Officials with the Tennessee Democratic Party say they will host three gubernatorial debates ahead of the upcoming August primary election, the Associated Press reports. According to a news release, Democratic candidates Jason Martin, Carnita Atwater and JB Smiley Jr. will participate in all three of the debates which will take place on May 26 in Knoxville, June 21 in Nashville and July 12 in Memphis. Whoever wins the August primary will face off against Republican incumbent Gov. Bill Lee, who is running for a second term. WBBJ TV.com has the story.

Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle ruled on Friday that Lee Mills can remain on the Republican primary ballot for House District 99, the Commercial Appeal reports. Mills, the former chair of the Shelby County Republican Party and a Republican state executive committee member, had his residency in Shelby County challenged by Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. At issue was whether Mills’ house is in Shelby County or neighboring Fayette County; different maps show it in both counties. Kyle described his ruling as narrow and only on the fact that Mills is a resident of Shelby County. He did not rule on the border dispute between Shelby and Fayette counties, which underpins the case. Mills will face Tom Leatherwood, the current District 99 representative, in the primary on Aug. 4. He previously lost to Leatherwood in 2020.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw has denied Robbie Starbuck’s request for an injunction that would stop his official removal from the Republican primary ballot for the 5th Congressional District, Tennessee Journal reports. The Tennessee Republican Party removed Starbucks and fellow candidates Morgan Ortagus and Baxter Lee after finding the three did not meet Republican “bona fides.” In his order, Crenshaw wrote that the “Court may never know” why exactly Starbuck was removed from the ballot, but that he was not entitled to a preliminary injunction.

The first of six forums from the USA TODAY Network Tennessee, the University of Tennessee and Lipscomb University begins tonight at 6 p.m. EDT on UT’s campus in Knoxville. Each forum will focus on gubernatorial and congressional candidates and will be held in-person as well as live-streamed on the Tennessean’s website. Tonight’s guests will feature a one-on-one conversation between Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessean editor Michael Anastasi, a discussion between Democratic gubernatorial candidates Carnita Atwater, Jason Martin and JB Smiley, moderated by UT President Randy Boyd, and a conversation with Democratic candidates Cameron Parsons and Mark Harmon, running for congressional seats in Districts 1 and 2, respectively. The live events are free but require tickets. The next forum will be held at Lipscomb on May 19 at 7 p.m. CDT. Read the full forum schedule.  

Voters across Tennessee cast their ballots yesterday during the state’s May primary election. In Davidson County, the Tennessean reports that incumbent District Attorney Glenn Funk held on to the Democratic nomination and will not face a Republican opponent in August. The Tennessean has results from the primary. According to the Chattanoogan, Coty Wamp has unseated incumbent Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston in the Republican primary. She will face off with Democrat John Allen Brooks in August. The Times Free Press has more election results from Hamilton County. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports Democrat Debbie Helsley won her primary and will run against incumbent Mayor Glenn Jacobs in the fall. Attorney and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris last night earned the Democratic nod in his primary, reports the Commercial Appeal. Harris will face Republican Worth Morgan in the general election. The Daily Memphian reports former Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy won the Democratic nomination for district attorney last night and will challenge incumbent Amy Weirich on the August ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s website has a complete list of election results for each of the state’s counties. Early voting in the general election will run July 15-30 with election day on Aug. 4.  

Voters will head to the polls tomorrow to cast a ballot in their county’s primary elections. While it’s too late to register to vote, you can check the status of your registration here. According to the Tennessean, Davidson County residents could have a new polling location due to redistricting. Voters should have received new voter registration cards in the mail with information on the new locations, but you can also find your polling location online. Voters in Tennessee must bring a valid photo identification card, but do not need to bring their voter registration card.

Community organizer and Equity Alliance founder Charlane Oliver announced her candidacy this week to represent Nashville’s District 19 in the state Senate, Main Street Nashville reports. Oliver co-founded the Equity Alliance in 2017 as a nonprofit advocacy organization aimed at building independent Black political and economic power. Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, who has held the seat for 17 years, is retiring this year. Former Metro Councilmember Jerry Maynard also is in the running for the seat. Nashville advocate and former public defender Keeda Haynes had previously filed a petition for the seat but has since withdrawn.

Brandon Toney, a Germantown intensive care nurse practitioner, has been removed from the ballot in the Republican primary for State Senate District 31, the Commercial Appeal reports. Members of the Tennessee Republican Party voted against restoring Toney to the ballot after his Republican “bona fides” were challenged. The party’s bylaws state that a person must vote in three of the past four Republican primaries to be considered a bona fide Republican. In a letter to party members, Toney acknowledged that he had not voted in the primaries in question, but that he was “clearly a Republican with a demonstrated record of supporting Republican candidates and committees.” He was set to face Brent Taylor in the August primary to fill the seat of outgoing state Sen. Brian Kelsey who is not running for reelection following his indictment on allegations of illegally redirecting campaign finance dollars.

Judge Amy Turnbull Hollars is seeking re-election as Circuit Court Judge Part 1 for the 13th Judicial District, the Overton County News reports. She has served in that position for 13 years, hearing civil cases in the seven counties that make up the district. After her initial appointment in 2008, she was re-elected in 2010 and 2014.

The state coordinator of elections is challenging the residency of Lee Mills, a candidate for Tennessee House District 99, by saying Mills does not live in the district — or in Shelby County at all, the Commercial Appeal reports. Mills ran for the seat in 2020 and lost to Rep. Tom Leatherwood, who is again running in this year’s Republican primary. Mills' candidacy was not challenged by the state in 2020.