2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee
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The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Tennessee, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including President of the United States. The primaries were held on August 4.
November 8, 2016
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All 9 Tennessee seats to the United States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 61.92% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Republican hold Democratic hold
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Following the 2016 elections, no seats changed hands, leaving the Tennessee delegation at a 7-2 Republican majority.
Overview
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats Before | Seats After | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 1,493,740 | 62.47% | 7 | 7 | ||
| Democratic | 814,181 | 34.05% | 2 | 2 | ||
| Independents | 83,134 | 3.48% | 0 | 0 | ||
| Write-Ins | 6 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Totals | 2,391,061 | 100.00% | 9 | 9 | 0 | |
By district
Results of the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee by district:
| District | Republican | Democratic | Others | Total | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| District 1 | 198,293 | 78.37% | 39,024 | 15.42% | 15,708 | 6.21% | 253,025 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 2 | 212,455 | 75.65% | 68,401 | 24.35% | 0 | 0.00% | 280,856 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 3 | 176,613 | 66.39% | 76,727 | 28.84% | 12,666 | 4.76% | 266,006 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 4 | 165,796 | 65.03% | 89,141 | 34.97% | 0 | 0.00% | 254,937 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 5 | 102,433 | 37.45% | 171,111 | 62.55% | 0 | 0.00% | 273,544 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| District 6 | 202,234 | 71.09% | 61,995 | 21.79% | 20,261 | 7.12% | 284,490 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 7 | 200,407 | 72.22% | 65,226 | 23.50% | 11,880 | 4.28% | 277,513 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 8 | 194,386 | 68.75% | 70,925 | 25.09% | 17,422 | 6.16% | 282,733 | 100.0% | Republican hold |
| District 9 | 41,123 | 18.87% | 171,631 | 78.75% | 5,203 | 2.39% | 217,957 | 100.0% | Democratic hold |
| Total | 1,493,740 | 62.47% | 814,181 | 34.05% | 83,140 | 3.48% | 2,391,061 | 100.0% | |
District 1
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County results Roe: 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Phil Roe, who had represented the district since 2009, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 83% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+25.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Phil Roe, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Clint Tribble, conservative activist and YouTube personality
Endorsements
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Roe (incumbent) | 35,350 | 82.2 | |
| Republican | Clint Tribble | 7,673 | 17.8 | |
| Total votes | 43,023 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Alan Bohms, executive director of the Volunteer Firefighter Alliance
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Bohms | 4,161 | 100.0 | |
Independent Candidates
- Robert Franklin, U.S. Navy veteran
- Paul Krane (write-in), student
General election
Endorsements
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Roe (incumbent) | 198,293 | 78.4 | |
| Democratic | Alan Bohms | 39,024 | 15.4 | |
| Independent | Robert Franklin | 15,702 | 6.2 | |
| Independent | Paul Krane (write-in) | 6 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 253,025 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 2
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County results Duncan: 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Jimmy Duncan, who had represented the district since 1989, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 73% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+20.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- John J. Duncan Jr., incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John J. Duncan, Jr. (incumbent) | 28,806 | 100.0 | |
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Stuart Starr, IT business owner and union organizer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stuart Starr | 7,851 | 100.0 | |
General election
Endorsements
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John J. Duncan, Jr. (incumbent) | 212,455 | 75.6 | |
| Democratic | Stuart Starr | 68,401 | 24.4 | |
| Total votes | 280,856 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 3
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County results Fleischmann: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Chuck Fleischmann, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 62% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+16.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Chuck Fleischmann, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Allan Levene, information technology specialist and perennial candidate
- Geoffery Suhmer Smith
Endorsements
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chuck Fleischmann (incumbent) | 31,964 | 83.9 | |
| Republican | Geoffery Suhmer Smith | 3,076 | 8.1 | |
| Republican | Allan Levene | 3,059 | 8.0 | |
| Total votes | 38,099 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Melody Shekari, policy analyst for the Chattanooga Department of Transportation[11]
Eliminated in primary
- Michael Friedman
- George Ryan Love
Endorsements
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Melody Shekari | 8,660 | 53.9 | |
| Democratic | Michael Friedman | 5,329 | 33.2 | |
| Democratic | George Ryan Love | 2,070 | 12.9 | |
| Total votes | 16,059 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Campaign
Fleischmann was heavily favored to win re-election.
