From the governor's race to congressional contests and local ballot measures, Tuesday's midterm election results were the focus of this week's WKNO/Channel 10's "Behind the Headlines." Host Eric Barnes was joined by Daily Memphian reporters Bill Dries, Mary Cashiola, and Jane Donahoe, along with MLK50 reporter Katherine Burgess, to discuss the results and their potential implications for the Memphis area.
The discussion began with Tennessee's gubernatorial race, in which Republican Marsha Blackburn defeated Democrat Jerri Green, a member of the Memphis City Council, by about 54,000 votes. Dries pointed out that although Blackburn started the race as a strong favorite, the final margin of victory was much closer than expected. Green also won several major counties, including Shelby, Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton.
The tight margins were not limited to the governor's race. Democrats gained six seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives, increasing their representation from 24 to 30 members. Among those victories was Memphis Democrat Jesse Huseth, who defeated Republican incumbent John Gillespie for District 97.
While Republicans retained their legislative supermajority, the panel talked about how the election results showed stronger Democratic performances in several races, even in instances where Republican candidates won.
"I think that's where you see the blue wave; the Tennessee mini blue wave is in the margins, right?" Donahoe said.
Redistricting was another major focus of the discussion, especially regarding its impact on congressional representation in Memphis. In Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, Republican Brent Taylor defeated Democrat Justin J. Pearson, while Republican David Kustoff had a closer race against Democrat Heidi Kuhn for District 8.
With Memphis set to be represented by three Republican members of Congress beginning in January, the panel discussed how the newly elected representatives would serve a city where voters largely supported their Democratic opponents.
"I think it's really fascinating that Memphis is now being represented by three people who Memphis overwhelmingly did not vote for," Burgess said.
The discussion also covered voter turnout in Shelby County, which reached 43.9%, compared to 51.1% in the 2018 midterm elections. Dries noted that despite strong early voting, participation dropped off on Election Day, continuing a pattern seen in previous elections.
Wrapping up, guests discussed Memphis' 2027 mayoral election, with Green and Pearson mentioned as potential challengers to incumbent Mayor Paul Young. Dries noted that attention is already shifting toward the next race.
"It's already underway. There's this kind of musical chairs aspect that happens after every election," Dries said.
