Tennessee Republicans spent $3 million in taxpayer money on redistricting the state’s lone Democratic congressional seat to favor their party. But while the 9th Congressional District did flip red, the GOP goal of sending an all-Republican delegation to Washington has been upended by a Democrat who raised less than $100,000.
Victoria Broderick leads the local Democratic party in Lincoln County, a conservative, rural area near Tennessee’s border with Alabama. In a dramatic upset, Broderick ousted Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais for a seat he’s held since 2010. This win is a reversal of 2024 when DesJarlais beat Broderick by more than 40 points.
This time around, DesJarlais out-fundraised her 1-to-6, mirroring Broderick’s primary victory in which she beat a better funded candidate in Nashville Metro Councilmember Mike Cortese.
A mother of two in the tech sector, Broderick said she’ll give working class people a path to D.C.
“Rich people aren’t thinking about milk and eggs, but anyone who’s working class is thinking about that price,” Broderick said. “I’m one of them … I drive into Alabama so that I can save money on groceries.”
The wild card
Neither party had anticipated that Tennessee’s new map would make the 4th Congressional District competitive. The once-rural district now includes parts of Democratic-leaning Nashville and its more purple suburbs to the south.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had invested early in the 5th Congressional District as part of its “Red to Blue” program when incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles was the candidate to beat. That shifted to former Tennessee agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher after he defeated Ogles in the primary.
After redistricting, the DCCC added the 9th Congressional District to the program, aiding state Rep. Justin J. Pearson in his campaign to keep Memphis’ long-held district blue.
Neither were successful.
But Broderick’s smaller campaign managed to eke out a win by 280 votes, according to the state’s final unofficial results.
“I’m not angry that I didn’t get support because I got to just pull off a complete upset. Nobody expected it, and we got to keep our one Democratic seat in the state of Tennessee,” Broderick said.
A historic win
Broderick will be the first woman to represent the district — and the first openly queer congressperson from Tennessee.
Participating in a marathon of interviews from the Tennessee Democratic Party’s headquarters in Nashville, Broderick wore a pride pin that includes the blue, pink and white stripes of the transgender flag.
At a time when support for the transgender community has become a dividing issue among Democrats, Broderick made it clear where she stands.
“Trans people aren’t the reason your gas and grocery prices are getting more expensive,” Broderick said. “Any politician talking about the trans community is lazy. They’re lazy, and they are neglecting answering real questions and actually addressing the issues.”
Attacking Democrats for their support of trans athletes had been successful for Republicans in the 2024 election. This time around, Republicans spent an estimated $183 million on trans attack ads in the lead up to the midterms without the same return on investment.
“Trans rights are human rights. That’s not a radical thought. People deserve to live freely in this country,” Broderick said. “And if we’re not going to protect those amongst us that are the most vulnerable, that’s unacceptable to me.”
Broderick joked that they might need to make new rules for her in Congress; she’s candid in a way that makes her communications director’s eyes bulge. She told WPLN News that she’ll keep speaking her mind in Washington.
Copyright 2026 WPLN News
