Featured photo by Rusty Miller
Story by Noah McLane
Marsha Blackburn held onto her U.S. Senate seat, defeating Democrat Gloria Johnson and extending Tennessee’s 18-year red run in the Senate for another six years.
Dozens of Blackburn’s supporters gathered in the Hilton hotel in Cool Springs donning Trump regalia and cheering loudly as states were called for Republicans.
“Isn’t it great to be a Republican? Isn’t it great to be a Tennessean? And finally, isn’t it great to be an American?” Jack Johnson, state senator for District 27, said as he opened the speeches, pausing for applause between each question. Johnson introduced Gov. Bill Lee while beaming about how Tennessee is the “most conservative and most well run state” in America.
“I am glad to be here to celebrate what we expect to be a great night for the Republican Party,” said Lee.
Blackburn entered to thunderous applause and cheers before the audience began chanting her name. Blackburn said Johnson had called to concede, express her gratitude and say she looked forward to working together for the benefit of all Tennesseans.
“This seat does not belong to an individual, this seat belongs to the people of Tennessee,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn outraised her opponent by almost $10 million, focusing her campaign efforts on TV ads and paper mailers that revolved around topics she’s currently fighting for in the U.S. Senate:
- Holding big tech accountable
- Bringing significant tax relief to hard-working Tennesseans
- Cutting wasteful spending
- Keeping promises to our veterans and to those who defend our freedoms
- Securing our borders and ensure existing immigration laws are followed
- Combating Communist China’s propaganda, military aggression and human rights violations
- Protecting unborn life
Johnson represents Knoxville in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was the only one of the Tennessee Three who survived expulsion for disorderly conduct when she joined in a protest on the house floor following a mass shooting at The Covenant School.
Johnson’s platform focused on the following:
- Protecting abortion rights
- Passing bipartisan, common sense gun safety laws
- Lowering costs of housing, groceries, and education
- Increasing quality, affordable health care in our rural areas
- Lowering drug costs
- Increasing funding for public schools
Kathy Austin, a Johnson supporter at the Davidson Democrats election night watch party at Harken Hall, said she blames the Democrats for the loss.
“They totally lost the county support. There used to be 95 democratic women’s centers across
Tennessee, one in every county. Now there’s a lot less,” Austin said. “The party talks about a lot of things they were supposed to stand for eight, ten years ago, but there is nothing being said on the national stage about abortion or gay rights that we weren’t saying in the ‘60s.”
Johnson will remain in the District 90 house seat she has held since 2012.
Noah McLane is the lead news reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
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