Joey Garrison

jgarrison@tennessean.com

Tennessee state Sen. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, who has made national headlines for backing controversial bills and making statements lampooned by late-night comedians, lost his bid for a second Senate term decisively Thursday.

Campfield, a mainstay at the legislature since being elected to the House in 2004, finished with 5,824 votes, just 28 percent of the overall vote, compared to 13,977 votes, 67 percent, for Richard Briggs, a Knox County commissioner.

Campfield, out-raised heavily by Briggs, carved out a reputation for getting his name mentioned on the likes of Comedy Central's Colbert Report, while angering Democrats and even making some of his Republican colleagues squeamish.

There were bills such as the famous "Don't Say Gay" legislation.

Memorable comments and moments included: unsuccessfully attempting to join the Tennessee legislature's Black Caucus; blaming AIDS on a gay airline pilot having sex with monkeys and saying the disease is "virtually impossible" to contract during heterosexual intercourse; and, most recently, posting on his blog that "Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for 'train rides' for Jews in the 40s."

Campfield was not available for comment Thursday, but he took to that same blog after defeat.

Under a subject like that read "That was fun," he posted a YouTube video of Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

Briggs will now face Democratic candidate Cheri Siler in the November general election.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.