The Tri-Star State

Democrat Craig Fitzhugh has been a prominent figure in Tennessee politics for more than two decades, but the state has changed around him quite a bit. When he started as a state representative, he was in the majority. Now, he's running for governor in a state that votes overwhelmingly Republican.

Voting in Tennessee’s statewide primaries starts in less than two weeks, and that means the race is impossible to avoid without turning off the television. The ads may be short, but they’re where candidates spend most of their money and give insight into campaign strategy. In the latest edition of The Tri-Star State , Nashville Public Radio's Blake Farmer and Chas Sisk talk about that ad blitz.

President Donald Trump won't be on the ballot this fall, but he looms large over the races for Congress and governor. Candidates can boost themselves with conservatives by standing close to Trump — sometimes literally. But no leader in recent history has been as polarizing as the president, so they risk alienating voters elsewhere on the political spectrum.

In a busy year for elections in Tennessee, from governor to Senate to numerous state seats. Nashville mayor was not supposed to be one of them. But last week, the city elected David Briley to replace Megan Barry on a long-term basis.

During this year's session, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill that seeks to punish "sanctuary cities," but Gov. Bill Haslam has yet to sign it. And some hope this could be the rare time he chooses to veto. He’s facing pressure from those who are opposed to the measure and — from within his own party — by those who have seen anti-immigration issues be effectively used in political campaigns. In this edition of The Tri-Star State, Nashville Public Radio's Jason Moon Wilkins and Chas Sisk

The Tennessee legislative session came to a late-night end last week, but some of the bills approved in the final hours might not make it all the way to becoming law. In this week's edition of The Tri-Star State, Nashville Public Radio's Jason Moon Wilkins and statehouse reporter Chas Sisk discuss what legislation could miss the governor’s signature, as well as other lingering issues.

The big debates appeared to be behind the Tennessee Legislature, which has been in a wrap-up phase for the last week or two. Then a move to "punish" Memphis and a cyberattack on standardized tests injected high drama into the final days of the session. In this week's edition of The Tri-Star State , WPLN's Jason Moon Wilkins and statehouse reporter Chas Sisk look at why a budget decision stirred a national debate on race and how lawmakers addressed more trouble with TNReady.

Last week state lawmakers rejected nearly half the candidates for the University of Tennessee’s newly revamped Board of Trustees.

Over the past week, there's been a flurry of bills passing or failing or simply being shelved for review by the Tennessee General Assembly. Lawmakers are rushing toward the end of the legislative session as most are preparing for campaign season. It can be confusing to keep up with the fate of the would-be laws that have been making headlines this year. Nashville Public Radio's Jason Moon Wilkins and statehouse reporter Chas Sisk sort it out in this week's edition of The Tri-Star State .

Tennessee lawmakers are starting to wind up business for the year, but there are still several big debates left to resolve. School security. Medical marijuana. And marriage laws, to name a few. WPLN's Emily Siner talked to our statehouse reporter Chas Sisk about what’s at stake in those debates.