Early voting in the Nov. 3 midterm general elections is open through Oct. 29 in Tennessee. (Find all of Nashville's early voting locations in the map at the bottom of this post.) And if this summer’s unusually high early-voting primary numbers are any indication, Nashvillians are ready to cast their ballots.

At the top of the ballot is the gubernatorial race, in which heavily favored Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces a Democratic underdog challenger in Memphis City Councilmember Jerri Green. As reporter Eli Motycka writes in this issue, Green is savvy and has a sharp message, but Blackburn has more money — a lot more. Also on their ballots, Nashvillians will find races in the post-gerrymandering 4th, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts; meanwhile, Williamson County residents will cast ballots in the 5th and 9th. We’ve got lots more on those races in this issue as well.

At the federal level, incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty is seeking a second term. The Trump administration’s former U.S. ambassador to Japan, Hagerty was elected in 2020 over Memphis Democrat Marquita Bradshaw and has remained a loyal Trump ally since. Bradshaw once again won the Democratic nomination for the seat and will face a steep (very steep) uphill battle against Hagerty — who defeated the Memphis activist by 27 percentage points six years ago, and has millions of dollars in campaign funds on hand.

Also on the ballot for all Tennesseans are three constitutional amendments: one that would allow judges to deny bail for certain offenses “when the proof is evident or the presumption is great”; one that would prohibit Tennessee from ever imposing a state property tax; and another that would clarify language in the state constitution to revise the rights of crime victims. 

At the state level, the Tennessee General Assembly’s Davidson County seats are mostly unchanging. House Districts 50, 51, 53, 54, 56 and 58 will see no change after Democratic Reps. Bo Mitchell, Aftyn Behn, Jason Powell, Vincent Dixie, Bob Freeman and Harold Love Jr. all ran unopposed in the primary, with no Republican challenger on the ballot to contest them in the general. Democratic state Sens. Charlane Oliver and Jeff Yarbro also ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for their District 19 and 21 seats, and no Republican will challenge them in the general election. State House District 59, a traditionally Democrat-held seat that contains the Belle Meade and Bellevue areas, will see a race between Democrat Mark Proctor and Republican Bill Hancock. Republican incumbent state Rep. Mark Pody of House District 17 is facing Democratic challenger Lindsey Patrick-Wright.

A few Republicans are running for the solidly Democratic city’s state House seats. Republican Michele Vetter will challenge Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones for his District 52 seat, Republican Jayla Thomas will take on House Minority Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons in the District 55 general, and Republican Eva Romero will challenge Democratic Rep. Shaundelle Brooks in District 60.

Republicans have a trifecta in D.C. and in Tennessee. Midterms typically go poorly for the incumbent party, and national trends — like a very unpopular Trump administration — will give Democrats a boost across the country. Democrats’ energy and turnout may narrow the GOP’s lopsided winning streak, but the state is still Republicans’ to lose. Read on for more as we break down who’s who in the midterms.

Nicolle S. Praino and Eli Motycka contributed reporting.

—D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

cover of the Nashville Scene for the October 22, 2026 midterm election coverage

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