Tennessee
9 seats: 5R, 4D
Where It Ranks Among the States (House Elections 2000)- Voter Turnout: 37th (44%)
- Victory Margin: 46th (55%)
Facts in Focus- Incumbents are a perfect 82 for 82 in their
re-election bids in U.S. House races in Tennessee in the1982-2000
period.
- The average margin of victory in
Tennessee's U.S. House races in 2000 was 56% � double the average margin in
elections in 1994 and 1996. The typical race was won by 78% to 22%
-- meaning by a margin more than three-to-one.
- Three of nine House races were won without major
party opposition � only one other House race was similarly
uncontested in 27 races from 1992 to 1996.
- 100% of U.S. House
races in Tennessee were won by landslide margins of over 20% in 2000.
This is the first time the landslide index in Tennessee has gone
above 78% since
1982.
- Only one out of three adults in Tennessee
voted in 2000 for the person who represents them in the U.S. House � the
state ranked 36th in its "representation index" in 2000.
- Voter turnout in House races was 44%, double the results in 1998 and
the highest turnout since 1994. This is probably due to the fact that Tennessee
was a battlegound state in the presidential elections.
- Tennessee ranked poorly in many areas of
electoral health in 2000 � it ranks in the six worst states in voter
turnout, margins of victory and representation index. However, it also has the lowest "seats
to votes distortion" of all fifty
states.
- Republican Jimmy Duncan's lowest winning percentage in 1992-2000
was 71%. He was uncontested three times in that period, as
also was true of Democrat John Tanner from
1992-1998.
How
Tennessee ranked in 2000
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