Incumbent Republican Congressman Jimmy Duncan, seeking a tenth term, faced no serious competition from two-time congressional candidate John Greene.

This congressional district, based largely in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area, has been continuously held by the Republican Party since 1867 and has a long history of staunch conservatism.

True to the district's liberal tilt, Cooper swamped Republican nominee Thomas Kovach and independent candidate Ginny Welsch to win a third term in Congress.

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Bart Gordon, a high-ranking member on the House Science and Technology Committee, sought a twelfth term in this increasingly conservative district based in the eastern suburbs of Nashville.

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. opted to run for Senate rather than seeking a sixth term, creating an open seat.