On August 6 state/federal primary and state/county general elections were held in Tennessee. The state and county general elections included a number of judicial races. These judicial races were generally to fill the remaining terms of judges who left office early due to retirement or other causes. In many cases, a judge had been appointed to fill out that term, but if that appointment occurred after the last statewide general election in 2018, then the appointed judge had to appear on this ballot. Oftentimes these races feature candidates running unopposed.
Below is a list of judicial elections held in Tennessee on August 6, 2020, with the best available results as of noon on August 7.
Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Division
Court of Appeals Judge Carma Dennis McGee was on the ballot statewide for a retention vote. She was appointed to the Court of Appeals in April 2019 by Governor Bill Lee to fill a vacancy created when Judge Brandon O. Gibson stepped down to take a position in the governor’s administration.
Carma Dennis McGee — Retained
6th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division 6
This district covers Knox County. Judge Kyle Hixson ran unopposed to retain a seat to which he was appointed in December 2019 by Governor Bill Lee upon the retirement of Judge Bob McGee.
Kyle Hixson (Republican) —Unopposed
13th Judicial District Criminal Court, Part II
This district covers Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White Counties. Governor Bill Lee appointed Judge Wesley Bray to this seat in July 2019 to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David A. Patterson. Judge Bray ran unopposed.
Wesley Bray (Republican) —Unopposed
15th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division II
This district covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties. In this race, Carthage attorney Branden Bellar, running as an Independent, faced Smith County General Sessions Court Judge Michael Collins, running as a Republican. This vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge John D. Wootten, Jr.
Branden Bellar (Independent) —13,700 (39.25%)
Michael Collins (Republican) —21,205 (60.75%)
16th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division IV
This district covers Cannon and Rutherford Counties. Incumbent Judge Jo Atwood, who was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to the position in May, and Murfreesboro attorney John G. “Jack” Mitchell III were both on the ballot to complete the eight-year-term of Judge Royce Taylor, who retired in March.
Jo Atwood (Independent) —24,806 (62.72%)
John G. “Jack” Mitchell (Independent) —14,642 (37.02%)
16th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division V
This district covers Cannon and Rutherford Counties. Judge Darrell Scarlett, who was appointed to this seat by former Governor Bill Haslam upon its creation in 2018, ran as a write-in candidate.
Darrell Scarlett —Unopposed
19th Judicial District Circuit Court, Part V
This district covers Montgomery and Robertson Counties. Judge Kathryn Wall Olita was appointed to this position in October 2018. This judgeship had been established earlier in the year by the Tennessee General Assembly. Judge Olita ran unopposed.
Kathryn Wall Olita (Republican) – Unopposed
20th Judicial District Chancery Court, Part I
This district covers Davidson County. Current Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal ran unopposed. She was appointed to this position in 2019 to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman.
Patricia Head Moskal (Democratic) —Unopposed
20th Judicial District Criminal Court, Part IV
This district covers Davidson County. Judge Jennifer Smith ran unopposed after prevailing in a March Democratic primary. She was appointed to this position in 2018 following the retirement of Judge Seth Norman.
Jennifer Smith (Democratic) —Unopposed
21st Judicial District Circuit Court, Division V
This district covers Hickman, Lewis, Perry, and Williamson Counties. Divisions I through IV of this court handle civil and criminal cases in Williamson County, while Division V handles civil and criminal cases in Hickman, Lewis, and Perry Counties. Judge Michael Spitzer ran unopposed. He was appointed to this seat in September 2018. The judgeship had been established by the Tennessee General Assembly earlier in the year.
Michael Spitzer (Republican) —Unopposed
22nd Judicial District Circuit Court, Part III
This district covers Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne Counties. Judge Christopher Sockwell ran unopposed. He was appointed to this position in November 2018 following the retirement of Judge Robert Jones.
Christopher Sockwell (Republican) —Unopposed
24th Judicial District Chancery Court
This district covers Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry Counties. Two candidates were in the running for a position on the 24th Judicial District Chancery Court. Savannah attorney Ben Harmon ran as an independent, while Henry County attorney Vicki Hodge Hoover ran as a Republican. This vacancy was created by Judge Carma Dennis McGee’s appointment to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
Ben Harmon (Independent) —8,164 (42.72%)
Vicki Hodge Hoover (Republican) — 10,938 (57.24%)
Coffee County General Sessions Court, Part I
Coffee County attorney Greg B. Perry came out on top in a four-person primary in March to fill the unexpired term of Judge Timothy Brock, who passed away in November 2019. He ran in this general election unopposed.
Greg B. Perry (Republican) —Unopposed
Polk County General Sessions Court
Former Governor Bill Haslam appointed Judge Brooklynn Townsend as special judge to this seat in November 2017, following the resignation of Judge Billy D. Baliles. She faced challenger Laura M. Crawford, a Polk County attorney.
Brooklynn Townsend (Republican) — 2,851 (75.58%)
Laura M. Crawford (Democratic) —921 (24.42%)
Wilson County General Sessions Court, Division III
Judge Ensley Hagan was appointed to this position by the Wilson County Commission in November 2018 and took his place on the bench in January 2019 following the retirement of Judge John Gwin. He ran unopposed in this general election.
Ensley Hagan (Republican) —Unopposed