By Ray Hill Even today people remember the “Battle of Athens.”  At the time it occurred in 1946, it was also known as the “Battle of the Ballots.”  The closest thing the election battle resembled was a Latin American revolution.  While tensions had been simmering for...

By Ray Hill With E. H. Crump saying little or nothing about whether or not he would support the state or national Democratic tickets in Shelby County, the general election campaign in Tennessee continued to be hard-fought. John G. Townsend was a former United States...

By Ray Hill Tennessee is no stranger to political machines, the best known of which was that of Edward Hull Crump of Memphis. Yet the Shelby County organization was hardly the only functioning political operation in Tennessee. Crump’s machine was largely confined to...

By Ray Hill   Much as it will surprise many readers, there was a time - - -  a very long time indeed - - - when Tennessee was almost entirely a one-party state.  Elections were decided inside the Democratic primaries.  The highest office any Republican to could...

John Sharp Williams of Mississippi By Ray Hill  At a time when folks have little or no respect for their officeholders, it may be difficult to imagine the better part of the people of an entire state having affection and reverence for their representative in Congress....

By Ray Hill For decades, Democrats in Tennessee had enjoyed the luxury of sailing through general elections without having to worry about the results. Republicans in Tennessee talked a good game and usually had nominees for both the governorship and seats in the...

By Ray Hill I noticed the other day Senator Bill Hagerty released a list of those he had nominated for the various military academies.  Most senators now keep a person on staff to review the application of those wanting to attend military academies and it is still an...

By Ray Hill The Democratic primary in Tennessee in the 1948 election had been particularly brutal. Tennessee’s senior United States senator, Kenneth D. McKellar, old and ailing, had tried to change the mind of Shelby County political boss Edward Hull Crump about his...

Tennessee has produced some remarkable leaders during the history of our country, as well as some rascals. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson all served as presidents of our country; Howard Baker and Bill Frist served as Majority Leaders of the United...

By Ray Hill Democrats in Tennessee had routinely won elections with but few exceptions since 1900; only three times had Republicans managed to win the governorship. No Republican had ever been popularly elected to the United States Senate from Tennessee. Following an...