Tennessee operates under an open primary system with no party registration. Voters simply register as “voter,” and during primaries (early voting and election day) the voters can choose which party’s ballot to cast. This has been a point of ongoing discussion — particularly within Republican circles. Since 2018, the Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has repeatedly requested closed primaries and some form of party registration to prevent crossover voting. While the General Assembly (99 House members and 33 Senators) continue to discuss and attempt to find a law that a majority of the legislature can agree on, the open primary remains. Each year, the legislators get closer. Making and amending laws is all within their role as our elected legislators.
Following the May 5, 2026, primary elections, I obtained the voting histories of every candidate appearing on the August 6, 2026, primary ballots. The results are revealing.
Zero Republican Crossover
Not a single Republican officeholder or candidate on the August 2026 primary ballot had a record of voting in a recent Democratic primary. This includes incumbents and challengers alike. In an open primary environment where crossing over is legally possible, Republican candidates have consistently stayed within their own party’s contests.
Democratic Candidates with Republican Primary Votes
On the other side, the picture is different. At least three Democratic candidates have records of voting in recent Republican primaries.
William DeBord (Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Justin Lafferty in House District 89) voted in the May 5, 2026, Republican Primary. His longer history shows another Republican primary vote on August 2, 2018. Most of his other primary votes have been Democratic, with one additional Democratic primary vote in February 2008.
Jennifer “Jenny” Fowler (Democratic challenger to Rep. Dave Wright) participated in the March 5, 2024, Republican Primary — the same high-turnout presidential primary in which Donald Trump received 31,897 of 47,040 Republican votes in Knox County. Fowler has an extensive mixed voting record. She cast Republican primary votes in:
• August 2018, May 2018
• August 2016, March 2016
• August 2014, May 2014
• August 2010, May 2006
Her Democratic primary votes include May 2026, August 2024, August 2022, August 2020, March 2020, and several earlier cycles dating back to 1998.
Bryan Goldberg, who was the unsuccessful Democratic challenger to Republican Rep. Elaine Davis in November 2024, is running again as the unopposed Democrat on the August 6, 2026, Democratic primary for House District 18.
Goldberg voted in both the May 3, 2022, and August 4, 2022, Republican primaries, which would have been when Rep. Davis was elected. He will face the winner of the August 6, 2026 Republican primary — incumbent Rep. Elaine Davis or challengers Brent Jones and Elliott Schuchardt — in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Why This Matters
These findings illustrate a pattern: while Republican candidates show no crossover into Democratic primaries, a small but notable number of Democratic candidates have participated in Republican ones. In a state where Republicans hold strong majorities in both legislative chambers and most congressional seats, open primaries create an opportunity for strategic voting from the minority party. In Knox County it appears insignificant.
Proponents of closed primaries argue this protects the integrity of each party’s nominee selection. Opponents claim it restricts voter choice. Tennessee’s “no party registration” system makes the debate more complex, as there is no formal way to limit ballots without implementing registration or other verification methods.
The Tennessee Republican Party’s consistent requests since 2018 for reform have not yet produced legislative action. Whether that changes will depend on the 99 House members and 33 Senators who control the process.
What the Tennessee Republican Party Has Done and Continues to Do
Between 2014 and 2018, the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee exercised its authority establishing clear bona fide standards for participation and leadership within the party.
The real turning point came on August 14, 2021, during the first meeting of Committeeman Brian Hornback of District 6. That day, the Committee formally abolished the “voucher” system — a practice where Republican elected officials would simply give their word for someone without properly vetting their background. The remaining State Executive Committee members all refer to that approach as “the Mannis effect.”
Since then, the State Executive Committee has continued strengthening the party’s integrity. Between 2022 and 2024, the bona fide requirement was raised from having voted in 2 out of 4 State and Federal Primaries to 3 out of 4. We also updated our policy on out-of-state voting history. While the party previously didn’t accept voting records from other states, the party now does that — provided the individual takes the responsibility for obtaining those records themselves.
This is an ongoing process. As members of the State Executive Committee serve as the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Republican Party — working with the Party Officers and elected legislators who craft the laws. The State Executive Committee’s goal remains the same: to build a stronger, more principled party rooted in transparency and accountability.
PUBLIC RECORD
Voter histories are public records in Tennessee. The data above comes directly from those records for candidates on the current cycle’s ballot. In an open primary state, transparency about past voting behavior remains one of the few tools available to evaluate whether candidates respect party boundaries or strategically cross them.
As we head into the August 6 primaries and November 3 general election, voters in each district deserve to know the full picture — including the primary voting history of those seeking their support.
