Two Tennessee legislators, a Republican and a Democrat, have introduced a bill to set up a qualified minor party category in the Tennessee election law. The bills are SB 288 and HB 626. Tennessee hasn’t had a qualified party (other than the Democratic and Republican Parties) since 1972, but this bill would permit a new party to qualify with 2,500 signatures. It would then nominate its candidates by convention. Existing law requires 45,254 signatures for a new party.