The first election of the New Millennium was the last time that the Volunteer State of Tennessee was competitive on the presidential level with home state son, former Senator, and son of a Former Senator Al Gore losing the state to Texas Governor George W. Bush.
In addition to the increasing woes from other Southern Clinton states such as Arkansas and West Virginia for the Gore Campaign, the Bush Campaign smelled blood in the Water in the Vice President's home State.
To this Bush himself remarked upon Gore's assertion that he would win his home state that "He [Gore] may win Washington, D.C., but he's not going to win Tennessee. I like our chances in this great state."
Whilst The failure of the Legal battle in Florida to secure a full statewide Recount was the Nail in the Coffin to Gore's presidential aspiratons, his neighbours in Tennessee delivered a black eye that was a major contribution in Gore's Loss
In the end, what cost Gore the state where the Democratic Party was founded by Andrew Jackson 194 Years ago in 1828 was that he did not overcome the Legacy Republican Eastern Tennessee, the bane of Tennessee Democrats since time immemorial.
As calculated through a QGIS intersection, Gore would end up carrying 3/9 Congressional Districts,13/33 Senate Districts, and 37/99 House Districts to Bush's 6/9 CDs, 20/33 SDs, and 62/99 HDs.