Endorsements
Newspapers
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chuck Fleischmann (incumbent) | 176,613 | 66.4 | |
| Democratic | Melody Shekari | 76,727 | 28.9 | |
| Independent | Rick Tyler | 5,098 | 1.9 | |
| Independent | Cassandra Mitchell | 5,075 | 1.9 | |
| Independent | Topher Kersting | 2,493 | 0.9 | |
| Total votes | 266,006 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
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County results DesJarlais: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Scott DesJarlais, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+18.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Scott DesJarlais, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Grant Starrett, real estate developer and attorney
Campaign
Scandal-ridden incumbent representative Scott DesJarlais had narrowly won his primary in 2012, and faced another competitive primary against Starrett. While DesJarlais originally trailed in fundraising, the race tightened when a mailer sent out by the Starrett campaign sparked controversy over its alleged racism.[15]
Results

- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott DesJarlais (incumbent) | 24,211 | 52.1 | |
| Republican | Grant Starrett | 20,138 | 43.3 | |
| Republican | Erran Persley | 1,615 | 3.5 | |
| Republican | Yomi Faparusi | 493 | 1.1 | |
| Total votes | 46,457 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steven Reynolds, manager in the construction industry[16]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Steven Reynolds | 11,511 | 100.0 | |
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott DesJarlais (incumbent) | 165,796 | 65.0 | |
| Democratic | Steven Reynolds | 89,141 | 35.0 | |
| Total votes | 254,937 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 5
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County results Cooper: 60–70% Ball: 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Jim Cooper, who had represented the district since 2003, as well as previously between 1983 and 1995, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 62% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of D+5.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jim Cooper, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Cooper (incumbent) | 32,103 | 100.0 | |
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Stacy Reis Snyder, small business owner and songwriter
Eliminated in primary
Withdrawn
- Ronnie Holden, candidate for this seat in 2014
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stacy Ries Snyder | 7,666 | 50.8 | |
| Republican | John "Big John" Smith | 4,295 | 28.5 | |
| Republican | Jody Ball | 3,124 | 20.7 | |
| Total votes | 15,085 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe D | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Cooper (incumbent) | 171,111 | 62.6 | |
| Republican | Stacy Ries Snyder | 102,433 | 37.4 | |
| Total votes | 273,544 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 6
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County results Black: 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Diane Black, who had represented the district since 2011, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 64% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+21.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Diane Black, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Joe Carr, former state representative and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014
- Donald Strong
- Tommy Hay
Campaign
Joe Carr attempted to ride anti-establishment sentiment to defeat incumbent Diane Black, who was openly considering a future run for governor.
Results

- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Despite a strong challenge, Black won re-election by a larger margin than expected.[17]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Diane Black (incumbent) | 33,215 | 63.7 | |
| Republican | Joe Carr | 16,665 | 31.9 | |
| Republican | Donald Strong | 1,354 | 2.6 | |
| Republican | Tommy Hay | 945 | 1.8 | |
| Total votes | 52,179 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- David Kent, manufacturing industry manager
Eliminated in primary
- Flo Matheson, nominee for state representative in 2012
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Kent | 7,551 | 67.0 | |
| Democratic | Flo Matheson | 3,714 | 33.0 | |
| Total votes | 11,265 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Diane Black (incumbent) | 202,234 | 71.1 | |
| Democratic | David Kent | 61,995 | 21.8 | |
| Independent | David Ross | 20,261 | 7.1 | |
| Total votes | 284,490 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 7
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County results Blackburn: 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn, who had represented the district since 2003, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 70% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+18.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Marsha Blackburn, incumbent U.S. Representative
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marsha Blackburn (incumbent) | 38,490 | 100.0 | |
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tharon Chandler, journalist
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tharon Chandler | 9,956 | 100.0 | |
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
Blackburn dramatically outspent Chandler and easily won re-election.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marsha Blackburn (incumbent) | 200,407 | 72.2 | |
