NASHVILLE (AP) — A look at some of the state's top races in Tuesday's general election in Tennessee:
U.S. SENATE: Republican Lamar Alexander, a former governor who ran for president twice, defeated Democratic nominee Gordon Ball, a Knoxville attorney. Ball called the incumbent out of touch with Tennessee voters, while Alexander labeled his challenger as beholden to the policies of President Barack Obama.
GOVERNOR: Republican Gov. Bill Haslam easily defeated Democratic nominee Charlie Brown, a politically unknown retiree from Morgan County in eastern Tennessee. Haslam's re-election bid largely centered on a minute-long TV ad featuring children praising his qualities. The governor shied away from making the campaign about difficult political decisions he might face if re-elected, such as Medicaid expansion, Common Core education standards or a gas tax increase.
In his victory speech Tuesday night, Haslam said he's going to "double down on the progress that Tennessee is making," particularly in education.
"We've moved too far in terms of real progress in education," he said. "We want to have Tennessee be a different place for educational outcomes for our children."
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: Voters approved four changes to the Tennessee Constitution. The most hard-fought of the amendments gives lawmakers more power to regulate abortions in the state. The other amendments underscore the current merit selection process for Supreme Court and appeals judges, ban a state income tax in Tennessee, and allow nonprofit veterans groups to hold charitable gambling fundraisers.
CONGRESS: While all nine U.S. representatives are on the ballot, only Rep. Scott DesJarlais in the 4th District faced a serious challenger. DesJarlais, a Jasper physician who now opposes abortion rights, defeated Democrat newcomer Lenda Sherrell of Monteagle. He got 58 percent of the vote Tuesday night. He won the GOP primary by 38 votes in August, despite a series of personal scandals that included affairs with patients, urging a mistress to seek an abortion and once holding a gun in his mouth for hours outside his ex-wife's room.
WINE IN SUPERMARKETS: A multiyear legislative fight resulted in a law that allows cities and counties that already allow liquor by the drink or package store sales to hold referendums on whether to allow wine sales in supermarkets. Under the old law, grocery stores couldn't sell any alcohol stronger than beer, while liquor stores were banned from selling anything other than booze and lottery tickets. Seventy-eight municipalities collected enough signatures to place a referendum on the Tennessee ballot for supermarket wine sales. Of the 70-plus that had reported returns by Tuesday night, all had passed the measure. People in those communities will be able to buy wine in supermarkets in 2016.
LEGISLATURE: All 99 members of the House and 17 of 33 Senate seats were up for election this year, though Republicans hold such vast majorities in both chambers that the results were unlikely to make big partisan changes at the state Capitol. There were 7 open seats in the Senate, and 6 in the House. Republicans claimed 2 of the Senate seats, giving them a 28-5 majority. The GOP currently control the House 72-27. They picked up at least 3 seats Tuesday night. A few races were too close to call.
Among the familiar faces not returning are longtime Democratic Sens. Douglas Henry of Nashville, who retired, and Jim Kyle of Memphis, who was elected to a judgeship. Meanwhile three controversial Republican lawmakers — Sen. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville, Sen. Jim Summerville of Dickson, and Rep. Tony Shipley of Kingsport — were defeated in their primaries.