The nation’s Democratic Party won back control of the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night. However, the Republican party made short work of the Senate, taking a current total of 51 seats, the exact amount needed for a majority. Tennessee’s election results didn’t surprise many, but each election winner will be new to his or her office.
One of the more prominent races was the power struggle for Bob Corker’s Senate seat between former Governor Phil Bredesen for the Democrats and former U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn for the Republicans. Although Bredesen is a Tennessee favorite, Blackburn went on to campaign MUCH more than Bredesen and clung closely to President Trump, leading to more influence in the general population. The race was not as close as many predicted, with Blackburn coming out on top with 55%, Bredesen with 44%.
The race for the House between Tim Burchett and Renee Hoyos was an easy win for Burchett, who came out on top using his trademark down-to-earth charm and overall local reputation. Hoyos only received 86,635 votes, putting Tim comfortably on top with a 66% landslide win with 171,994 votes total.
However, nationwide, the Democrats gained control of the House, currently with 229 seats as compared to the Republicans 198 and eight races still too close to call. This means that Burchett will be fighting an uphill battle for Republicans.
The Governor’s race, perhaps the most impactful for Tennesseans, was won by Republican and newcomer Bill Lee, who ran against former Nashville mayor Karl Dean, the Democratic candidate. Lee won with a staggering 1,297,658 votes, as opposed to Dean’s 846,186.
The margin between Republican and Democrat Governors became a lot smaller as well, with the Democrats taking 7 seats as compared to the Republicans losing 6. That puts the Democrats with 23 seats as compared to the Republicans 25, while 2 seats are still being decided in some intense runoff races taking place in Georgia and Florida, the outcomes of which shall decide the 2020 census decisions to be made at the state level.
All of these Republican victories means that Tennessee continues to be a deep Red state. This midterm, while it doesn’t set any records in voter turnout, is one of the most influential of recent years, as it dictated whether the Trump Administration will be able to accomplish its full agenda of priorities with ease, or be obstructed by the Democrats. Several races still have not been called, but it’s safe to say that not much will change over the next several weeks as these races wrap up.
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