HB 0886 would close Tennessee’s primaries by requiring party registration—a move with major grassroots support but Senate resistance. Backed by nearly 40 House cosponsors, it's now up to key Senators to decide if it becomes law.
By TruthWire News — March 2025
Legislation to finally implement party registration and close Tennessee’s primaries is gaining historic traction, but not without internal resistance from within the GOP’s own ranks.
What HB 0886 Does
House Bill 0886, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County) and led in the Senate by Senator Adam Lowe as SB0777, would for the first time require Tennesseans to register by party affiliation when registering to vote. The bill would:
· Require voters to register as Republican, Democrat, a recognized minor party, or unaffiliated.
· Require voters who wish to change their party affiliation to notify election officials in writing no later than 90 days before a primary.
· Update the statewide voter registration system to record party affiliation.
· Automatically update voters to "unaffiliated" if their affiliated minor party loses recognition.
· Go into effect November 1, 2025.
While Tennessee technically has a law on the books requiring voters to declare allegiance to the party whose primary they vote in, there is no enforcement mechanism—making it effectively an open primary state. HB 0886 seeks to put teeth behind that requirement.
Why It Matters
In addition to protecting primary elections from crossover voting, HB 0886 would also help resolve longstanding conflicts over what it means to be a 'bona fide' Republican in Tennessee. Under current state GOP rules, candidates and participants in party activities must often prove their allegiance by demonstrating a voting history in at least three out of the last four Republican primaries. This rule has fueled intense infighting at the local level, particularly during party reorganization events, where disputes over 'bona fide' status frequently erupt into chaos. One recent example is the Williamson County Republican Party Reorganization, which saw significant controversy and division over the enforcement of this rule. The newly elected board ran on a platform aimed at keeping Democrats out of Republican primaries, even implying that in the absence of any new law that compels party registration, a caucus style contest could be utilized leaving no options off the table. By establishing party registration, HB 0886 would streamline this process and offer a clear, objective record of party affiliation—bringing much-needed clarity and stability to local party governance.
Supporters of HB 0886 argue that without party registration and closed primaries, Tennessee’s elections are vulnerable to manipulation from voters outside the party. One of the most high-profile examples occurred during the 2022 State Senate Republican Primary, when 16-year incumbent Jack Johnson narrowly defeated grassroots challenger Gary Humble by fewer than 800 votes. Humble, director of Tennessee Stands, ran a well-supported campaign backed by grassroots conservatives statewide. Post-election analysis revealed that approximately 1,200 Democratic voters had crossed over to vote in the Republican primary. Without that crossover, Humble would have secured the nomination by several hundred votes. Incidents like this have fueled growing frustration among conservative voters who feel the current system allows opponents to interfere in GOP primaries, diluting the voice of actual party members.
Growing Support—And Strategic Momentum
According to Rep. Chris Todd, the bill’s primary sponsor in the House, HB 0886 now has nearly 40 cosponsors, including Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, who signed on just this week. Todd told TruthWire News, "I’m told this is the most progress a party registration bill has ever moved in the General Assembly and I have my colleagues in the House and many in the Senate to thank. Sen. Lowe has worked closely with me to keep the momentum and craft this for success. Representative Lynn graciously assisted and put her own bill on hold for this to have greater momentum. I have nearly 40 cosponsors, including Speaker Sexton and passed it through the critical House committees. It is now waiting on Senate action & then funding in the budget. There’s a critical vote in the Senate State and Local Committee next Tuesday that folks need to pay attention to. People need to let their Senators know how strongly they want this enacted so that committee will respond positively. If SB0777 makes it out of Senate State and Local, I firmly believe it will be funded in the budget and become law.”
While the bill has been placed “behind the budget”—meaning it won’t be funded until everything else in the governor’s budget is covered—Todd believes the support and pressure from Tennesseans will ensure the funding is found, as the fiscal note attached indicates a low impact.
Opposition from Within
Despite overwhelming support from the state GOP and years of advocacy from grassroots Republicans, several key Senate Republicans—particularly within the State and Local Government Committee—remain hesitant. Sources inside the legislature tell TruthWire News that some committee members have expressed discomfort with the concept of party registration altogether
A source close to the committee told TruthWire that some of these Senators have just never supported closed primaries. It’s just a philosophical position. That explanation may satisfy some, but among grassroots conservatives, it often lands flat. A recurring response among constituents is to remind their elected officials that they weren’t sent to Nashville to muse over academic philosophies—they were sent to act on the will of the people.
And in this case, the people have made themselves abundantly clear.
That resistance, insiders say, may complicate passage through the Senate despite momentum in the House. The key vote will come Tuesday, when the Senate State and Local Government Committee takes up SB0777.
Budget Notes & Fiscal Impact
Implementing the bill would require updates to the voter registration system and training across the state. According to fiscal estimates:
· One-time state expenditures total roughly $40,000.
· Local costs in Shelby, Davidson, and Knox Counties total about $122,750.
The Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Safety would also need to adjust their systems to accommodate the new registration procedures.
What’s Next
The upcoming vote will take place in the Senate State and Local Government Committee, which is composed of the following members:
· Sen. Richard Briggs (Chair) – sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1766
· Sen. Page Walley (Vice-Chair) – sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2368
· Sen. Tom Hatcher (2nd Vice-Chair) – sen.tom.hatcher@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-5002
· Sen. Todd Gardenhire – sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6682
· Sen. Ed Jackson – sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1810
· Sen. Sara Kyle – sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4167
· Sen. Adam Lowe – sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6906
· Sen. Kerry Roberts – sen.kerry.roberts@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4499
· Sen. Jeff Yarbro – sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3291
Constituents are encouraged to reach out to these Senators and express their support for SB0777 before the vote.
Rep. Todd emphasized that conservative voters across Tennessee must contact their Senators ahead of next week’s critical committee vote.
“People need to let their Senators know how strongly they want this enacted,” Todd said. “It’s time we actually enforce the closed primary laws already on the books. This bill does exactly that.”
As party identity and election integrity remain hot-button issues, HB 0886 has become a defining test of how far the Tennessee GOP is willing to go to secure its internal process from crossover influence—and whether it can align its policy with the will of its base.
TruthWire News will continue to follow the progress of HB 0886 and SB0777 in the coming days.
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