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Some TN Republicans Want To End Primaries For U.S. Senate

wikimedia.org

Democrats in Tennessee say they oppose allowing the General Assembly to pick nominees to the U.S. Senate.

The bill would end primary elections for selecting senate candidates, giving sole authority to the 132 members of the state legislature.

The Tennessee Democratic Party wants to be left out, said chairman Roy Herron.

“I believe in the people’s right to decide," Herron said. "I believe the people should pick the politicians instead of the politicians picking each other.”

While it was seen as a fringe idea with little chance at passage, Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey has since come out in support of doing away with primaries.

Democrats are the ones who’ve had the most trouble with the current system. In the last election cycle, Democrats disavowed their own senate candidate. Still, party chairman Roy Herron says he trusts “the people’s wisdom.”

Copyright 2013 WPLN. To see more, visit http://www.wpln.org/.

Blake Farmer is Nashville Public Radio's senior health care reporter. In a partnership with Kaiser Health News and NPR, Blake covers health in Tennessee and the health care industry in the Nashville area for local and national audiences.