KINGSTON, Tenn. | State Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, issued a statement after his primary win on Thursday, saying he is “humbled and honored” by the “strong vote of confidence.”
Yager, who is seeking a fourth term representing Tennessee’s 12th Senate District, was opposed in the primary by Teena Hedrick, a nurse practitioner from Kingston.
“My steadfast commitment to look after my constituents is unchanged,” Yager said. “I look forward to winning the November general election to voice our shared common-sense values in the State Senate. Constituents come first.”
Yager received 82% of the vote in Scott County, out-polling Hedrick by a margin of 1,356-296. The same was true across the district as a whole, with Yager receiving 77% of the vote as some results continued to trickle in late Thursday night.
“Tennessee is the best-run state in the nation,” Yager said. “We have the lowest per capita debt in the nation and no income tax, but there are serious issues we must face in the years ahead such as education, economic development, and substance abuse. It is my hope that we address these and other issues to cultivate a Tennessee that allows families to thrive by ensuring economic opportunities, quality education and safe communities.”
Yager had the endorsement of most elected officials in the 12th District, as well as the National Rifle Association and the Tennessee chapter of Planned Parenthood.
However, he found himself in the crosshairs of his party’s right wing, which drummed up support for challengers to several incumbent senators across the state. Their beef with the sitting senators was that the incumbents aren’t conservative enough. Yager has been hammered in recent months by “The Tennessee Conservative,” which has called him a “RINO” — Republican In Name Only.
While the attempt to unseat Yager fell flat, other incumbents targeted by the right wing weren’t as fortunate.
In District 4, which includes Hawkins and Sullivan counties in upper East Tennessee, incumbent Jon Lundberg was narrowly defeated by challenger Bobby Harshbarger.
The District 4 race had proven especially contentious, with Yager filing an ethics complaint against Harshbarger and his mother, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, after mailers and text messages against Jon Lundberg were paid for by a political action committee that shares a treasurer with Congresswoman Harshbarger — a violation of campaign finance rules, Yager said. That complaint was ultimately forwarded to the Tennessee Attorney General for investigation.
Meanwhile, in District 8, which includes Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Jefferson, Sevier and Union counties, long-time incumbent Frank Niceley was solidly defeated by Jessie Seal.
Elsewhere, though, the incumbents fared well.
In West Tennessee, John D. Stevens — a favorite target of The Tennessee Conservative and others — easily defeated challenger Charlie Cooper, with 75% of the vote. Ferrell Haile held off a challenge from Chris Spencer in Middle Tennessee, and Todd Gardenhire received 81% of the vote to easily defeat Ed LeCompte on the southern Cumberland Plateau.
And, in one of the night’s most closely-watched races, Knoxville Republican Becky Duncan Massey — who has Scott County ties — soundly defeated her challenger, Monica Irvine, with 60% of the vote.