When Knox County voters head to the polls this year, they’ll be seeing double. Gloria Johnson announced last year she plans to run for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
But she’s also qualified to run for her current Tennessee House seat. Both races will be on the same ballot.
Watch Rep. Gloria Johnson and other lawmakers in the player above.
“It is in the law. It’s been done before. People have been on the ballot for two times,” explained Rep. Johnson, D-Knoxville, during a news conference Thursday.
Republican lawmakers now want to stop that practice. The proposed bill — sponsored by Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville — prevents someone from appearing on the ballot twice or holding two offices at the same time.
“It’s something that needs to be addressed,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge.
Rep. Johnson claims she’s been targeted
Sen. Briggs contends he started drafting the bill, long before Johnson announced her candidacy for both seats.
“The bill was drafted late summer, ” said Sen. Briggs in a statement to NewsChannel 5. “If Rep. Johnson had announced last summer she was running for two offices, I missed it and apologize. As a matter of principle, I don’t believe anyone should be able to hold up to five offices simultaneously.”