NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Heidi Campbell beat out incumbent Steve Dickerson for the state senate seat to represent Tennessee's 20th district.
The race became quite negative as we neared Election Day. The Dickerson campaign labeled Campbell of being "unhinged," failing to pay her property taxes on time and pointed out old arrest records.
However, it wasn't enough to deter voters. Campbell, Vice Mayor of Oak Hill, beat Dickerson with 52 percent of the vote.
Dickerson, a Republican, often voted as a Democrat including his fight for medical marijuana. He conceded with the following statement:
“I am so thankful for the time I have had to serve the great people of District 20 in the General Assembly. Congratulations to Senator Heidi Campbell. I know she will find the opportunity to serve the citizens of the 20th District a rewarding experience. Over the past eight years, I have been committed to fighting for Tennessee families by working to pass legislation that enables prosperity and creates opportunities for our residents. I have always made it a priority to work across party lines for the people of Tennessee, and I will continue to serve my community in any way I can.”
Dickerson also said he was proud of legislation he passed to help people who are addicted to opioids.
Campbell said she called Wednesday to thank Dickerson for his service to the state. She said she's looking forward to working with Senate Democrats to pass legislation that benefits her constituents.
“One thing that we’re going to be finding very soon is that we’re going to have to start really addressing the economic distress that we’ve had because of COVID. There are a lot of people working out there and I know we all want to get to work as fast as we can to help people,” said Campbell.
With Dickerson's defeat, all the senate and house seats inside Davidson County are now held by democrats except for a portion of the county represented by Senator Ferrell Haile. The last republican replaced with a democrat was Beth Harwell. Bob freeman was elected to her former seat in 2018.
Dickerson said he's unsure what his political future will look like right now.
