← Back to Greene County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06
Contest for TN House District 5
State House District 5
primary - Partisan - State Representative District 5
About this office
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and — together with the Senate — confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.
Term length: 2 years.
This role calls for
- Integrity — Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.
- Understanding of the constituency — Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents — safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.
- Persuasion — Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.
- Legislative craft — Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.
- Coalition-building — Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Democratic Primary
1 candidate
Catherine Bacon's biography confirms her residence in Greene County and her status as the Democratic nominee for District 5, indicating local ties relevant to constituent understanding. The record shows no controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate legislative craft experience or coalition-building experience.
Republican Primary
1 candidate
David B. Hawk's twenty-three-year tenure in the Tennessee House demonstrates legislative craft and coalition-building through committee service on Commerce and Environment. His background includes marketing education and a senior executive program at Harvard, suggesting an understanding of constituency economic needs. No disciplinary records or controversies appear in this biography. Bio does not indicate prior experience as a lobbyist or experience managing large-scale public health crises.
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