | 69 | 587 | 4,838 |
| Putnam | 75.1% | 12,183 | 22.4% | 3,638 | 2.4% | 392 | 8,545 | 16,213 |
| Rhea | 44.6% | 3,674 | 45.2% | 3,730 | 10.2% | 841 | -56 | 8,245 |
| Roane | 56.6% | 9,914 | 39.3% | 6,897 | 4.1% | 719 | 3,017 | 17,530 |
| Robertson | 77.3% | 8,403 | 20.2% | 2,201 | 2.5% | 268 | 6,202 | 10,872 |
| Rutherford | 73.1% | 21,737 | 23.0% | 6,852 | 3.9% | 1,157 | 14,885 | 29,746 |
| Scott | 55.3% | 2,499 | 42.5% | 1,923 | 2.2% | 101 | 576 | 4,523 |
| Sequatchie | 55.6% | 1,616 | 41.8% | 1,215 | 2.6% | 75 | 401 | 2,906 |
| Sevier | 37.0% | 5,652 | 53.9% | 8,235 | 9.2% | 1,400 | -2,583 | 15,287 |
| Shelby | 59.6% | 187,944 | 32.6% | 102,831 | 7.8% | 24,506 | 85,113 | 315,281 |
| Smith | 88.5% | 5,107 | 11.0% | 633 | 0.6% | 33 | 4,474 | 5,773 |
| Stewart | 78.2% | 2,591 | 20.1% | 666 | 1.7% | 55 | 1,925 | 3,312 |
| Sullivan | 49.4% | 25,537 | 39.3% | 20,289 | 11.3% | 5,858 | 5,248 | 51,684 |
| Sumner | 73.2% | 21,292 | 23.9% | 6,954 | 2.9% | 840 | 14,338 | 29,086 |
| Tipton | 60.6% | 6,072 | 33.8% | 3,391 | 5.6% | 564 | 2,681 | 10,027 |
| Trousdale | 87.9% | 1,706 | 11.1% | 215 | 1.0% | 19 | 1,491 | 1,940 |
| Unicoi | 43.9% | 2,460 | 46.6% | 2,616 | 9.5% | 533 | -156 | 5,609 |
| Union | 51.3% | 1,946 | 46.3% | 1,758 | 2.4% | 91 | 188 | 3,795 |
| Van Buren | 78.7% | 1,167 | 21.0% | 311 | 0.3% | 4 | 856 | 1,482 |
| Warren | 76.7% | 7,272 | 20.6% | 1,949 | 2.7% | 259 | 5,323 | 9,480 |
| Washington | 49.6% | 14,915 | 39.4% | 11,859 | 10.9% | 3,292 | 3,056 | 30,066 |
| Wayne | 48.5% | 2,154 | 50.1% | 2,223 | 1.4% | 61 | -69 | 4,438 |
| Weakley | 65.0% | 7,277 | 30.8% | 3,444 | 4.2% | 474 | 3,833 | 11,195 |
| White | 78.1% | 4,751 | 20.5% | 1,245 | 1.4% | 85 | 3,506 | 6,081 |
| Williamson | 59.1% | 14,286 | 34.9% | 8,442 | 5.9% | 1,428 | 5,844 | 24,156 |
| Wilson | 75.2% | 15,762 | 22.4% | 4,702 | 2.3% | 491 | 11,060 | 20,955 |
| Total | 60.7% | 1,000,607 | 33.8% | 557,016 | 5.5% | 90,413 | 443,591 | 1,648,036 |