Who is Victoria Broderick? Democrat flips Tennessee seat, unseating 16-year GOP incumbent
By: Diana Leyva
With Democrats flipping several congressional seats nationwide, the midterm elections delivered a challenging night for Republicans across the country.
Although the GOP maintained control of statewide offices in Tennessee, various races were closer than expected.
In the governor’s race, for example, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn received about 45.6% of the vote compared with 42.9% for her Democratic challenger Jerri Green.
Democrats, however, were able to secure some victories in Tennessee. Among them was Victoria Broderick, who unseated 16-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in the state’s 4th Congressional District.
A self-described working-class mom from rural Tennessee, Broderick focused her campaign on reproductive freedom and providing constituents with better representation.
Upon learning she had won, Broderick’s first reaction was disbelief.
“I remember saying, ‘Wait, what?'” Broderick told The Tennessean by phone Nov. 4, reflecting on a campaign she said began in May 2024 when she entered a race she did not believe should go uncontested.
“Jokingly I said, ‘Over my dead body.'”
She surged to victory in the Democratic primary in August, defeating well-funded opponent Nashville Council Member Mike Cortese with a fraction of his budget, The Tennessean previously reported.
“When I decided to run for Congress, I was told District 4 wasn’t winnable. Tonight, the people of this district proved otherwise,” Broderick said in a statement. “We won without political insiders, endorsements, or corporate PAC money. We won because everyday people showed up, believed in something better, and put in the work to make it happen.”
Here’s what else to know about Broderick and what her victory means in Tennessee.
Who is Victoria Broderick?
According to her campaign website, Broderick launched her congressional campaign after learning DesJarlais was expected to run unopposed.
Broderick, who grew up across the South before settling in Lincoln County, cited her father’s experience as an immigrant and her grandmother’s experience as a World War II refugee as influences on her interest in public service and civic engagement.
A mother of two, she has spoken about the financial challenges many working families face, including rising costs for groceries, child care and other household expenses.
“I believe the wealthiest individuals and the biggest corporations should pay their fair share instead of leaving working families to cover the difference,” reads a statement online. “That same imbalance is exactly what leaves rural communities without quality healthcare or reliable infrastructure. And it’s what makes it harder every month to afford food, gas, and a place to live.”
Broderick reflects on upset victory, vows bipartisan leadership and accountability
Broderick, who previously challenged DesJarlais for the seat in 2024, said she remained active after that loss because she felt the district needed stronger representation. She said years of organizing, campaigning and outreach ultimately culminated in her victory.
Looking ahead to her first term, Broderick said she plans to focus on constituent outreach, accountability and bipartisan policymaking.
“I envision a district where I’m here meeting with constituents, opening those doors for them so that they can have the representation they deserve,” she said. “I want to show them that accountability matters, that representation matters.”
Broderick also said she hopes to work across party lines and emphasized that she intends to represent all residents of the district, no matter how they voted.
“This is proof that every single vote counts,” she said.
“I’m thankful for every voter who voted for me, but I’m also thankful for every voter who didn’t vote for me. I want them to know that I represent them as well, and I want them to hold me accountable.”
Broderick’s win follows GOP-led redistricting in Tennessee
Broderick’s victory is particularly notable because it comes after Tennessee’s Republican-led redistricting effort reshaped the state’s congressional map.
Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District had been considered a reliably Republican seat, with President Donald Trump carrying the district by roughly 24 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
National election analysts had also rated the seat as “safe” or “solid Republican.”
In an effort to defend Republicans’ U.S. House majority in the midterms, Trump had called on Tennessee Republicans to redraw the state’s congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back protections previously guaranteed by the Voting Rights Act.
In a dramatic special legislative session called by Gov. Bill Lee, Republican lawmakers split up Tennessee’s last remaining Democratic U.S. House seat in the majority-minority 9th Congressional District,fracturing Black voting power in Memphis and making all nine of the state’s U.S. House districts heavily favor Republicans.
After redistricting, the 4th District included part of southeast Nashville.
What counties are in Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District?
Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District covers a large portion of southern Middle Tennessee and extends into parts of East Tennessee. It includes:
- Bledsoe
- Cannon
- Coffee
- Davidson
- Franklin
- Grundy
- Marion
- Rutherford
- Sequatchie
- Van Buren
- Warren
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