Tennessee governor race: Marsha Blackburn leads with 46% on Election Day, WVLT reports

With roughly 46% of the vote, Marsha Blackburn has made history as the first woman elected governor of Tennessee, capping a fiercely contested race to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee, knoxnews.com reported. The 74-year-old Republican defeated Democratic nominee Jerri Green and independent candidates David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston, among others, on Nov. 3, securing a victory built on her conservative political brand and an endorsement from President Donald Trump that came shortly after the primary.

WVLT reported that Tennessee voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide not only the governor’s mansion but also U.S. Senate representation, control of the state’s congressional delegation, three constitutional amendments, and dozens of statehouse seats. While polls in East Tennessee closed at 8 p.m. eastern, tennessean.com noted that polls across much of the state closed at 7 p.m., with unofficial returns beginning to flow from the Tennessee secretary of state’s office shortly after.

A Record-Breaking Independent Run Ends in Concession

The governor’s race drew unusual attention from David Hatley, a self-funded independent who conceded after earning less than 10% of the vote. Despite the loss, Hatley told knoxnews.com that his campaign “broke a lot of records in Tennessee,” including the most money ever spent against an independent and the highest vote total for an independent candidate in state history.

Marsha Blackburn claims victory in Tennessee governor race; other media yet to call it

“We learned a lot on this journey,” Hatley said, gathering with supporters in Johnson City. “We still broke a lot of records in Tennessee. We met a lot of people. We had the most money ever spent against an independent, that’s a record, and we had the most votes for an independent ever.”

Hatley told knoxnews.com he plans to run again, suggesting the independent streak in Tennessee politics isn’t fading.

Burchett Wins Despite Redistricting Goals

Republicans had redistricted Tennessee’s congressional map hoping to eliminate the state’s one Democratic representative and send nine GOP members to Congress, tennessean.com reported. Yet even as U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett cruised to a fifth straight election to the U.S. House, the national results painted a starkly different picture: Democrats are set to flip control of the U.S. House in January.

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Speaking at Knoxville’s downtown Crowne Plaza Hotel, Burchett acknowledged the disappointment hanging over the Republican gathering even as he celebrated his own victory.

“We’re going to pull back and figure out what we did wrong, and what we did right, and try to amplify what we did right, and do less of what we did wrong,” he told supporters. “We’ve got to pull together as a party. This is the time where the real Republicans come together.”

Democrats Flip a State House Seat in Knox County

“We were close and we thought we had it two years ago, but because of everyone in this room and everybody at home who was too tired to get here, we did this,” Goldberg said.

Gloria Johnson and Sam McKenzie thanked supporters in Knoxville, with Johnson tearing up as she promised “good solid Democratic values who care about the human dignity of everyone.” McKenzie pointed to Knox County Democrats as a model for organizing, telling supporters that when he’s in Nashville, party leaders always cite the county as “the example of how to organize and how to win seats.”

Tennessee governor race: Marsha Blackburn leads with 46% on Election Day, WVLT reports

Watch parties filled across the state as results came in, knoxnews.com reported. Knox County Republicans gathered at the Crowne Plaza with large televisions tuned to CNN and Fox News, including state Rep. Jason Zachary and Knox County Commissioner Justin Cofer, while Democrats met at the Embassy Suites in Cedar Bluff.

What Comes Next for the Volunteer State

Blackburn’s victory marks a new chapter for Tennessee, as she prepares to leave the Senate and take office as governor. How she manages a state legislature while her party faces House control by opponents is still unclear.