{"county":null,"description":"The Tennessee State Senate is the upper chamber of the state legislature, with 33 members elected from single-member districts to four-year terms. Seats are staggered so roughly half are on the ballot every two years. Senators pass state laws, approve the state budget, confirm gubernatorial appointments, and \u2014 together with the House \u2014 propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least seven years, and district residents for at least one year.","district":"010","districtgroup":"state_senate","id":321,"key":"state_senate_010","lastchangeby":null,"name":null,"next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":"tn_senate","partisan":1,"party":null,"qualities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 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.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"tn","term_end":null,"term_start":null,"term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":0,"description":"","electiondate":"2020-11-03","name":"Todd Gardenhire","person":{"biography":"# Biography\n\n## Education\n- B.S., Business Administration, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1972\n\n## Family\n- Married, wife Sylvia, four children, five grandchildren\n\n## Career\n- Retired - 43 years in Financial Industry\n- Lookout Valley Presbyterian Church\n\n## Committees\n- Chair, Judiciary Committee\n- Vice-Chairperson, Fiscal Review\n- Member, Education Committee\n\n## Community Involvement\n- Senate member of the 108th through 113th General Assemblies\n- Board Member, 1994-Present, Awakening, Inc.\n- National Rifle Association\n- Hamilton County Pachyderm Club\n- Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce\n- Tennessee Valley Safari Club\n- Bethel Bible Village \u2013 Former Board Member\n\n## Honors & Awards\n- Former Presidential Appointee - Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) Advisory Committee 2006-2010\n- Appointed Chair of PBGC by President George W. Bush by Executive Order 2007-2010.\n- Named Chair of ERISA Advisory Council for 2005 Session by U. S. Secretary of Labor\n- Named Vice Chair of ERISA Advisory Council for 2004 Session by U. S. Secretary of Labor.\n- Nominated as Washington Impact Player of the Year by Institutional Investment News, 2004.\n- U. S. Department of Labor, Investment Management Representative, 2003-2005.\n- U. S. Department of Labor, Investment Counseling Representative, 1985-1987.\n\n## External Links\n- [https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=S10](https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=S10)","firstname":"Todd","lastname":"Gardenhire","token":"h8rNg1w4Dx"},"term_end":"2024-11-05","term_start":"2020-11-03"}],"title":"State Senate District 10","type":"legislative","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-06-19 17:40:13"}