United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1984

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1984

November 6, 1984

Nominee Al Gore Victor Ashe Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 1,000,607 557,016 Percentage 60.72% 33.80%

Senator before election Howard Baker Republican Elected Senator Al Gore Democratic

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United States Senate election in Tennessee, 1984 took place on November 6, as a part of the Senate class 2 election.

Situation

Three-term popular 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 1988 Republican presidential nomination (which did not happen, as he later accepted a White House Chief of Staff position under President Ronald Reagan). This made a seat open.

Democratic nomination

Democrats nominated Representative and future Vice President of the United States Al Gore, whose father Albert Gore, Sr. once held other Tennessee Senate seat.

Democratic

Republican nomination

Candidates:

• State Senator Victor Ashe
• Jack McNeil
• Hubert David Patty

In primary, held on August 2, Ashe easily emerged as a winner:^[1]

• Ashe - 145,744 (86.47%)
• McNeil - 17,970 (10.66%)
• Patty - 4,777 (2.83%)
• Write-in - 49 (0.03%)

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 Gore won in a landslide:^[2]

References