Beverly Marrero, here holding great-granddaughter Adelai on election night, will make the transition from state representative in District 89 to state Senator from District 30 sometime on Wednesday when plans are for her to be sworn in. Democrat Marrero won over Republican Larry Parrish in Tuesday’s special election. Meanwhile, Democrat G.A. Hardaway won election as state representative in District 92 over Republican Richard Morton.
(Also pictured are son Michael Robison and daughter-in-law Leslie Robison.)
Marrero’s victory was tighter that most expected for her predominantly Democratic district, although various Cassandras –notably blogger Steve Steffens of leftwingcracker.blogspot.com – had predicted that Republicans were working hard enough to make both races close. With all 58 precincts reporting Marrero had 4,310 votes to Parrish’s 3,310. Hardaways’s race was also reasonably close. With all 25 precincts reporting, he had 1,405 votes to Morton’s 1,013.
Marrero, who had been serving as representative from state House District 89, succeeds longtime state Senator, now 9th District congressman, Steve Cohen., with Shea Flinn having served as interim Senator from District 39.
Hardaway’s predecessor had been Henri Brooks, now a county commissioner, with Eddie Neal having filled in as interim representative from District 92.
Marrero’s victory means that her state House seat must now be filled with an interim representative and later with the winner in a special election which Governor Phil Bredesen will no doubt issue a call for fairly soon.
–Jackson Baker
