This opinion is from Tennessee Lookout
On Thursday, Tennessee Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson announced she will run again for her Knoxville state House seat. Democrats and Republicans alike went wild, because she’s also running for U.S. Senate.
Her announcement last week came amid debate over a proposed bill by Sen. Richard Briggs, a Knoxville Republican, that would prohibit an elected official from holding more than one office at a time or from qualifying for two offices concurrently.
Johnson noted that running for two offices is legal and that Republicans had no problem with it until she decided to do so, accusing Briggs of targeting her. Many Democrats joined in the brouhaha, referring to the measure as the “Stop GloJo bill.”
And in fact, Rep. Esther Helton Haynes, a Republican, not only serves in the House of Representatives but also as vice-mayor of East Ridge — the same area she represents in the House. (Helton-Haynes told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that she does not anticipate seeking re-election to the East Ridge City Council).
Then, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally told Andy Sher with State Affairs that Johnson needs to choose which seat she wants to run for, adding that Briggs brought the bill because of Johnson’s decision.
There’s obviously quite a bit of confusion about the issue — not least from McNally, who is apparently unaware Briggs has proposed a measure limiting ballot exposure before — so let’s break it down.
So much sway
Briggs first discussed creation of a bill to limit the number of races in which a candidate could run in 2020, when conservative talk show host Sean Murphy filed petitions in Knox County to run both for mayor of Farragut and for the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Murphy ultimately withdrew from both races — and Briggs dropped his proposal — but had he won them, he would have had two votes on the Farragut council, enabling him to control 40% of votes on any issue.
Not illegal yet
It’s legal to run for more than one seat — and to serve in more than one.
Johnson has the legal right to run for U.S. Senate and the Tennessee General Assembly, as there are no prohibitions against doing so.
It’s not uncommon for politicians to run for office while holding down their current position, or even to serve in two elected roles simultaneously. Republican Jim Gotto continued to serve on Nashville’s Metro Council for a year after winning a spot in the legislature from House District 60 in 2010. Gotto’s term on Metro Council ended in 2011, and in 2012, Rep. Darren Jernigan won Gotto’s legislative seat.
In the ‘80s, there was Fred Hobbs, the Eagleville Democrat who served as mayor of Eagleville, a member of the Rutherford County School Board and in the House of Representatives, all at the same time.
Conflicted
Jernigan, who has announced he will not run for reelection this year, continues to serve in the legislature despite his full-time job as director of legislative affairs for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. Though his job isn’t an elected position, he works for another elected official, and this is a conflict of interest since he is now lobbying his House colleagues for the benefit of his employer.
A bad look
Briggs’s bill is on the mark: while it may be legal to hold two offices or run for more than one, the appearance of doing whatever’s necessary to hold onto power exemplifies why many Americans find politics distasteful.
Johnson has said her constituents have asked her to run again for the legislature despite her Senate run, and I have no doubt of that: she’s earned a reputation in Knox County for being a fearless advocate. But to this, I say: pick a lane.
In the Senate race, Johnson is running as the odds-on favorite to win a three-way Democratic primary with Fayette County educator Civil Miller Watkins and Memphis activist Marquita Bradshaw, but the general election against incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is uphill.
However, should Johnson win both seats, she would have to choose which to occupy, as the Tennessee Constitution states that one cannot hold a federal role and also one in the General Assembly. For Johnson to take the U.S. Senate seat would mean a special election for her state House seat, which could cost upwards of $100,000. If she decided not to take the Senate seat, a statewide special election would cost millions of dollars.
Democrats often talk about the need to “build a bench,” to bring along younger elected officials who will be in a position to run for higher office — and with few Democrats in elected office at any level in Tennessee, a bench is sorely lacking. Johnson’s decision to run for state House again chills an opportunity for bench-building in Knox County.
I’m not even convinced the move is good for Johnson, as I’d be shocked if the decision doesn’t have some ramifications on her fundraising efforts. No doubt some potential big donors will see this as indication she feels she can’t win the Senate race and may find other uses for their funds.
Further, there’s no doubt Republicans will weaponize her decision against her in both races, likely painting her as someone who cares more about self-aggrandizement than her constituents — and while she won her House seat in 2022 comfortably, it’s no safe bet for Democrats.
Having said this, it’s not clear what effect the legislation would have on Johnson’s races, since she’s already qualified to be on both the Senate and state House ballots. The Republicans who want to stick it to her would have to use judicial measures to attempt to remove her from one or the other race. And Johnson, who gained national exposure through her role in the “Tennessee Three” expellment uproar last year, could leverage her media savvy to gain positive coverage for herself and again make House Republicans look like dunces.
But amid all the national talk of political divisions, this is an issue on which both parties should be able to agree.
Democrats who scream “Republicans are doing it,” do themselves no favors, as history shows Democrats have taken advantage of the ability to run for multiple offices as often Republicans have. It’s akin to Republicans who respond to concerns about gerrymandering with: “The Democrats used to do it.” If it’s not right for one party to do, it shouldn’t be right for the other party.
_ J. Holly McCall
