Byron Looper, who legally changed his middle name to Low Tax, was running as a Republican against Senator Tommy Burks in an election to the Tennessee state senate.

Senator Burks, a 58-year-old Democrat, was shot dead in his pick up truck last Monday. He was due to take a group of children on a visit to a field of Pumpkins at his pig farm near Monterey, Tennessee.

Mr Looper, 34, a property assessor for neighbouring Putnam County, had been missing since then. He was arrested at his home, which had been staked out by the authorities. He was jailed without bail

Correspondents say Mr Looper got the Republican nomination to run against Senator Burks because no one else was interested in standing.

Senator Burks had been a strong favourite against Mr Looper. However under Tennessee election law, the Democrats cannot replace Mr Burks's name on the ballot paper because it is less than 30 days before the vote. Democrats are organising a write-in campaign for Mr Burks' widow, Charlotte.

Police would not say what evidence they had against Mr Looper. They refused to comment on TV reports that he was seen driving from the murder scene.

Mr Looper already faces a trial in December on charges of theft and misusing his office. He was accused of remodelling his home on county time and using county money to buy political database software.

He is also being sued for $1.2m by a former girlfriend who claims he forced her to have sex, fathered her child and stole ownership of her home.

Mr Burks, a conservative Democrat, was regarded as a dedicated public servant. He never missed a day of work during his 28-year legislative career, and once used a tractor to pull his vehicle out of a snowbank so he could get to work.