Eight of Tennessee’s nine Republican U.S. House candidates won their races Tuesday, while longtime U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) lost his reelection bid to Democratic challenger Victoria Broderick in an election-night upset.
According to final unofficial results published by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, Broderick received 95,585 votes (48.87 percent), compared to DesJarlais’ 95,305 votes (48.73 percent).
Tennesseans in the 4th Congressional District first elected DesJarlais to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. He is currently serving his eighth term in Congress.
Broderick defeated the incumbent by just 280 votes, with independent candidates Jacob Kristopher Anders and Clay Faircloth receiving 1.45 percent (2,833 votes) and 0.95 percent (1,853 votes), respectively.
DesJarlais’ loss means Tennessee’s congressional delegation will retain its 8-1 Republican-to-Democrat makeup, despite the redrawing of the state’s congressional districts earlier this year meant to give Republicans a stronger opportunity to win all nine seats.
The eight Republican winners in Tuesday’s election include five incumbents who won reelection: U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), who defeated Democrat Kristi Burke with 141,117 votes (67.41 percent); U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), who defeated Democrat Michaela Barnett with 144,892 votes (57.73 percent); U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), who defeated Democrat Anna Golladay with 136,110 votes (57.59 percent); U.S. Representative Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07), who defeated Democrat Darden Copeland with 121,100 votes (50.27 percent); and U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08), who defeated Democrat Heidi Kuhn with 114,045 votes (51.62 percent).
The remaining three Republican winners will be serving their first terms in Congress.
Charlie Hatcher defeated Democrat Chaz Molder in the 5th Congressional District with 110,408 votes (51.66 percent), Johnny Garrett defeated Democrat Mike Croley in the 6th Congressional District with 120,950 votes (50.77 percent), and Brent Taylor defeated Democrat Justin Pearson in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District with 111,968 votes (49.63 percent).
All nine Republican candidates, including DesJarlais, received endorsements from President Donald Trump ahead of Election Day.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Victoria Broderick” by Victoria Broderick.
