The 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Senator Bill Frist, the Majority Leader, retired after two terms in office. The open seat was won by Republican nominee Bob Corker, who defeated Democratic nominee Harold Ford Jr. The race between Ford and Corker was one of the most competitive Senate races of 2006, with Corker winning the race by less than three percent of the vote. Corker was the only non-incumbent Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in 2006. Since 1994, the Republican Party has held both of Tennessee's U.S. Senate seats. Since this election (along with the gubernatorial election held the same day), only seven of the state's 95 counties–Davidson, Shelby, Haywood, Hardeman, Houston, Jackson, and Lake–have gone to the Democratic candidate in a statewide election, with Jackson and Lake only going Democratic once. Only five counties have voted for a Democratic candidate in a Presidential, Senate, or gubernatorial race multiple times since 2006. Only three–Davidson, Shelby, and Haywood–have voted Democratic in a Senate race since 2006. The election marks the last very competitive statewide election in Tennessee history, as the Republican Party has gained intense strength in both Tennessee and all-white, rural Southeast regions that were usually Democratic-leaning outside of presidential elections. Democratic primary Candidates Harold Ford Jr., U.S. Representative Campaign Harold Ford was a Congressman from the 9th Congressional District, based in Memphis, and he was a member of a political family, with many relatives also serving or formerly in political office. He was known nationally for his keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, and for a challenge to Nancy Pelosi for leadership of the House Democrats in 2002. He had also served as a national campaign co-chair for the John Kerry presidential campaign in 2004. Ford filed paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in May 2005. Democratic State Senator Rosalind Kurita, from the 22nd District, centered on Clarksville, Tennessee had entered the race prior to Ford, and initially appeared to be competitive, releasing internal polls showing her as strong as Ford in the general election. But she dropped out of the race in early April 2006, as a result of financial and organizational challenges. Ford enjoyed substantial support from Democratic leaders in Washington and Nashville and held a substantial lead in fundraising. Results Republican primary Candidates Ed Bryant, former U.S. Representative