Who's Who in the Midterms: Davidson County’s Three Congressional Races

As Nashvillians head to the polls, there’s a good chance they’ll be voting in an entirely different congressional district than the one where they cast a ballot in 2024. This is due to this spring’s gerrymandering spearheaded by the Tennessee General Assembly’s Republican supermajority, which split Memphis — previously the state’s only Democratic stronghold and majority-Black district at the federal level — into three districts, subsequently affecting Nashville’s congressional lines.

This practice isn’t new. In fact, it’s the second time in the past four years legislators have redrawn the state’s congressional map to favor Republicans, with Democratic-leaning Nashville separated into three districts in 2022. 

The new map splits Nashville between the 4th, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts. 

7th Congressional District 

The majority of Davidson County, along with Cheatham, Robertson, Dickson, Macon and Trousdale counties, and the majority of Sumner and Montgomery counties.

Among the most contested Nashville races is the 7th Congressional District. Longtime Nashville campaign strategist and political consultant Darden Copeland, a Democrat, is taking on Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps, who won the seat via a special election in 2025 following the resignation of former U.S. Rep. Mark Green. Copeland ran for the seat during the 2025 special election, but lost to state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) in the Democratic primary. 

In his previous run, Copeland appealed to rural voters in the district. It appears he’s catering this campaign toward middle- and working-class voters, labeling himself a “different kind of Democrat.”  

“Too many politicians are abandoning the middle class, and serving the billionaires, bigots, and bullies,” reads Copeland’s campaign website. “We’re adding trillions to our national debt, while cutting the safety nets so many of us depend on — expanded Medicaid, Medicare, affordable healthcare premiums, student loans, food assistance.”

His top issues are the unaffordability of groceries and healthcare, protecting Social Security and Medicare, ending political corruption and standing up to President Trump and MAGA Republicans. 

Meanwhile, Trump-endorsed U.S. Army veteran Van Epps is presenting himself as a politician prepared to defend and advance issues championed by Trump. He lists his top issues as strengthening the economy, cracking down on immigration, supporting veterans and ultimately — as his campaign website reads — “advancing President Trump’s America First agenda.” 

Van Epps has also emphasized limiting abortion access, allyship with Israel, defending gun rights and anti-trans issues like prohibiting transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

As the race continues to heat up, Copeland has turned his efforts toward appearing on national news broadcasts and, more recently, filing an ethics complaint against Van Epps. The complaint alleges that Van Epps’ campaign used taxpayer-funded staff to run his reelection campaign, with the filing focusing on Alex Joyner, a Van Epps senior adviser who previously served as the congressman’s campaign manager. Van Epps’ campaign called the complaint “misleading, factually unsupported and based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the law.” 

6th Congressional District

A portion of middle and eastern Davidson County, portions of Sumner and Campbell counties, and all of Wilson, Smith, DeKalb, White, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Overton, Cumberland, Morgan, Fentress, Pickett and Scott counties.

The MAGA Republican ethos of an unyielding allegiance to Trump is also very much present in the 6th district race, where state Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) is running against U.S. Navy veteran and Democrat Mike Croley, a Vanderbilt graduate and nonprofit founder currently living in Crossville. 

Garrett spent much of the state’s 2026 legislative session sponsoring legislation focused on strict immigration laws and culture war issues. These included a bill requiring sheriffs’ offices across the state to coordinate with ICE, as well as legislation to rename a portion of Vietnam Veterans Boulevard in honor of Charlie Kirk. Garrett has focused his congressional campaign on furthering immigration crackdowns and advancing anti-trans legislation — all while pledging unwavering support to Trump. After winning the Republican primary in August, he emphasized putting “America first over a radical woke agenda.” 

Croley’s campaign emphasizes affordability, accountability and accessibility when it comes to everyday costs, healthcare, voting and veterans’ services. He’s also pushed for transparency from elected officials, public agencies and corporations. Croley supports issues like the legalization of recreational marijuana use and raising the federal minimum wage to $20 per hour. 

4th Congressional District 

Southeastern Davidson County, the majority of Rutherford County and all of Cannon, Coffee, Warren, Van Buren, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Grundy, Marion and Franklin counties.

Over in the 4th district — which now stretches to the edge of Chattanooga — Marion County Republican incumbent U.S. Rep Scott DesJarlais is facing Democrat Victoria Broderick, a tech support professional from Fayetteville. 

DesJarlais is seeking his ninth term in Congress, aligning himself with traditional conservative values like reducing taxes, securing the border and protecting the Second Amendment. His reelection campaign follows multiple personal scandals throughout his political career, including instances when DesJarlais — a physician — had sexual relationships with multiple patients and pressured at least two former sexual partners to get abortions. Despite this, DesJarlais continues to brand himself as an anti-abortion conservative. 

Broderick has cited the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as motivation for her political activism, which includes previously serving as chair of the Lincoln County Democratic Party. She’s stated that she is running her campaign on safety, affordability, freedom and equity, citing a range of issues from decriminalizing marijuna to holding AI companies and data centers accountable, reducing gun violence, keeping rural hospitals open and protecting religious liberty.

Who’s Who in the Midterms: Breaking Down the Nov. 3 Ballot

With early voting now open in the Nov. 3 election, we break down what’s on the ballot