Photos by Vanessa Hamel
Story by Shauna Reynolds
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais defeated Democratic challenger Victoria Broderick in the race for Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District, resecuring the office he has held since 2011.
At 7:41 p.m., DesJarlais led with 68.2 percent of the vote, with 56 percent of votes counted.
The Associated Press called the race at 7:29 p.m. In Rutherford County, 59 percent voted for DesJarlais, with 83 percent of the votes reported.
The crowd at the Rutherford County GOP office cheered when county party chairman Austin Maxwell announced the results of the race. DesJarlais was not present, but his portrait already hangs on the wall next to Gov. Bill Lee’s.
“It is once again a red wave in Rutherford County,” Maxwell said.
During his tenure in the House, DesJarlais has served on the House Agricultural Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. He supports a balanced budget amendment and advocates for the Second Amendment. He lives with his family in Sherwood, Tennessee.
Broderick, from Fayetteville, Tennessee, ran on a platform championing reproductive rights, common sense gun laws and a more equitable tax structure. Her advertising campaign included billboards asking the public to Google her opponent.
At Broderick’s watch party at the Walnut House in Murfreesboro, the determined candidate let the crowd know that she isn’t finished.
“Please continue working towards 2026 because I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not done,” Broderick said. “They made me mad in 2022, and now I’ve got the bit between my teeth, and I’m going to continue fighting. So expect to see me here in 2026. Expect to see me here in 2028.”
The ballot also included independent candidates Earnest Ensley and Keith Nolan, who showed a combined 2.8 percent of the vote at the time the race was called.
Shauna Reynolds is the lifestyles editor for MTSU Sidelines.
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