The Winner

If you live in Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) will keep representing you after winning a fourth term, though by a much smaller margin than last time. The Associated Press called the race for Harshbarger at 10:29 p.m. Eastern time on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3. ​

Harshbarger has 141,117 votes (67.4%) to 61,682 (29.5%) for Democrat Kristi Burke, a margin of about 38 points, with an estimated 99% of votes counted, according to Associated Press election results. Five independents split the rest, none topping 1%, and Harshbarger returns to a House where Republicans will be in the minority.

The Race

Harshbarger’s margin shrank by about 21 points from 2024, when she beat Democrat Kevin Jenkins 78.1% to 19.4%. Tennessee’s May redraw split Memphis among three districts, according to WSMV, but left the 1st District nearly unchanged, so both races were on close to the same lines.

Burke, an artist and mother, decided to run after security removed her from a 2025 town hall where she tried to ask Harshbarger about Medicaid cuts, according to the Tennessee Lookout’s voter guide. She won the Aug. 6 Democratic primary with 76.6% over David Kerr Jr. and Herman Garcia, while Harshbarger ran unopposed, according to Ballotpedia’s race page. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Republican, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican.

The district covers northeast Tennessee, from the Tri-Cities in Sullivan and Washington counties to Sevier County, and it has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 1881, the Tennessee Lookout reports. About 782,000 people live there, and residents are 89.4% white, 5.3% Hispanic, 2.2% Black and 0.9% Asian.

The median household income is $57,800, and the median age is 44. Of adults, 23.2% hold at least a bachelor’s degree, unemployment is 5% and 15.8% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Harshbarger’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. She is vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, according to her AllCiv committee page, and Democrats will take over that panel and the full committee in the new majority.

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