Qualifications

To hold the office of Tennessee Senator, you must:

  • Be at least 30 years old,
  • Be a United States citizen, and
  • Have been a Tennessee citizen for 3 years immediately preceding the election
  • Have been a resident in the county represented for 1 year immediately preceding the election
  • Be a qualified voter of the legislative district by Election Day

 

Filing Period

For all candidates (August primary candidates and independent candidates on the November ballot):

  • Petition pickup begins Friday, January 9, 2026
  • The deadline to file is 12:00 NOON on Tuesday, March 10, 2026

 

Getting a Petition
  • Get a petition from your county election office (most common) or the Coordinator of Elections.
  • Only original petitions are valid. Don’t make copies—ask for more pages if needed.

 

Getting Signatures
  • You must collect at least 25 signatures from voters who are registered in the Senate district.
  • You must sign the petition yourself, but your signature does not count toward the 25 needed.
  • Each voter signing must include their full address as it appears on their voter registration.
  • Best practice is to collect 50 or more signatures in case some signatures are not counted as valid.

 

Where to File

File an original petition with the county election commission in your county of residence.

For districts in more than one county, file a certified duplicate (a copy labeled “This is a true copy of the original” with the copier’s signature, title, and date) with the county election commission office in each county wholly or partially within the Senate district.

 

Information for Primary Candidates

For questions about requirements to run in the primary election, contact:

Tennessee Republican Party
95 White Bridge Road, Suite 414
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 269-4260 | tngop.org

Tennessee Democratic Party
4900 Centennial Blvd., Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 327-9779 | tndp.org

Note: There are no government filing fees. Contact your party about party-specific fees. 

 

Campaign Finance Requirements

For campaign finance requirements, contact:

Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 2nd Floor
William Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243
(615) 741-7959 | tn.gov/becf