Blackburn heavy favorite, matchups set for Nov. 5 election in Tennessee

(The Center Square) – Sen. Marsha Blackburn held a 20-percentage point lead in a July Beacon poll against Democrat Gloria Johnson, who will now be her opponent.

That race is one of many – including the presidential race expected to be between former president Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and Robert F. Kennedy – on the Nov. 5 ballot in Tennessee.

Those in Nashville will also be voting on a referendum for a 0.5% sales tax increase to pay for transit improvements.

The state’s U.S. House races will include incumbent Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger and Demcrat Kevin Jenkins in District 1, incumbent Republican Tim Burchett and Democrat Jane George in District 2, incumbent Republican Chuck Fleischmann and Democrat Jack Allen in District 3 and incumbent Republican Scott DesJarlais against Democrat Victoria Isabel Broderick in District 4.

Each of those seats featured significantly more Republican votes in the primary than Democrats.

The same applies in District 5, where incumbent Republican Andy Ogles will face Democrat Maryam Abolfazli after he held off challenger Courtney Johnston in the primary.

District 6 features incumbent Republican John Rose against Democrat Lore Bergman, District 7 will be incumbent Republican Mark Green facing Democrat and former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, District 8 features incumbent Republican David Kustoff against Democrat Sarah Freeman while District 9 will feature incumbent Democrat Steve Cohen against Charlotte Bergmann in a Memphis-area district that was the state’s only U.S. House district with significantly more Democrat voters than Republican.

The most competitive general election races could be near Davidson County, where the lines were re-drawn following Democrat Jim Cooper’s District 5 run in the seat, which previously covered all of Nashville.

Ogles now holds that seat while District 7 could be the most competitive seat after Green initially announced he would not run for reelection but ultimately chose to attempt to hold onto the seat for the Republicans.