Davidson County State Legislature Holds Steady as Mark Proctor Wins House Seat

Voters in Davidson County elected their state representatives and senators for the 115th General Assembly, which is scheduled to convene on January 12, 2026. The county’s legislative delegation remains largely unchanged from the previous session, with most incumbents retaining their seats. However, one new face will join the state House to represent the Belle Meade and Bellevue areas.

Democrat Mark Proctor won the state House District 59 seat on Thursday. He defeated Republican Bill Hancock in the general election. Proctor secured his party’s nomination in an August primary where he outpaced Rick Ewing, Beth West, and Angie Lawless. Lawless finished within 100 votes of Proctor during the primary contest. Hancock ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Proctor replaces former state Rep. Caleb Hemmer, who decided not to run for re-election. The seat has historically favored Democratic candidates. Several other Republicans challenged incumbents in Davidson County’s House districts, but the existing representatives held their positions. Justin Jones, a Democrat from Nashville, won District 52 against Michele Vetter. John Ray Clemmons, a Democrat from Nashville, retained District 55 after facing independent candidate Jayla Thomas. Shaundelle Brooks, a Democrat from Nashville, secured a second term in District 60 by defeating Republican Eva Romero.

Six additional Democratic state representatives in Davidson County ran without opposition. Bo Mitchell, Aftyn Behn, Jason Powell, Vincent Dixie, Bob Freeman, and Harold Love Jr. will continue to serve in House Districts 50, 51, 53, 54, 56, and 58, respectively. In the state Senate, Democrats Charlane Oliver and Jeff Yarbro also faced no challengers. The only contested Senate race in the county involved incumbent Republican Mark Pody in District 17.

Pody defeated Democrat Lindsey Patrick-Wright in the general election. He had previously overcome Theodore “Butch” Baker in the primary. District 17 includes portions of both Wilson and Davidson counties, with the Wilson County area providing a conservative voting advantage. In nearby Williamson County, Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson defeated Democrat David Hardy for Senate District 27. Republicans Gino Bulso and Jake McCalmon also won their respective House seats in Districts 61 and 63.

Across Tennessee, Republicans maintained their supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature. This control allows the party to pass bills aligned with the agenda of newly elected Governor Marsha Blackburn. Democrats picked up six seats in the state House, but the body remains under Republican control. In Middle Tennessee, several seats in Rutherford County flipped from Republican to Democrat. Brett Windrow, Owen Farnsworth, and Connie Casha defeated incumbents Robert Stevens, Tim Rudd, and Mike Sparks, respectively.