Nashville is weird. If you look at a map of Tennessee after a big election, you see a massive sea of red with a few bright blue islands. One of those islands—the biggest and loudest one—is Davidson County. People outside the city often assume the davidson county election results are just a carbon copy of the rest of the state, but honestly, it’s usually the exact opposite.
In the 2024 general election, the contrast was staggering. While Tennessee as a whole went heavily for Donald Trump with about 64% of the vote, Davidson County swung the other way. Hard. Kamala Harris pulled in 181,862 votes in the county, compared to Trump’s 102,256. That’s roughly 62% for Harris in a state that the GOP won by nearly 30 points. It's a political ecosystem that functions on its own set of rules.
The Transit Referendum: The Biggest Winner in Nashville
While the names at the top of the ballot get the most airtime, the most consequential part of the latest davidson county election results might actually be the transit referendum. Mayor Freddie O’Connell put the "Choose How You Move" plan to a vote, and it didn't just pass—it crushed.
We’re talking about a $3.1 billion investment. It passed with about 66% of the vote. That is a massive mandate for a city that has historically struggled to get its act together on public transportation. You've got to remember that a similar effort failed miserably back in 2018. This time, the strategy was different. They focused on "fixing the basics" like sidewalks and better bus frequency rather than just flashy light rail.
The early voting numbers alone were enough to carry it. Before Election Day even started, the "yes" votes from the early period surpassed the total number of "no" votes cast across the entire election. It shows that Nashville residents are finally fed up enough with traffic that they're willing to pay a half-cent sales tax increase to fix it.
Congressional Races and the Gerrymandering Factor
If you look at who actually represents Nashville in D.C., you might be confused. How does a county that votes 62% Democratic end up with three Republican Congressmen?
The answer is the 2022 redistricting. They split Davidson County into three separate districts: the 5th, 6th, and 7th.
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- District 5: Andy Ogles (R) won this seat. In Davidson County, Democrat Maryam Abolfazli actually beat him 77,673 to 53,142. But because the district stretches into deep-red rural counties, Ogles won the seat overall.
- District 6: John Rose (R) is the incumbent here. Again, in Davidson, Democrat Lore Bergman took the majority (about 69%), but it wasn't enough to overcome the rest of the district.
- District 7: Mark Green (R) faced former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Barry won 67% of the Davidson County vote, but Green still cruised to a statewide victory.
It’s a classic example of how geography and line-drawing can completely decouple local preference from federal representation. You can win the county by 30 points and still lose the seat by 20. It feels unfair to a lot of locals, but that’s the current reality of Tennessee politics.
State House Wins: Where Democrats Held Their Ground
Down-ballot, the story was a bit more consistent with the county's blue lean. The "Tennessee Three" fame definitely had an impact on the energy here.
Justin Jones, who represents District 52, easily won his reelection against Republican Laura Nelson. He grabbed 13,479 votes to her 5,995. He’s become a national face for the party, and his local support in Nashville remains rock solid.
In House District 60, there was a lot of talk about a potential flip. It covers areas like Old Hickory and Hermitage, which are a bit more purple. However, Democrat Shaundelle Brooks defeated Republican Chad Bobo. This was a significant win for Democrats because it was an open seat previously held by Darren Jernigan, and there was some fear it could slip away. Brooks, who became an activist after her son was killed in the Waffle House shooting, ran a campaign focused heavily on gun safety—a theme that clearly resonated with the district's voters.
Other notable Nashville wins:
- Aftyn Behn (District 51): Retained her seat easily against independent Jeff Ketelsen.
- Jason Powell (District 53): Defeated Republican Yog Nepal with about 62% of the vote.
- Heidi Campbell (State Senate District 20): She held onto her seat against Wyatt Rampy, which was another race Republicans had hoped to make competitive.
Voter Turnout: The Numbers Nobody Talks About
Everyone likes to talk about who won, but the "how many" is just as interesting. Davidson County has about 530,000 registered voters. In the 2024 general election, 293,514 people showed up.
That’s a turnout of about 55.33%.
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Is that good? It depends on who you ask. Compared to the 2020 presidential election, where turnout was closer to 60%, it was actually a bit of a dip. You’d think with a major transit referendum and a high-stakes presidential race, the numbers would be higher. But we saw a similar trend across many urban centers—a slight cooling of the record-breaking enthusiasm we saw four years ago.
The "Early Voting" culture is king in Nashville. Out of those 293k voters, a staggering 206,000 people voted early or by mail. Only about 86,000 waited until Election Day. If you're running a campaign in Davidson County, you basically have to win by the end of October or you're toast.
Local Offices and Judicial Results
We also had some "un-sexy" races that actually matter a lot for how the city runs day-to-day.
Vivian Wilhoite won reelection as the Davidson County Assessor of Property. She essentially ran unopposed in the general after a more competitive primary in March. She pulled in over 97% of the vote (the rest being write-ins).
On the judicial side, Stephanie Williams won the Circuit Court Judge seat for Division IV. She had already cleared the hardest hurdle in the March primary by beating three other candidates, including an incumbent. By the time the August and November elections rolled around, she was the clear favorite. These judicial seats are technically non-partisan in some contexts but are heavily influenced by the Democratic primary process in Nashville.
Actionable Insights for Nashville Voters
If you're looking at these davidson county election results and wondering what it means for your life in 2026 and beyond, here is the deal.
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First, get ready for construction. The transit referendum passing means the city is about to enter a decade-long phase of infrastructure builds. This isn't just about buses; it’s about synchronized traffic signals and miles of new sidewalks. Keep an eye on the "Choose How You Move" implementation schedule to see when your neighborhood is getting upgraded.
Second, understand that your vote in state and federal races in Nashville is currently more about "sending a message" than changing the winner. Because of the way the districts are drawn, the Democratic wins in Davidson County are largely contained. If you want to see a change in the Congressional delegation, that happens in the courts or through once-a-decade redistricting, not necessarily at the ballot box under the current maps.
Lastly, pay attention to the primaries. In a county as blue as Davidson, the "real" election usually happens in the Democratic Primary (usually in March or August). By the time November rolls around, the outcome is often a foregone conclusion for local offices. If you aren't voting in the primaries, you’re letting a very small group of people decide who runs your city.
Check your registration status at the Tennessee Secretary of State website or the Davidson County Election Commission portal. 2026 will be here faster than you think, and with municipal seats potentially on the line, being ready to vote early is your best bet to avoid the lines and make sure your voice is actually part of the tally.
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