Longtime Tennessee Rep. G.A. Hardaway remains determined to hold onto his District 93 seat after making the rookie mistake of not double-checking signatures to qualify for the May 5 Democratic primary.
The perennial incumbent fell just short of the required 25 signatures after one of the signatories on Hardaway’s nominating petition did not meet residency requirements for the district. The Shelby County Election Commission discovered the issue while checking addresses against voter registrations.
In addition to imperiling the 71-year-old representative’s 20-year run in office, the error also leaves the district without a candidate on the May 5 ballot. Neither a Republican nor an independent candidate filed to run.
Despite the setback, Hardaway is pursuing a potential remedy.
“My team and I are pursuing all administrative, legislative and judicial options. I will be running for House District 93 to continue representing the best interests of my constituents,” Hardaway said in a statement to TSD.
One option would be to appeal the disqualification to the election commission. However, the chances of success narrow significantly after the March 10 filing deadline. Typically, the election commission notifies candidates who fall short of the required signatures as the deadline approaches.
Valid signatures are reviewed after submission. The fact that Hardaway filed his petition at the deadline does not help his case.
Another option is to run as a write-in candidate in either the Aug. 6 Democratic primary or the Nov. 3 general election. Hardaway has until 50 days before each election to submit a certificate of write-in candidacy.
If permitted, Hardaway would need to secure 5% of the district’s registered voters to win — about 1,795 votes out of 35,889, according to a February election commission report. Turnout totals in such reports typically fall short of certified general election results.
The drawback is that Hardaway’s name would not appear on the portion of the ballot reserved for Democratic candidates, eliminating the advantage of name recognition for voters selecting from a list.
In Shelby County, votes are cast on touchscreen machines or hand-marked paper ballots, both of which include options for write-in candidates.
