Nashvilers vote for Hagerty, governor, and House seats as national stakes rise

Residents of Davidson County, Tennessee, began casting ballots on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to decide the composition of their state government and their representation in Congress. Polling hours vary by county, with each county election commission determining the specific opening time for its polling places at least 15 days before the election, according to Ballotpedia. Voters in Nashville, Franklin, Hendersonville, Smyrna, Brentwood, and Mount Juliet can find their specific polling locations at vote.gov or their local state election office. Anyone in line when polls close is entitled to vote, and identification rules vary by state, so voters were advised to check local requirements before arriving at the polls.

In Tennessee, the ballot includes a contested race for the state’s U.S. Senate seat, where incumbent Republican Bill Hagerty is running for re-election. The state also faces an open governor’s race with no incumbent on the ballot, as well as elections for every U.S. House seat, state legislative offices, state Supreme Court seats, and various local ballot measures. According to Ballotpedia, the parties on the ballot for these federal and state offices include the Democratic, Independent, and Republican parties. The results of these contests will shape policy in Davidson County and across the state for the next several years.

The local vote is part of a broader national midterm election that determines who controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. All 435 seats in the U.S. House are up for grabs, with Republicans currently holding 218 seats and Democrats 214, plus one independent and several vacancies. Democrats need a net gain of three districts to secure a majority, while Republicans can afford to lose no more than two. In the U.S. Senate, 35 of the 100 seats are on the ballot, including 33 regular elections and two special elections for the remaining terms of Marco Rubio and JD Vance.

Ten Senate races are considered battlegrounds by major election trackers, and the outcomes in these states will be critical for both parties. In North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper faces former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley for the seat left by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis. In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is running against Republican Representative Mike Collins. Ohio voters are deciding between Democratic former Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican Senator Jon Husted in a special election. Michigan has an open seat following the retirement of Gary Peters, with Republican former Representative Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed as the primary contenders.

Other key matchups include Texas, where Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, backed by President Trump, faces Democrat James Talarico for the seat held by John Cornyn. In Maine, Republican Senator Susan Collins is challenging Democratic former state Senate President Troy Jackson in a race that the Associated Press describes as competitive due to economic strain and tariffs. New Hampshire voters are choosing between Democratic Representative Chris Pappas and former Republican Senator John E. Sununu to succeed retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Minnesota has a four-way race for the seat of retiring Democrat Tina Smith, featuring Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster.

Kansas has emerged as a central battleground in the fight for Senate control, a shift from its traditional status as a reliably Republican state. In Alaska, the race is considered a toss-up to lean Democratic, with the Trump administration having filed a lawsuit related to the certification of the Senate result. These ten races, along with contests in Iowa, Montana, and Nebraska, will determine whether Democrats gain the four seats they need for a majority or if Republicans lose no more than two. The winners of these Senate races will begin their six-year terms on January 3, 2027.

The mood in the country is described by the Associated Press as a referendum on the president’s second term, with many voters expressing frustration over high prices and an unpopular war with Iran. Recent AP-NORC polling indicates that 35% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s job performance, while about seven in 10 say the country is heading in the wrong direction. More than 57 million people had already voted as of Monday, surpassing early vote totals from four years ago in many closely watched states. Republicans are bracing for potential losses in the House, while Democrats are cautiously optimistic about their chances.

President Trump held dozens of rallies in the final week of the campaign, ending in Salina, Kansas, where he urged voters to support his party as if he were on the ballot. His schedule included stops in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas, though many Republican candidates kept their distance from the president during the campaign. The 2026 elections are likely to be the most expensive in history, with Republican committees outspending their Democratic counterparts at the committee level, aided by Trump-affiliated groups and Elon Musk. However, at the candidate level, Democrats outraised their opponents, according to AP analysis of AdImpact data.

Voters in Davidson County are also weighing the implications of these national trends on their local lives. The election will determine if Democrats can win control of at least one chamber of Congress, a move that would likely lead to investigations and possible impeachment proceedings. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has outlined a 100-day agenda focused on the cost of living and oversight if his party gains the majority. A strong Democratic performance would also boost the profiles of potential 2028 presidential candidates such as Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, and Pete Buttigieg, while potentially complicating the path of Vice President JD Vance.