Broderick Leads Tennessee's 4th District Race
Democrat Victoria Broderick holds a 280-vote lead over incumbent Scott Desjarlais as about 700 provisional ballots await counting.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Democratic nominee Victoria Broderick is the presumptive winner of Tennessee's 4th Congressional District, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State's office, which shows her with 280 more votes than incumbent Republican Scott Desjarlais since election night. The Associated Press has not called the race because roughly 700 provisional ballots in Nashville remain uncounted.
Why it matters
The outcome of the remaining provisional ballots will determine whether the race is officially decided, and the result follows a sharp shift from two years ago, when Desjarlais won by 40 points. The race also reflects a broader pattern in Tennessee, where Republicans won the governor's race, a U.S. Senate race and several House races.
The figures come from unofficial state vote totals, which show Broderick ahead by 280 votes with roughly 700 provisional ballots still to be counted in Nashville. Democrats expect Broderick to win the majority of those provisional ballots, but the final margin will not be known until they are tallied on Monday.
The players
Victoria Broderick
Broderick is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 4th Congressional District and has already completed new member orientation in the House.
Scott Desjarlais
Desjarlais is the Republican incumbent who lost ground in the 4th District race after winning it by 40 points two years ago.
National Republican Senatorial Committee
The NRSC is the Senate campaign arm of the Republican Party, which has tapped Ward Baker to help claw back ground lost to Democrats in 2028.
The details
Provisional ballots are ballots about which election officials had questions, and the Davidson County Election Commission is examining each one to confirm voter eligibility before it is fed into a machine and counted on Monday, with the totals added to the existing count. Longtime Republican commentator Steve Gill said many Republicans stayed home this election for a variety of reasons.
Timeline
Election night (November 2026): Broderick began leading Desjarlais in vote totals.
Monday, November 16, 2026: Provisional ballots are scheduled to be counted.
2024: Desjarlais beat Broderick by 40 points in this race.
January 2027: The Democratic majority is set to be sworn in.
Political Context
The race is a sharp reversal from Desjarlais's 40-point win in this same district two years ago, even as Republicans carried the governor's race, a U.S. Senate race and several House contests statewide. Steve Gill's explanation that many Republicans stayed home points to turnout as a central factor rather than a shift in partisan control across the state.
Tennessee voters in the 4th District will see who represents them in Congress once the provisional ballots are counted. The result determines which party holds the seat when the new Congress is sworn in during January.
The takeaway
The 4th District result shows that a seat can change hands sharply between cycles, and final outcomes often depend on a small number of late-counted ballots. Voters paying attention to close races should watch official county and state counts rather than early totals alone.
What happens next
Provisional ballots in Nashville will be counted on Monday, November 16, 2026, and the final result may be called by the Associated Press after that count.
Further reading
For more on how state districts and representation are set, see Legislative Policy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WZTV.
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