Gov. Bill Lee announced today that he will back three state House candidates who are aligned with him on the issue of school vouchers, Tennessee Journal reports. The beneficiaries of his support are: Jason Emert in District 20 in Blount County, Lee Reeves in District 65 in Williamson County and Aron Maberry in District 68 in Montgomery County. The seats are being vacated respectively by Republican Reps. Bryan Richey of Maryville, Sam Whitson of Franklin and Curtis Johnson of Clarksville.

Garfield Scott has announced his bid to run for Tennessee House of Representatives District 68. The seat, which represents east and south Clarksville’s rural and suburban areas, is currently held by retiring Republican Rep. Curtis Johnson. Scott is a retired truck driver and former cattle farmer, who also raised grain and tobacco on the family farm in the once rural area of St. Bethlehem. According to Clarksville Now, Scott says his campaign will focus on issues affecting all county residents, including supporting public education, building infrastructure for future growth and holding corporations accountable for public investments. Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Smith also is seeking to replace Johnson.

State Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, is again challenging the qualification of his Republican opponent Jennifer Frensley Webb ahead of the November election, the Tennessean reports. A new lawsuit against Metro Nashville and the Davidson County Election Commission alleges that the commission violated state law when it certified Webb’s candidacy. The commission affirmed Webb's qualification to be on the ballot after spending several hours reviewing her petition signatures earlier this month, according to the Nashville Banner. This week, Mitchell’s attorney called that hearing "a farcical display of incompetence, lacking in legitimate procedure and riddled with flaws.”

In preparation for the Aug. 1 primaries and the Nov. 5 general election, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is urging all Tennesseans meeting eligibility requirements to consider becoming poll workers for this year’s election cycle. For more information about becoming a poll worker, visit https://sos.tn.gov/pollworkers.

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Smith has officially launched his bid to be elected Tennessee’s District 68 state representative. He is seeking to replace Curtis Johnson, the long-time representative who recently announced his pending retirement. Clarksville Online has more on the campaign.

Dr. Laura Andreson, a Franklin OB-GYN who has sued Tennessee over its abortion ban, will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Jake McCalmon for House District 63, running as a Democrat. The Tennessean reports that Andreson's campaign platform heavily focuses on reproductive rights and health care, the issue that drove her to become more politically involved in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision ushered in Tennessee's abortion law. Andreson joined a group of physicians lobbying lawmakers for increased exceptions to Tennessee's near-total ban, expressing concern about patient health and criminal liability for doctors.

A political action committee’s barrage of text message attacks on incumbent state Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, has spurred a formal complaint by Senate Republican Caucus Chair Ken Yager of Kingston, the Tennessee Journal reports. The messages aren’t just “dirty” politics, Yager argues, but possible “collusion” that runs afoul of Tennessee campaign finance restrictions. Lundberg’s opponent in the Republican primary for Senate District 4 is pharmacist Bobby Harshbarger, son of Republican U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Kingsport.

Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, has announced his candidacy for reelection to the Tennessee Senate. Yager, who serves in a key leadership role as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, is seeking a fifth term representing Senate District 12. In a statement, Yager said his tenure in the Senate has been “marked by a steadfast commitment to our community and local governments.” The LaFollette Press has his full announcement.

The Davidson County Election Commission on Thursday rejected a challenge from Laura Nelson, R-Nashville, to Democratic Rep. Justin Jones’ qualification for the ballot in his bid for reelection. The Nashville Banner reports that Nelson alleged that several of Jones’ petition signatures were not valid. The GOP-controlled commission, after a hearing of more than two hours, decided to accept the signatures. State law requires 25 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Jones turned in 26, of which 25 were deemed valid.

Missy Crutchfield is seeking to win the state Senate District 10 seat once held by her father, Ward Crutchfield, Chattanoogan.com reports. She is running as the lone Democratic candidate. In the Republican primary, incumbent Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, is being challenged by former Red Bank Commissioner Ed LeCompte. Crutchfield touts her work as vice president of Chattanooga State Community College, assistant to the chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and administrator of the Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture. The primary is Aug. 1.