Here are the people to watch as the Tennessee General Assembly starts up again

The Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes in Nashville on Tuesday, kicking off another legislative session as the state moves into a busy election year. Here are five groups of people to watch as lawmakers return to the Capitol.

Gov. Bill Haslam

The former Knoxville mayor has just started his final year in office. With the race to replace him heating up, Haslam will likely stay on the campaign sidelines until after the August primary election. But that doesn't mean the governor will be satisfied with "lame duck" status.

He will likely work to shore up his legacy as Tennessee's "education governor" — he's emphasized its importance in recent years, implementing everything from annual teacher pay raises to creating scholarships to encourage Tennesseans to obtain a college degree or certificate.

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Haslam will deliver his final State of the State speech at the end of January, when he will outline his last legislative agenda.

Although the docket won't likely feature some of his more controversial proposals — he led the push for a gas tax increase and an unsuccessful effort to expand health coverage to more low-income Tennesseans — Haslam will look for ways to once again leave his mark on the state that he has led for the last seven years.

House Speaker Beth Harwell, House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh

Of the seven candidates running for governor this year, two are in the House: Beth Harwell and Craig Fitzhugh.

The Republican and Democrat, respectively, could benefit from free media attention on their actions during the session.

But Harwell and Fitzhugh will be faced with a blackout period that prohibits them from raising money during the session, something that could potentially hinder their campaigns.

There could be creative workarounds to such prohibitions, by potentially lining up donors through a third party. One thing is for sure: Harwell and Fitzhugh's campaign staff will not be standing by idly as their competitors race to raise their own money.

Overall, the two gubernatorial hopefuls will likely want to continue hitting the campaign trail, putting pressure on them to expedite the session, which isn't expected to feature any major initiatives.

Sens. Jack Johnson, Mike Bell

Last year President Donald Trump nominated Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris to a federal judgeship in West Tennessee. Despite his nomination, Norris hasn't resigned his Senate seat yet, saying he plans to remain majority leader until he is confirmed. He is one of many on a long list of federal nominees awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

While there's every expectation that Norris will be approved, the timing is unclear. It's entirely possible his approval comes in the middle of the legislative session. Such a move would immediately require Senate Republicans to nominate a new majority leader, and the two leading contenders are Sens. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, and Mike Bell, R-Riceville.

► More: Mark Norris' nomination to federal post could lead to flurry of moves in Tennessee politics

Johnson has seniority, but Bell could pose a serious challenge if both seek the position.

Whoever becomes the next majority leader will face the daunting task of quickly learning on the job while also continuing the process of shepherding the governor’s initiatives through the legislative process.

The departing

Since the end of the 2017 legislative session, more than two dozen lawmakers have announced their plans to retire, seek another office this year or were appointed to a federal position. The anticipated turnover means the next General Assembly will be significantly different than the current one.

In the Senate, three Republican lawmakers have resigned: former Sens. Jim Tracy, Mae Beavers and Doug Overbey. Three others — Sens. Bill Ketron, Mark Green and Lee Harris — are running for other offices. And that's not including Norris, who has yet to be confirmed.

In the House, seven lawmakers — five Republicans and two Democrats — have announced their plans to outright retire. Ten others are looking to run for positions ranging from governor and Congress to local office.

With the primary and general election less than a year away, more lawmakers could join the stream of those leaving the legislature.

The newbies

Since the 2017 session, both chambers have two new members — all Republicans.

In the Senate, the faces aren't quite new: state Reps. Mark Pody and Art Swann, both of whom had served in the lower chamber since 2010.

In early December, the Blount County Commission appointed Swann to replace Overbey, who is now the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

► More: Art Swann sworn in as new 2nd District Tennessee state senator

Pody became the latest member of the Senate after narrowly defeating Democrat Mary Alice Carfi in a Dec. 19 special election to replace Beavers.

► More: Mark Pody narrowly wins Mae Beavers vacant District 17 state Senate seat

In the House, there are two new members, Reps. Kevin Vaughan and Jerome Moon.

Vaughan was elected to the House in June, filling the vacancy left by Mark Lovell, who abruptly resigned during the 2017 session amid allegations of sexual harassment.

► More: Kevin Vaughan wins Tennessee House District 95 race

In December, Moon was appointed by the Blount County Commission to take over the seat previously held by Swann.

Others could potentially join the other four freshmen during the session.

The Wilson County Commission may appoint a replacement for Pody as early as this month. A similar move could be made by officials in Shelby County should Norris win approval by the U.S. Senate. And there's also a special general election in mid-March to replace Tracy, whom the president appointed to a federal post.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.