Tracy faces Democratic challenge

State Sen. Jim Tracy (Official legislative portrait) [Click to enlarge]

State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) faces a challenge from either Dee Butler or Jean Anne Rogers, both Democrats from Murfreesboro, this November, depending on the outcome of the Aug. 6 Democratic primary.

Lt. Gov Ron Ramsey, a Republican, told Republicans in Marshall County last Saturday that the Democratic Party plans to target Tracy and urged them to contribute to his campaign.

"I don't know if it's a target race or not, really," Tracy told the Times-Gazette on Thursday. "That's not for me to decide.

"I was elected to represent all the residents of the 16th district -- Republicans, Democrats, men, women and children, and I think I've done that."

Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Wade Munday didn't have much reaction to the idea that the 16th District was being targeted.

"I don't know if it's any more of interest than any of the other state seats that are coming up," said Munday.

"We have an A-list candidate in Jean Ann Rogers," said Mark Brown, communications director for the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus. "We feel that this is a winnable seat. It's a swing district.... Frankly, we feel like the people of Senate District 16 are looking for a change."

The 16th District includes Bedford and Moore counties and parts of Rutherford County. Prior to Tracy's election four years ago, the Senate seat had been held for years by a sequence of Murfreesboro Democrats -- including John Rucker, Andy Womack and Larry Trail.

Rogers attended Bedford County Democratic Party's annual banquet last month, as was Womack, who said he would like to see the seat back in Democratic party hands.

Tracy said that he is preoccupied right now with finishing the current legislative session and doing his own campaigning and isn't yet concerned with whom he will face in the fall.

"I'm working hard right now to get through [the] session," said Tracy.