Just as it’s been at the top of many Americans’ minds for the past several months, the presidential election will be at the top of voters’ ballots on Nov. 5.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday night, and it likely won’t be long before Tennessee’s 11 electoral votes are called for Donald Trump. The former president — and now, convicted felon — won the state with 61 percent of the vote in 2016 and 61 percent of the vote in 2020. (In both presidential election years, Davidson was one of just three of Tennessee’s 95 counties won by the election’s Democratic candidate.)
Digging into Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit referendum, which will be on the ballot in November
Davidson County’s two-week early-voting window closes on Oct. 31, with Election Day to follow on Tuesday — and Nashvillians will of course find much more than the presidential election on the ticket. Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move,” is on the ballot as a “for” or “against” referendum. Should the plan pass, it will use a half-cent sales tax increase to modernize Davidson County’s transit infrastructure with upgrades to buses, sidewalks, signals and more. If you somehow still haven’t made up your mind on that one, look back at our Aug. 22 cover package “Your Move, Nashville,” which dives into the details of the transit plan in six parts.
Also on the ballot is the statewide race for one of Tennessee’s two U.S. Senate seats, with underdog Democrat and Knoxville state Rep. Gloria Johnson challenging incumbent Trump-approved Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Following GOP-led redistricting in 2022, Davidson County was split into three gerrymandered U.S. congressional districts — meaning the Democratic candidates in Tennessee’s 5th, 6th and 7th districts face longshot odds in 2024. The race for state Senate District 20 will also be on many Nashvillians’ ballots, as will state House races in Districts 50, 51, 52, 53 and 60. (Davidson County’s state House Districts 54, 55, 56, 58 and 59 are also on the ballot, though each of those races is uncontested.)
In this issue, we’ve got stories on the Blackburn-Johnson matchup, as well as the races for Tennessee’s 5th and 7th Congressional Districts. We also have an update on the latest campaign finance disclosures, as well as in-depth election-issue pieces from our friends at the Nashville Banner, touching on both federal- and state-level races.
Dive in. And if you haven’t voted yet, make a plan to get to the polls. —D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Lopsided U.S. Senate race leaves candidates campaigning in different realities
The Trump-approved incumbent is favored to retain Tennessee’s 7th District despite personal scandal
Challenger Abolfazli has energized Democratic voters but faces an uphill battle in gerrymandered district
Blackburn takes PAC money from corporate CEOs; Barry and Green spend money on TV ad battle
Millions in outside spending shaped some Republican primaries, but Democrats believe they have a shot running against vouchers
A shift from moderate Republicans and activism from Democrats mean this election cycle could move the needle on gun control
Most registered voters in Tennessee are in favor of abortion rights — what does that mean for November’s election?
