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State Senator, 5th District

Vote for
1
Term
4 years
Candidates
2
Election
Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state senator votes on Tennessee laws and the state budget in the General Assembly.

CandidatesCompare by issue
Photo of Jimmy Matlock
Jimmy MatlockOfficial portrait (110th General Assembly, 2017-2018) — Tennessee General Assembly archives

Jimmy Matlock

Republican

Business owner (Matlock Tire) · Lenoir City

The gist

  • Supports local control over state intervention in local affairs.
  • Pledges to make infrastructure his first-year priority.
More about Jimmy
View sources (1)

  1. Supports local control over state intervention in local affairs.

    Tennessee Senate District 5 primary voter's guide: Meet the candidates

    Candidate questionnaire · Knoxville News Sentinel (via Yahoo News) · Jul 18, 2026 · yahoo.com

    “As a general rule, I believe the government is best closest to the people.”

  2. Pledges to make infrastructure his first-year priority.

    Tennessee Senate District 5 primary voter's guide: Meet the candidates

    Candidate questionnaire · Knoxville News Sentinel (via Yahoo News) · Jul 18, 2026 · yahoo.com

    “Everywhere I go, every person will bring up infrastructure. I have some experience there.”
Photo of David Miller
David MillerCampaign photo — David Miller for Tennessee

David Miller

Democratic

Retired educator; Anderson County school board member · Oak Ridge

The gist

  • Pledges to end the state sales tax on groceries.
  • Supports ending the school voucher program.
  • Supports easing land-use rules to increase homebuilding.
  • Proposes prioritizing road maintenance over new mega projects.
More about David
View sources (2)

  1. Pledges to end the state sales tax on groceries.

    Our Priorities - David Miller for Tennessee

    Campaign website · David Miller for Tennessee · davidmillerfortennessee.com

    “Our campaign is committed to ending the state sales tax on groceries”

  2. Supports ending the school voucher program.

    Tennessee Senate District 5 primary voter's guide: Meet the candidates

    Candidate questionnaire · Knoxville News Sentinel (via Yahoo News) · Jul 18, 2026 · yahoo.com

    “First we must end the voucher program in Tennessee.”

  3. Supports easing land-use rules to increase homebuilding.

    Tennessee Senate District 5 primary voter's guide: Meet the candidates

    Candidate questionnaire · Knoxville News Sentinel (via Yahoo News) · Jul 18, 2026 · yahoo.com

    “In 2023, Montana's legislature passed a series of laws to increase homebuilding and ease housing prices”

  4. Proposes prioritizing road maintenance over new mega projects.

    Tennessee Senate District 5 primary voter's guide: Meet the candidates

    Candidate questionnaire · Knoxville News Sentinel (via Yahoo News) · Jul 18, 2026 · yahoo.com

    “switching our focus from decades-long mega projects (that never seem to end) to prioritizing maintenance of the roads we already have”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 5 issues covered in this race.