NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In a night full of surprises, one Tennessee race has been called the biggest shock of all.
Democrat Victoria Broderick beat long-time incumbent Scott DesJarlais (R) in the 4th Congressional District by a razor-thin margin.
She won by just 280 votes, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State's office.
Broderick raised only $45,000 and never ran a TV ad, but she pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night.
Even Broderick seemed surprised on election night.
Video posted on Facebook shows her watching the results.
"They're calling it. Oh my gosh!" Broderick said.
Someone in the room with her yelled, "You're going to Congress."
Broderick discussed her surprise win on Inside Politics.
"It felt so good watching the work pay off. Watching two and a half years of persistence and not stopping work," Broderick said.
She calls herself a working-class mom from rural Tennessee.
She won in a district that includes a small part of Davidson County, all of Rutherford County, and goes to the Alabama border.
Republican incumbent Scott DesJarlais has represented the district for 16 years.
I asked, "What do you think when people call this an absolute shock?"
Broderick responded, "I love that. I think it gave us an edge. I just opened the door for every single person that never thought politics had a place for them."
She's confident her 280-vote lead will hold — but DesJarlais has not called to concede.
Broderick ran against him two years ago — and lost.
She says she spent the next two and a half years traveling the district, talking to Republicans and Democrats.
"I spoke to what they were feeling. I spoke about the economy, and I'm not just talking about the economy on Wall Street. I'm talking about what they understand — gas and groceries," Broderick said.
She's a former Lincoln County Democratic Party chair who won't rule out impeaching President Trump.
But she said the first priority is ending the Iran war and addressing affordability.
She claims DesJarlais was rarely even in the district.
"This isn't just my win. This is our district's win. We deserve representation, and I'm about to show them what that looks like after 16 years of neglect. I'm ready," Broderick said.
Broderick is the only Democrat to win a Congressional race in Tennessee.
It means Republicans hold an 8-1 advantage statewide which is the same as before the legislature redrew the maps in May.
You can see the entire, unedited interview on Inside Politics.
And Inside Politics is also a podcast.
Just enter Inside Politics Nashville wherever you get your podcasts and start listening.
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