Victoria Broderick Stuns GOP Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 4th Congressional District

How did Victoria Broderick’s stunning win feel? “Pure joy.”

Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais lost his bid for a ninth term representing Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District in a shocking upset by Democratic nominee Broderick. With 100 percent of the vote counted, Broderick won by 280 votes, 95,585 to 95,305. 

In the process, Broderick became the only Democrat in Tennessee’s congressional delegation, riding a national Democratic wave to a victory that few saw coming.

“Victoria is extremely thankful to the people of District 4 who cast their ballots … to make a new future for Tennesseans in Congress,” said a campaign spokesperson. “She thanks all the supporters, volunteers and staff for their incredible work, and the main thing she wants people to know is she’s going to be different than the incumbent. She wants to be held accountable. She wants to hear people and their needs, and work in their best interest, and finally, listen to the people of this district.”

The incumbent, a physician from Sherwood two hours southeast of Nashville, lost to Broderick, a 34-year-old tech worker, in a rematch of the 2024 election that DesJarlais won by more than 40 percentage points. 

Though the candidates were the same, the district looked a little different. 

A hurried mid-decade redistricting by Tennessee Republicans shuffled the state’s congressional map, including by adding the southeastern corner of Davidson County to the 4th District, which still includes Murfreesboro and the southern half of the Cumberland Plateau. 

Broderick did not attract the same level of financial support and public attention as some other Democrats running in Tennessee congressional districts. She reported raising less than $100,000 to date as of Oct. 14, compared to more than $600,000 raised by DesJarlais. 

DesJarlais has been a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump in Congress. Though Democratic candidates across the country, including Broderick, have sought to link Republican opponents to Trump’s war in Iran and high gas prices, DesJarlais defended the conflict in a campaign interview.

“We don’t like paying higher prices at the pump,” DesJarlais said. “We don’t like all the higher prices in the grocery store. And we’re all feeling it. We’re all feeling the pain. Everyone talks about the economy because that’s something you notice every day, but you also got to think about national security.”

In the same interview, DesJarlais praised Trump’s immigration enforcement push. 

DesJarlais is perhaps best known for personal scandals that surfaced early in his political career, including a recording in which he pressured a mistress to get an abortion. He was also fined by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners for having sex with patients. 

Broderick told the Banner after a campaign forum in Smyrna in September that she “didn’t stop campaigning after the 2024 election.”

“I literally hit the ground the next month, and I think that that’s what we’re going to see,” she added. “We’re also seeing a district that is a little bit different and is more competitive, but it’s been written off by both the right and the left, so it gives me an opportunity to do the work on the ground, and we’re going to see the result of that.”

She focused her campaign on affordability and said she supports Medicare for All, raising the minimum wage and universal pre-K and childcare aid.

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