Fred Thompson Republican Fred Thompson Republican The 1996 Tennessee United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1996, to elect the U.S.

Senator from the state of Tennessee.

Republican Senator Fred Thompson ran for re-election to a full six-year term.

Thompson defeated the Democratic challenger, Covington lawyer Houston Gordon in the general election.

This is the last time that Tennessee voted for a Senate candidate and a presidential candidate of different political parties.