By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Familiar faces will be heading to Nashville to represent the Upper Cumberland when the Legislature reconvenes in January. In a year with record voter turnout, every state senator and representative serving the Upper Cumberland region was reelected.
Rep. Cameron Sexton (R) is the current Speaker of the House and will look to hold that position again when the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes. Sexton received 81% of the vote to defeat Robyn Deck (D) in District 25.
Incumbent Kelly Keisling (R), of Byrdstown, received 85% of the vote to defeat Carol Venea Abney (D) to win District 38 that spreads from Pickett County to Macon County.
Terri Lynn Weaver (R), of Lancaster, received 78% of the vote to defeat Paddy Sizemore (I) to hold District 40 which covers parts of DeKalb, Smith and Macon counties.
Incumbent Paul Sherrell (R), of Sparta, received 75% of the vote to defeat Luke Cameron (I) to win District 43 which covers White, Grundy and part of Warren County.
Running unopposed for state House were: John Mark Windle (D) representing District 41 which covers Morgan, Jackson and Overton and part of Fentress County; Ryan Williams (R) representing District 42 which covers part of Putnam County; Clark Boyd (R) representing District 46 which covers Cannon, and part of Wilson and DeKalb counties; and Rush Bricken (R) representing District 47 which covers Coffee and part of Warren counties.
Only two of the four state senate seats that represent the Upper Cumberland were up for election this year.
Janice Bowling (R) received over 71% of the vote to defeat challenger Shelia Younglove (D) for the District 16 Senate seat which represents Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren and Warren counties.
Ken Yager (R), of Kingston, was unopposed in the race for the District 12 Senate seat which representsCampbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Pickett and Scott counties.
