Watson Campaigns for Re-Election in Chattanooga
State Senator Bo Watson sought another term in District 11 as Hamilton County early voting exceeded recent election-year turnout.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Have you already voted, or do you plan to vote in this election?
Tennessee state Sen. Bo Watson, a Republican who has served two decades in the state Senate, campaigned in Chattanooga's District 11 on Election Day, November 3, 2026. He faces Democrat Tim Roberts, a first-time candidate, in a district covering northern Chattanooga, part of the city proper, Collegedale, and Red Bank.
Why it matters
Watson's seat is one of seven Republican-held seats in the state with a partisan lean of less than 60% toward the GOP, making the race a closer contest than the state's overall partisan margins suggest. Early voting in Hamilton County exceeded 2022 and 2018 turnout, indicating heightened local participation.
JACK PAC, the political action committee of Gov. candidate Johnson, gave Watson $15,400 directly and spent $30,413.88 on advertising for his campaign. Whether Watson's seat stays Republican will not be known until results are counted.
The players
Bo Watson
Bo Watson is a Republican who has represented District 11 in the Tennessee state Senate for two decades.
Tim Roberts
Tim Roberts is a Democrat and first-time candidate challenging Watson in District 11.
Randy McNally
Randy McNally is the Tennessee lieutenant governor who is retiring, creating an open race for his position.
The details
Watson said he will worry about the Speaker vote on Wednesday, and he is confident Tennessee will elect Republicans up and down the ballot. Roberts said he ran because people should have options and the supermajority should be broken up, citing his opposition to a Watson bill that would have allowed public schools to deny education to students without legal documentation, which ultimately failed.
Timeline
2004: Watson first ran for state office and bought campaign signs.
2018 and 2022: Prior election years used as early voting turnout comparisons in Hamilton County.
2024: Trump won Tennessee by nearly 30 percentage points.
November 3, 2026: Election Day; Watson campaigned at a Signal Mountain polling location.
November 4, 2026: Watson plans to address the Speaker vote after the election.
Political Context
Republicans hold a supermajority in the Tennessee legislature, and Democrat Tim Roberts argues the supermajority should be broken up, a concern he raised while opposing a Watson bill that ultimately failed. Watson's district is one of seven Republican-held seats where the partisan lean is below 60%, so the race is a test of whether state-level Republican dominance holds in more competitive districts.
The outcome of District 11 will determine who represents northern Chattanooga, Collegedale, and Red Bank in the state Senate. Voters in these communities will see whether the seat changes hands in a district where the partisan lean is below 60% toward the GOP.
The takeaway
Local races like District 11 can shape state-level outcomes, and early voting turnout in Hamilton County offers a signal of voter engagement. Voters can track results and follow how the Speaker vote unfolds after the election.
Further reading
For more context on the candidates and races on the ballot, see Elections coverage for Chattanooga.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tennessee Lookout.
Live Poll
Have you already voted, or do you plan to vote in this election?
