How Moore County Voted

Thursday’s returns track broader electorate at the top – but voters put their own stamp on the races behind the winners

11:30 a.m. Aug. 7, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County voters backed the eventual nominees in Tennessee’s marquee primary races Thursday, choosing Marsha Blackburn and Jerri Green for governor while giving congressional nominees Brent Taylor and Justin J. Pearson victories in the newly drawn 9th District.

Voters in Moore County’s Democratic primary also backed U.S. Senate nominee Marquita Bradshaw. Elsewhere on the ballot, voters settled a contested Republican State Executive Committee race and chose to retain all seven appellate judges.

The state and federal primaries were held alongside Moore County’s General Election. The Tennessee Secretary of State lists the returns as final unofficial results, pending certification.

• Also: Stewart, Hatfield re-elected; six Council seats change

Blackburn wins Moore; Green dominates Democratic vote

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn carried Moore County in the Republican primary for governor with 640 votes.

State Rep. Monty Fritts finished a close second locally with 559, just 81 votes behind Blackburn. U.S. Rep. John Rose received 403.

Blackburn won the Republican nomination statewide and advances to the Nov. 3 General Election.

Moore County’s order differed from the statewide finish behind Blackburn. Rose placed second across Tennessee, while Fritts ran second here — making Moore County notably stronger territory for Fritts.

On the Democratic side, Jerri Green left considerably less doubt.

Green received 149 Moore County votes, or 63.68%, easily carrying the five-candidate field and securing nearly two-thirds of the local Democratic primary vote.

Carnita Atwater finished second with 39 votes, or 16.67%. Tim Cyr received 17, or 7.26%; Kevin Lee McCants received 15, or 6.41%; and Adam Kurtz finished with 14, or 5.98%.

Green beat Atwater by 110 votes and received more votes than her four opponents combined.

She also won the Democratic nomination statewide, setting up a Blackburn-Green matchup in November.

Taylor leads GOP congressional field

The Republican primary for Tennessee’s newly configured 9th Congressional District produced another local wrinkle.

State Sen. Brent Taylor led Moore County with 585 votes.

Jeremy Thompson followed with 460, state Rep. Todd Warner received 323, and Charlotte Bergmann finished with 115.

Taylor’s local margin over Thompson was 125 votes.

Taylor also won the Republican nomination across the 9th District and advanced to November.

Thursday marked Moore County’s first congressional primary under Tennessee’s redrawn map.

Pearson clears 50% in Moore County

Voters in Moore County’s Democratic primary also sided with their party’s eventual congressional nominee.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson received 118 votes – 51.53% of the Democratic vote cast in Moore County in the 9th District race.

State Sen. London Lamar finished second with 68 votes, or 29.69%.

M. LaTroy A-Williams received 25, or 10.92%, while Jim Torino finished with 18, or 7.86%.

Pearson’s margin over Lamar was 50 votes, and he received more votes than the other three candidates combined.

Pearson also won the nomination across the 15-county district, setting up a November contest with Taylor.

Both congressional nominees carried Moore County in their respective primaries. Taylor led the four-way Republican field here with 585 votes, while Pearson captured a majority of the county’s Democratic primary vote with 118.

Bradshaw carries Democratic Senate vote

The two parties took different paths to their U.S. Senate nominees.

Republican incumbent Bill Hagerty had no primary opposition and received 1,419 votes in Moore County.

The Democratic primary had a five-candidate field.

Marquita Bradshaw led in Moore County with 99 votes, or 45.41%. Maria Brewer finished second with 56, or 25.69%.

Kevin Lee McCants received 30 votes, or 13.76%; Civil Miller-Watkins took 18, or 8.26%; and Diana Onyejiaka received 15, or 6.88%.

Bradshaw finished 43 votes ahead of Brewer locally, although she fell short of a majority.

Bradshaw also won the Democratic nomination statewide and will face Hagerty in November, a rematch of their 2020 U.S. Senate race.

Marsh, Akers advance in House District 62

There was no suspense in either Tennessee House District 62 primary.

Republican state Rep. Pat Marsh ran unopposed and received 1,388 votes in Moore County.

Democrat Brieanna J. Akers also was unopposed, receiving 212 votes here.

With all three counties in House District 62 reporting, both secured their party nominations and will meet in the Nov. 3 General Election.

Davis wins contested GOP committee race

Farther down the ballot, voters selected members of their parties’ State Executive Committees for District 14.

The only contested race among the four seats was the Republican committeewoman primary.

Lynne (Gentry) Davis dominated the Moore County vote with 936, or 77.36%. Joanne Thompson Skidmore received 274, or 22.64%.

Davis won the District 14 Republican nomination.

Austin Maxwell ran unopposed for Republican committeeman and received 1,273 votes in Moore County.

The Democratic Party had no contested State Executive Committee races. Matt Ferry, the lone candidate for committeeman, received 210 Moore County votes. Cynthia A. Cregier, unopposed for committeewoman, received 204.

Moore says retain across the board

Moore County voters delivered an unusually consistent verdict on the seven appellate judges appearing on Thursday’s ballot: Keep them.

Every judge received roughly 78% support for retention.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Kyle A. Hixson received 78.75% support to remain on the bench, while Justice Mary L. Wagner received 78.32%.

On the Court of Appeals, Moore County voters favored retaining William E. Phillips II of the Eastern Division with 78.20%. Western Division judges Steve Maroney and Valerie L. Smith received 77.72% and 78.06%, respectively.

Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Division judges Stacy L. Street and Steven W. Sword drew similarly strong support. Street received 78.17% for retention, while Sword received 78.92% – the highest percentage among the seven.

From the lowest retention percentage to the highest, just 1.2 percentage points separated the judges.

Unlike the partisan contests elsewhere on the ballot, Tennessee’s appellate judicial elections ask voters whether each judge should be retained or replaced.

Moore picks the winners – then draws its own order

Moore County largely sided with the candidates who ultimately won Thursday.

Blackburn and Green carried their respective gubernatorial primaries here. Taylor and Pearson did the same in the 9th Congressional District, while Bradshaw led the Democratic U.S. Senate field both locally and statewide.

The more distinctive Moore County story came just below the winners.

Fritts finished ahead of Rose here despite Rose placing second statewide. Thompson likewise put together a strong second-place showing locally behind Taylor.

And on seven separate judicial questions, Moore County voters gave essentially the same answer seven times: retain.

Moore County picked the winners.

Behind them, voters drew their own order.