Tennessee lawmakers win tough primaries

Freshman Reps. Chuck Fleischmann and Diane Black won their primary contests Thursday night.

Both Tennessee Republicans faced tough challenges, Fleischmann faced a crowded primary field and Black held off her 2010 opponent.

{mosads}Fleischmann led with 39 percent to Scott Mayfield’s 32 percent and Weston Wamp’s 28 percent with 88 percent of precincts reporting.

Black led with 64 percent to Lou Ann Zelenik’s 32 percent with 77 percent of precincts reporting. The Associated Press has called both contests.

In the Fleischmann contest, the wealthy Mayfield invested his own money into the race and Wamp had high name recognition thanks to his father, the former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), who retired last cycle and lost a bid for governor.

The newly-drawn district had a lot of new territory for Fleischmann but he campaigned hard and fundraised well. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee  and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) endorsed him.

Black faced a repeat challenge from Zelenik, who she beat by just 287 votes in 2010, during a bitter primary.

But Zelenik’s political base of Rutherford County was removed from the district by lawmakers in the redistricting process, likely in a move to shore up Black. The redistricting process actually placed Zelenik in a different district but she moved so she could have a rematch with Black.

Both Fleischmann and Black are favored to win reelection this fall in their GOP-leaning districts.

— Cameron Joseph contributed