Early voting numbers in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special primary election have come in lower than expected for Democrats, despite efforts to mobilize voters in the traditionally Republican stronghold.
While the 7th District has been represented by Republicans since 1983, Democrats had hoped increased engagement could make the race more competitive.
However, turnout figures at the halfway point of the early voting period for the special primary have proved underwhelming for Democrats, especially in the Democratic stronghold Davidson County.
September 24, 2025 Cumulative Early Voting Total: 3,086
— Davidson County Elections (@DavidsonVotes) September 24, 2025
Through Wednesday, September 24, the cumulative total for Davidson County was 3,086 in-person early votes, according to the Davidson County Election Commission.
When combined with absentee votes, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office shows the cumulative total for the county through Wednesday was 3,343 votes – 470 from Republican voters and 2,873 from Democrats.
Lisa Quigly, who formerly served as retired Democrat U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper’s Chief of Staff, suggested the low turnout so far among Democrats in Davidson County represents a “total collapse of electoral engagement in Nashville.”
🚨HEY NASHVILLE — THERE’S A SPECIAL ELECTION GOING ON — WHY ARE Y’ALL NOT VOTING?
All schools in Davidson County will be closed on October 7th and Dec 2nd for an election… no one is showing up to? (H/T @LisaQuigleyTN) pic.twitter.com/RjWB0QtWbC
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) September 25, 2025
“In the Nashville portion of the 7th congressional district, there are 116,330 registered, “active” voters. Fewer than 3% have voted so far. A tiny percentage will choose the democrat and republican nominees by October 7th, and then a tinier percentage will choose our next member of congress on December 2,” Quigly wrote in an Instagram post.
“Yes, very scary,” she added.
Quigly’s post was amplified by the left-leaning outlet The Tennessee Holler, which said, “HEY NASHVILLE — THERE’S A SPECIAL ELECTION GOING ON — WHY ARE Y’ALL NOT VOTING?”
The 7th District seat, vacated earlier this year by Mark Green who retired into the private sector, has drawn national attention, with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin previously calling the race an opportunity to expand the party’s presence in Tennessee.
“We can’t keep ignoring states like Tennessee. If we do, we’re going to be on the wrong side of things…Special elections, especially right now, are a referendum on the party in power,” Martin said in a July interview with the Nashville Banner.
The Secretary of State’s office shows a total of 13,807 absentee and in-person early votes – 7,478 from Republican voters and 6,329 from Democrats – have been cast across the 14 counties that make up the 7th District through Wednesday.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Lonely Election Day” by Number7Cloud CC2.0.
ask every democrat running for an office these 2 simple YES or NO questions:
” Do you support biological boys playing in girls’ sports & using girls’ bathrooms ? ”
” Do you support using taxpayer funds for illegal aliens’ healthcare & services ?”
publish all responses, and repeat the above procedure as needed.
Demonrats. The “We Assassinated Charlie Kirk Party.” Normies in Tennessee are just gonna run to the polls to vote for this evil.