Soddy-Daisy political newcomer Kenny Morgan was forced to abandon his effort to unseat U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, in the Republican primary because he has not voted in three of the past four Republican primaries, Chattanoogan.com reports. The rule is enforced by the Tennessee Republican Party. Morgan has not voted in a primary since 2012 for a variety of reasons.

Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Jones is challenging the residency of opponent Luvell Glanton, claiming the attorney doesn’t live in Davidson County, the Nashville Post reports. The challenge filed by Jones stems from a property that Glanton owns in Brentwood, where his mother lives. The longtime plaintiff’s attorney also owns properties in Davidson County. Glanton’s attorney John Spragens said his client is qualified to serve as a Circuit Court judge under the Tennessee Constitution.” The Davidson County Election Commission will hear the challenge during a special meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. CST. Meanwhile, attorney David Ridings is attempting to get back on the ballot in the General Sessions Division VII race after being removed by the Davidson County Democratic Party for not being a bona fides Democrat. He has filed suit claiming that general sessions judges are municipal races and therefore should be nonpartisan.

The Hamilton County Commission will appoint a temporary replacement for former Rep. Robin Smith, who resigned Monday and was in federal court yesterday to plead guilty to federal wire fraud. The commission said the county needs to appoint an interim member because several months are left in the legislative session, Chattanoogan.com reports. The commission will accept letters from interested candidates through noon on March 18 and will vote on a replacement on March 30. No candidate has picked up filing papers for the August primary, but interested individuals have until April 7 at noon EDT to do so.

Nashville activist and Stand Up Nashville co-founder Odessa Kelly is moving her congressional campaign from the 5th District to the 7th District following redistricting, the Nashville Post reports. Kelly initially planned to challenge Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, in the 5th District’s Democratic primary, but redistricting split Nashville into three different districts and Cooper announced his decision to retire. Kelly now will run in the Democratic primary in an effort to take on incumbent Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, whose 7th District now includes much of northern Davidson County. Kelly currently lives in the 6th District, but plans to move to the 7th District though election laws do not require congressional candidates to live in the district they seek to represent.

Cookeville attorney Dana R. Looper has announced her candidacy for 13th Judicial District Circuit Court judge. She is an attorney with Fry, Fry, Knight & Looper where she has a general practice including federal court and appellate practice. She received her legal education from the Nashville School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Looper was a police officer for the Algood Police Department and a domestic violence advocate. The district covers Clay, Cumberland, Dekalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties.

Metro Nashville Councilmember and special education coach Delishia Porterfield has picked up a petition in an effort to qualify to run in Nashville’s state House District 52, the Nashville Post reports. Porterfield, a Democrat, is the first candidate in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville. 

Former Shelby County Probate Court Clerk Paul Boyd has pulled a petition for the August Republican primary in Senate District 31, which is currently held by Republican Brian Kelsey but who will not be running for reelection. Boyd told The Daily Memphian he has not yet decided whether he will get into the primary. The primary for the state Senate seat includes Brandon Toney of Germantown and former Shelby County Election Commission Chairman Brent Taylor.

A three-judge panel has declined a request by the plaintiffs in a Democratic Party lawsuit to expedite proceedings, The Tennessee Journal reports. The judges said they were not convinced they had the authority to hurry up the case and that “expediting these proceedings as requested would not allow the important constitutional questions to be fully and meaningfully considered and adjudicated on the merits.” The lawsuit claims the state House maps could have been drawn with fewer than 30 split counties and that the Senate plan violated a constitutional requirement for districts to be consecutively numbered in Nashville.

Former Memphis City Councilman Brent Taylor today announced that he will run to represent state Senate District 31, a seat that will soon be vacated by Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey, the Commercial Appeal reports. Taylor has previously served on the Shelby County Commission and last week resigned from the Shelby County Election Commission. “My focus will be on fighting violent crime, reducing inflation, helping small businesses and supporting schools,” Taylor said in a statement. Taylor has not yet pulled a nominating petition. Brandon Toney, Nasser Fazlullah and Paul Boyd have also pulled nominating petitions for the seat.

Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, has decided to not seek reelection, the Nashville Post reports. In October, a Nashville federal grand jury indicted Kelsey on campaign finance charges related to his unsuccessful 2016 run for Congress. His trial has been pushed back to 2023. In social media posts, Kelsey said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. He added that he will continue “fighting for American values in the court system" and hopes to run for elected office again “in the coming years.” Kelsey was first elected to the state House in 2004 and the Senate in 2009. He has chaired both the Senate Judiciary Committee and Education Committee. Those already filing for the seat include Democrat Ruby Powell-Dennis and Republicans Brent Taylor and Brandon Toney.