Tennessee Code Title 17. Judges and Chancellors § 17-4-105

(a) A judge, who has been appointed and confirmed for a full eight-year term on the supreme court, the court of appeals, or the court of criminal appeals and who takes office on September 1 at the beginning of the eight-year term or in accordance with § 17-4-104(a)(3), shall face a retention election at the next regular August election immediately preceding the end of the eight-year term, as provided in § 17-4-106.

(b) A judge, who has been appointed and confirmed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term on the supreme court, the court of appeals, or the court of criminal appeals more than thirty (30) days prior to the next regular August election, shall stand for election in a retention election for the remainder of the term at the next regular August election following confirmation as provided in § 17-4-106.

(c) A judge, who has been appointed and confirmed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term on the supreme court, the court of appeals, or the court of criminal appeals thirty (30) days or less prior to a regular August election, shall stand for election in a retention election at the next regular August election occurring more than thirty (30) days following the judge's confirmation as provided in § 17-4-106.

(d) All incumbent judges of the supreme court, the court of appeals, and the court of criminal appeals who intend to stand for election for another eight-year term, shall stand for election in a retention election at the regular August election immediately preceding the end of the eight-year term as provided in § 17-4-106.

(e) The judges appointed in 2014, 2015, and prior to January 28, 2016, to fill vacancies on the supreme court, the court of appeals, and the court of criminal appeals, whose names were not included on the regular August 2014 ballot, shall, upon filing a timely written declaration of candidacy pursuant to § 17-4-106 not later than twelve o'clock (12:00) noon, prevailing time, on April 7, 2016, stand for election in a retention election in the regular August election in 2016.