<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=46VeU1_1GllMUcg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46VeU1_1GllMUcg00" width="1200" height="600" ><p><b>What This Story Is About</b></p><ul><li>While Republican candidates in Tennessee came out of Tuesday night’s “blue wave” securing seats across the state and federally, close races signal a shift to the left in Knox County. </li></ul><p><b>Why It Matters</b></p><ul><li>Two of Tennessee’s major races in particular were much tighter Tuesday night than they were during the last major midterm election in 2022: the state’s governor seat and second congressional district. </li></ul><p><b>For Context</b></p><ul><li>It’s a trend also seen all over the country, according to reporting from the New York Times. </li></ul><p><b>Catch Up</b></p><ul><li>A full list of election results is available here. </li></ul><p>KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - While Republican candidates in Tennessee came out of Tuesday night’s “blue wave” securing seats across the state and federally, close races signal a shift to the left in Knox County. It’s a trend also seen all over the country, according to reporting from the New York Times. </p><p>Two of Tennessee’s major races in particular were much tighter Tuesday night than they were during the last major midterm election in 2022: the state’s governor seat and second congressional district. </p><p>Bill Lee won a second term from Knox County voters by a significant margin in 2022, taking a more-than-20-percent lead over his then-Democrat opponent Jason Brantley Martin:</p><h2>Knox County’s 2022 Governor Results</h2><h2>Bill Lee (R)</h2><p><b>Total 2022 Votes:</b> 76,880 </p><p><b>Total 2022 Voting Percentage:</b> 59.95%</p><h2>Jason Brantley Martin (D)</h2><p><b>Total 2022 Votes:</b> 49,140</p><p><b>Total 2022 Voting Percentage:</b> 38.32%</p><p><i>Data courtesy of Knox County Election Commission</i></p><p>In 2026, Knox County saw a major shift in favor of the Democrat candidate for governor: Jerri Green. Green took home 48.48% of the vote, beating out Republican nominee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who only captured 42.42% of Knox County’s votes. </p><h2>Knox County’s 2026 Governor Results</h2><h2>Marsha Blackburn (R)</h2><p><b>Total 2026 Votes:</b> 66,600</p><p><b>Total 2026 Voting Percentage:</b> 42.42%</p><h2>Jerri Green (D)</h2><p><b>Total 2026 Votes:</b> 76,116</p><p><b>Total 2026 Voting Percentage:</b> 48.48% </p><p><i>Data courtesy of Knox County Election Commission</i></p><p>The race for Tennessee’s second seat in the U.S. House saw a similar trend, which is significant: the state’s second congressional district represents the longest-held U.S. office by a single political party. Dr. Andrew Busch, a professor at the University of Tennessee, spoke on Republican Tim Burchett’s seat leading up to Election Day.</p><p>“[Burchett’s seat] is one of the safest Republican seats, or has always been perceived to be, in the United States,” Busch said on Oct. 29. “In fact, it’s the longest streak of a single party holding a congressional seat in the history of the United States; going back to the 1850s— there’s been a Republican.”</p><p>And in 2022, Burchett took District 2 by a strong margin; more than 25,000 votes separated him from his Democrat opponent, Mark Harmon. </p><h2>Knox County’s 2022 Second Congressional District Results</h2><h2>Tim Burchett (R)</h2><p><b>Total 2022 Votes:</b> 77,873</p><p><b>Total 2022 Voting Percentage:</b> 60.84%</p><h2>Mark Harmon (D)</h2><p><b>Total 2022 Votes:</b> 50,123</p><p><b>Total 2022 Voting Percentage:</b> 39.16%</p><p><i>Data courtesy of Knox County Election Commission</i></p><p>Burchett also won his seat Tuesday, but the race was much closer. Less than 2,000 votes separated him from Democrat newcomer Michaela Barnett. </p><h2>Knox County’s 2026 Second Congressional District Results</h2><h2>Tim Burchett (R)</h2><p><b>Total 2026 Votes:</b> 78,125</p><p><b>Total 2026 Voting Percentage:</b> 49.91%</p><h2>Mark Harmon (D)</h2><p><b>Total 2026 Votes:</b> 76,885</p><p><b>Total 2026 Voting Percentage:</b> 49.12%</p><p><i>Data courtesy of Knox County Election Commission</i></p><p>What caused the shift? The Associated Press’ voter poll, which heavily questioned midterm electorates leading up to the election, showed relatively few voters were supportive of the last few years of Republican governance in Washington. President Donald Trump’s economic performance ranked low, and around two-thirds of questioned voters said Trump’s policies worsened economic conditions in the U.S.</p><p>More than half of poll respondents said Trump’s capability as a leader wasn’t up to par; the AP reported voters said he “does not have the right priorities and does not have the mental capability to serve effectively as president.”</p><p>Trump himself spent the days leading up to the election shoring up Republican strongholds (he visited Tennessee for a political event at the beginning of October), signaling he knew Tuesday’s results would act as a reflection of voter opinion on the first two years of his second term. </p><p>Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, released a lengthy statement following the night of major Democrat wins, seemingly distancing himself from the night’s events. </p><p>“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance said. “The president himself said so last night. If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest. But everyone knows why we lost. And any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”</p><p>A full list of election results is available here. </p></div></body>

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While Republican candidates in Tennessee came out of Tuesday night’s “blue wave” securing seats across the state and federally, close races signal a shift to the left in Knox County. Why It Matters. Two of Tennessee’s major races in particular were much tighter Tuesday night than they...

Slim margins show Knox County’s leftward shift between midterm elections

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While Republican candidates in Tennessee came out of Tuesday night’s “blue wave” securing seats across the state and federally, close races signal a shift 

Slim margins show Knox County’s leftward shift between midterm elections

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