Blackburn makes history, Dems gain ground

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Marsha Blackburn made Tennessee history Tuesday, Nov. 3, becoming the first woman elected governor. But her victory came by a far narrower margin than Republicans have enjoyed in recent statewide elections.

Blackburn won with less than half the vote. Democrats unseated six Republican state lawmakers, and an eight-term Republican congressman trailed his Democratic challenger by just 280 votes Wednesday morning.

Republicans retained control of the governor's office and General Assembly, while U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty won another term. The GOP appeared headed toward an 8-1 advantage in Tennessee's congressional delegation, with close races awaiting certification.

In Moore County, Republican candidates cruised to victory. Voters also reversed course on a local sales-tax increase, approving a measure they had rejected twice in 2024.

Blackburn wins, but without a majority

Blackburn received 957,136 votes statewide, or 45.5%, compared with 902,953, or 43%, for Democrat Jerri Green. Independent David Hatley collected 195,564 votes, or 9.3%.

Blackburn defeated Green by 54,183 votes in a governor's race that drew 2,102,474 votes statewide. Tennessee had approximately 4.8 million registered voters heading into Election Day, putting participation in the governor's race at just under 44% of the state's registered voters.

Green carried Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, but Blackburn's support elsewhere secured the victory. She will succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee in January.

Green conceded late Tuesday. Blackburn pledged to continue Tennessee's conservative direction, emphasizing public safety, lower taxes, affordable housing, and educational choice.

Blackburn could choose her Senate successor

Blackburn's victory also sets up an unusual decision: She may appoint her own replacement in the U.S. Senate.

Under Tennessee law, the governor appoints an interim U.S. senator if a vacancy would leave the state without full representation while Congress may be in session. The appointee serves until voters elect a successor at the next regular November election.

Blackburn has said she intends to remain in the Senate until taking office as governor in January. If she follows that plan, she would have the authority to appoint her replacement. If she resigns before her inauguration, Lee would make the appointment instead.

Voters will elect a senator in November 2028 to serve the remainder of Blackburn's term, which expires in January 2031. The seat returns to the ballot in 2030 for a full six-year term.

Hagerty wins second Senate term

Republican Bill Hagerty defeated Democrat Marquita Bradshaw in a rematch of their 2020 Senate race.

Hagerty received approximately 55% of the statewide vote to Bradshaw's 43%, a considerably smaller margin than their first meeting, when he won by roughly 27 percentage points.

Tennessee hasn't elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since Al Gore in 1990.

Congressional races deliver surprises

Tennessee Republicans redrew the state's congressional boundaries earlier this year, aiming to capture all nine seats. Democrat Victoria Broderick threatened that sweep in the 4th District.

Broderick led eight-term Republican incumbent Scott DesJarlais by 280 votes in final unofficial returns, 95,585 to 95,305. She claimed victory Tuesday night, but DesJarlais had not conceded, and the Associated Press had not called the race as of early Wednesday.

The result would be a stunning reversal from 2024, when DesJarlais defeated Broderick by more than 100,000 votes. The redrawn district added part of Davidson County while retaining all of Rutherford County. Broderick carried both areas.

In the 9th District, which includes Moore County, Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor claimed victory over Democratic state Rep. Justin J. Pearson. Unofficial returns showed Taylor ahead by 2,539 votes, 111,968 to 109,429. Pearson had not conceded and said he would await final results.

Republican Charlie Hatcher defeated Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder in the 5th District. Johnny Garrett won the open 6th District, while incumbent Matt Van Epps held the 7th against Democrat Darden Copeland.

Democrats flip six Tennessee House seats

Democrats unseated six Republican incumbents in the Tennessee House, their first net gains in the chamber in eight years.

Three defeats came in Rutherford County, where Democrats Brett Windrow, Owen Farnsworth, and Connie Casha beat Republican Reps. Robert Stevens, Tim Rudd, and Mike Sparks.

Windrow won District 13 by 556 votes, Farnsworth carried District 34 by 813, and Casha defeated Sparks in District 49 by 1,919 votes.

Democrats also flipped three other seats. Bryan Goldberg defeated Elaine Davis in Knox County's District 18, Allie Phillips unseated Michael Lankford in Montgomery County's District 75, and Jesse Huseth beat John Gillespie in Shelby County's District 97.

Republicans retained their legislative supermajority and control of the state Senate.

Closer to home, Republican Pat Marsh defeated Democrat Brieanna Akers to retain Tennessee House District 62, which includes Moore County and portions of Bedford and Lincoln counties.

All three constitutional amendments pass

Tennessee voters approved all three proposed amendments to the state constitution, with the strongest support going to expanded rights for crime victims.

• Amendment 1 – Bail: Approved with approximately 67% support. The amendment expands the serious criminal offenses for which judges may deny bail before trial under specified conditions.

• Amendment 2 – Property taxes: Approved with approximately 67% support. It prohibits the state from levying a property tax without affecting existing local property taxes.

• Amendment 3 – Crime victims' rights: Approved with approximately 76% support. Known as Marsy's Law, it expands constitutional protections for crime victims, including notification of criminal proceedings and participation in the justice process.

Each amendment also cleared Tennessee's requirement that affirmative votes exceed half the total votes cast in the governor's race.

Moore County OKs sales-tax increase by 103 votes

Moore County voters gave Republican candidates overwhelming support Tuesday, but their closest decision involved a quarter-cent at the cash register.

The local-option sales-tax referendum passed 1,185 to 1,082, with 52.3% supporting the increase.

The vote clears the way for Moore County's combined sales-tax rate to rise from 9.5% to 9.75%, adding 25 cents in tax to a $100 taxable purchase. The combined rate on qualifying groceries will increase from 6.5% to 6.75%.

County officials estimate the increase could generate another $80,000 to $100,000 annually, potentially reaching $125,000. State law directs half of countywide local-option sales-tax collections toward schools. The additional revenue is not earmarked for a specific project.

Voters rejected the proposal 590-378 in March 2024 and 2,234-1,259 that November, when just 36% supported it. Tuesday's result represented a swing of more than 16 percentage points in two years.

Republicans dominate local races

Blackburn outpolled Green in Moore County, 1,490 to 508. Hagerty defeated Bradshaw, 1,791 to 475, while Taylor carried the county over Pearson, 1,746 to 479.

Marsh collected 1,679 votes to Akers' 434 in the Tennessee House District 62 race.

Those figures represent Moore County votes for major-party candidates, not statewide or districtwide totals.

Local voters also supported all three constitutional amendments. Amendment 1 passed 1,653 to 403; Amendment 2, 1,744 to 492; and Amendment 3, 1,899 to 317.

Twice in 2024, Moore County voters turned down the same tax increase. On Tuesday, 103 votes changed the answer.

All results are unofficial pending certification.