{"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":"015","districtgroup":"state_senate","id":332,"key":"state_senate_015","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Paul Bailey","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":"2026-11-03","term_start":"2022-11-08","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":"","electiondate":"2022-11-08","name":"Paul Bailey","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nPaul Bailey is a Republican member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 15 [1]. He assumed office on November 4, 2014, and his current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1]. Bailey serves as the state senator for a district that includes Smith, Jackson, Putnam, and White counties [4].\n\nBailey is seeking re-election to the Tennessee State Senate in 2026 [1]. He is listed on the ballot for the Republican primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. As of May 2026, Bailey remains in office and active in his legislative duties [7].\n\nDuring the 2026 legislative session, Bailey has been involved in advancing measures focused on finalizing the year's work at the Capitol [5]. He self-describes as a lifelong conservative who prioritizes families, jobs, and local businesses over influence from external groups [6]. His campaign website highlights his legislative record, including support for measures such as the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act and various pro-life initiatives [8].\n\n## Background and education\n\nPaul Edward Bailey was born on March 4, 1968 [3]. He is a Christian and resides in Tennessee with his wife, Amy, and their three children [9]. Bailey self-describes as a lifelong conservative who identifies as a trucking owner and small farmer [9].\n\nBailey attended White County High School before earning a degree from Tennessee Tech University [3]. Ballotpedia also notes that he attended Tennessee Tech University [1].\n\n## Career\n\nPaul Bailey is the owner of CB Trucking and has worked as a small farmer [1][9]. He attended White County High School and Tennessee Tech University [3].\n\nBailey\u2019s political career began with an unsuccessful bid for the 15th District Senate seat in 2002 [4]. He subsequently ran for and won a seat on the White County Commission, where he served as Chairman [4]. In 2014, Bailey was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Representative Charles Curtis, serving in the 42nd House seat before resigning from that position [1][4]. He then successfully ran for the Tennessee State Senate, assuming office on January 13, 2015, representing District 15 [3].\n\n## Office history\n\nBailey first entered electoral politics in 2002 with an unsuccessful bid for the Tennessee State Senate seat representing the 15th District [4]. He subsequently served as a White County Commissioner and Chairman before resigning from that post when he was appointed to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2014 to fill the unexpired term of Representative Charles Curtis, who retired [4]. Bailey served in the 42nd House seat during this appointment [4].\n\nBailey assumed office as a member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 15 on January 13, 2015, following his election to the open seat [3]. He represents Smith, Jackson, Putnam, and White counties [4]. Members of the Tennessee State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits [2]. Bailey is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate, which ends on November 3, 2026 [1]. He is running for re-election to represent District 15 in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nPaul Bailey has served in the Tennessee State Senate since January 13, 2015, representing District 15 [3]. Prior to his legislative service, he was appointed to the state House of Representatives to fill an unexpired term after serving as Chairman of the White County Commission [4]. He assumed his current Senate seat following a successful run for the open district in 2014 [4].\n\nDuring his tenure, Bailey has aligned with conservative policy positions, including voting against measures to decriminalize marijuana at the municipal level [9]. His legislative record includes support for several key bills identified by the Family Action Council of Tennessee, such as SB 16/HB 1 (the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act) and SB 1257/HB 1029 (the Human Life Protection Act) [8]. He also voted for SB 1297/HB 1151 regarding indecent exposure laws in single-sex restrooms, SB 1304/HB 836 concerning conscience provisions for child-placing agencies, and SB 1373/HB 307 allowing elective religious courses for credit [8].\n\nIn the 2026 legislative session, Bailey has continued to advance measures focused on local priorities as the session nears its conclusion in April [5]. He self-describes as a lifelong conservative who prioritizes families, jobs, and local businesses over external political groups [6]. His current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nPaul Bailey is the owner of CB Trucking [1]. He also identifies himself as a small farmer [9]. Prior to his election to the state legislature, Bailey served as a county commissioner and later as chairman of the White County Commission [4]. He resigned from the county commission when he was appointed to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2014 to fulfill an unexpired term [1].\n\nSpecific details regarding family wealth sources, ownership stakes in other entities, sales of businesses, or significant financial-disclosure facts are not provided in the available sources.\n\n## Family\n\nPaul Bailey is married to Amy Bailey[3]. The couple has three children[3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Paul Bailey (Tennessee) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Paul_Bailey_(Tennessee))\n[2] [Tennessee State Senate District 15 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_State_Senate_District_15)\n[3] [Paul Bailey (politician) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bailey_(politician))\n[4] [About Senator Bailey - Paul Bailey for Senate](https://paulbaileyfortn.com/about/)\n[5] [Home - Paul Bailey for Senate](https://paulbaileyfortn.com/)\n[6] [Sen. Paul Bailey on X: \"Tennessee voters don\u2019t need left-wing groups from Washington calling the shots in our state \u2013 we need leaders right here in the Volunteer State who put families, jobs and local businesses first. #TNSen15 https://t.co/FjmX3Rjzr7\" / X](https://x.com/PaulBaileyforTN/status/1992268371921109387)\n[7] [State Senator Paul Bailey | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/19393)\n[8] [Sen. Paul Bailey - Family Action Council of Tennessee](https://scorecard.factennessee.org/senators/paul-bailey)\n[9] [Paul Bailey](https://vote.norml.org/politicians/49079)","firstname":"Paul","lastname":"Bailey","token":"dIALHbfMWS"},"term_end":"2026-11-03","term_start":"2022-11-08"}],"title":"State Senate District 15","type":"legislative","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-06-19 17:40:13"}