| Democratic | Tharon Chandler | 65,226 | 23.5 | |
| Independent | Leonard D. Ladner | 11,880 | 4.3 | |
| Total votes | 277,513 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 8
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County results Kustoff: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hobson: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Stephen Fincher, who had represented the district since 2011, announced he would not run for re-election.[18] He was re-elected with 71% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of R+19.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- David Kustoff, former United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee[19]
Eliminated in primary
- Ken Atkins, corrections officer and former car dealership owner[20]
- Hunter Baker, Union University professor[21]
- Dave Bault, inspector for Terminix
- George Flinn, radiologist and perennial candidate[22]
- Brad Greer, businessman and political consultant[23]
- Brian Kelsey, state senator[24]
- Tom Leatherwood, Shelby County Register of Deeds[25]
- Mark Luttrell, Shelby County Mayor[26]
- David Maldonado, businessman[27]
- David Wharton
Withdrawn
- Steve Basar, Shelby County Commissioner[28]
Declined
- Stephen Fincher, incumbent U.S. Representative
- Scott Golden, district director for Congressman Fincher and member of the Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee[24]
- Andy Holt, state representative[24]
- Ed Jackson, state senator[24]
- Ron Kirkland, physician and candidate for this seat in 2010[24]
- Steve McManus, state representative[29][30]
- Mark Norris, Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate[24][31]
- John Ryder, Republican National Committee General Counsel and committee member[24]
- Bill Sanderson, state representative[24]
- John Stevens, state senator[24]
- Matthew Stowe, district attorney general for the 24th judicial district[24]
- Mary Wagner, Shelby County GOP Chair[24]
- Amy Weirich, Shelby County District Attorney[24]
Results

- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 50–60%
- 30–40%
- 20–30%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
Kustoff won the crowded Republican primary with 27% of the vote.[32]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Kustoff | 16,889 | 27.4 | |
| Republican | George Flinn | 14,200 | 23.1 | |
| Republican | Mark Luttrell | 10,878 | 17.7 | |
| Republican | Brian Kelsey | 7,942 | 12.9 | |
| Republican | Brad Greer | 6,819 | 11.1 | |
| Republican | Tom Leatherwood | 2,620 | 4.3 | |
| Republican | Hunter Baker | 1,014 | 1.6 | |
| Republican | Ken Atkins | 410 | 0.7 | |
| Republican | Raymond Honeycutt | 231 | 0.4 | |
| Republican | George B. Howell | 211 | 0.3 | |
| Republican | David Wharton | 131 | 0.2 | |
| Republican | Dave Bault | 109 | 0.2 | |
| Republican | David J Maldonado | 76 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 61,530 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Rickey Hobson, manager at Delta Air Lines[33]
Eliminated in primary
- Gregory Alan Frye
Withdrawn
- James Coffman
- Erika Stotts Pearson, sports agent
Declined
- Roy Herron, former state senator, former Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party and nominee for this seat in 2010[29]
- Michael McCusker, Shelby County Assistant District Attorney and retired Army Major[34]
- David Vinciarelli[34]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rickey Hobson | 7,774 | 54.8 | |
| Democratic | Gregory Alan Frye | 6,413 | 45.2 | |
| Total votes | 14,187 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Kustoff | 194,386 | 68.7 | |
| Democratic | Rickey Hobson | 70,925 | 25.1 | |
| Independent | Shelia L. Godwin | 6,442 | 2.3 | |
| Independent | James Hart | 4,057 | 1.4 | |
| Independent | Adrian M. Montague | 2,497 | 0.9 | |
| Independent | Mark J. Rawles | 2,445 | 0.9 | |
| Independent | Karen Free Spirit Talley-Lane | 1,981 | 0.7 | |
| Total votes | 282,733 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 9
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County result Cohen: 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Democrat Steve Cohen, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 75% of the vote in 2014. The district had a PVI of D+25.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Steve Cohen, incumbent U.S. Representative
Eliminated in primary
- Larry Crim, perennial candidate
- Justin Ford, Shelby County Commission Chair
- Larry Williams
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Steve Cohen (incumbent) | 35,645 | 85.5 | |
| Democratic | Justin Ford | 4,165 | 10.0 | |
| Democratic | M. LaTroy Williams | 1,452 | 3.5 | |
| Democratic | Larry Crim | 406 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 41,668 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Withdrawn
- Palmer Lee Harris
- Ernest Lunati, candidate for this seat in 2012
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wayne Alberson | 38,490 | 100.0 | |
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[5] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[7] | Safe D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[9] | Safe D | October 31, 2016 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Steve Cohen (incumbent) | 171,631 | 78.7 | |
| Republican | Wayne Alberson | 41,123 | 18.9 | |
| Independent | Paul Cook | 5,203 | 2.4 | |
| Total votes | 217,957 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||