NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has set election dates to fill the opening left by the death of Democratic state Rep. Barbara Cooper.
The primary election to replace the longtime Memphis lawmaker will take place on Jan. 24 and the general election will be held on March 14.
Cooper died on Oct. 25 at 93 years old. Under Tennessee law, her name remained on the Nov. 8 ballot in House District 86. She won, creating a vacancy in the seat.
Cooper was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1996. She was honored earlier this year as the oldest serving lawmaker in Tennessee recorded history and among the oldest lawmakers across the United States.