Democratic candidates with little public profile and long odds won several midterm races on Tuesday, swept into office by a blue wave that toppled Republicans in districts once considered safe. Among the winners were a Tennessee candidate who defeated a nine-term incumbent, an Iowa candidate who had dropped out of the race, and a 19-year-old college student in Arizona.
Tennessee Upset Stuns Candidate and Observers
Victoria Broderick, a Tennessee Democrat, won the state's fourth congressional district, ousting Republican incumbent Scott DesJarlais, who was seeking his ninth term. The Cook Political Report had rated the district as "solid Republican," and few in Washington expected DesJarlais to lose. State officials declared Broderick the winner by about 300 votes, though the Associated Press had not yet called the race.
"I think the first words to my team were: 'Wait, what?' I was just sitting there shocked," Broderick said on Wednesday. She worked a full-time job in tech support during her campaign and described herself as a "working-class mom." She first ran for Congress in 2024 after learning DesJarlais was running unopposed, saying, "I essentially said: 'Over my dead body.'" DesJarlais won 70% of the vote that year, compared to her 27%.
Broderick, 34, a mother of two and former logistics sourcing coordinator, said she connected with residents who had not voted in years and met Republicans concerned about affordability. "We've been neglected in this district," she said. "People want representatives who understand what they're going through, who understand the costs of going to the gas station or grocery store. I'm that representative."
Iowa Win After Dropping Out
Eric Armstrong, an Iowa Democrat, won his race for state representative despite dropping out in early September, citing "personal health issues that require my full attention and immediate care." He defeated Republican Keith Jones, a county supervisor and retired police lieutenant, by more than 800 votes, even though he did not campaign for the last two months.
Armstrong told the New York Times in a phone call on Wednesday morning: "I'm going to do my best to represent [the district] … But I still have health issues, that's what I'm struggling with." Jones said by phone Thursday that he was stunned by his loss: "It was a gut-punch. I worked really hard for eight months … the blue wave hit Iowa and Texas very hard, no doubt." He said voters were concerned with the Iran war and gas prices, issues he couldn't address as a state representative.
Arizona Student and North Carolina Consultant Win
In Arizona, Sebastian Matta, a 19-year-old college student studying philosophy, defeated Jeff Dial, a 50-year-old Republican former state lawmaker, in the race to be Maricopa county clerk of the superior court. Matta told the Arizona Republic he noticed Democrats had not run for the office in years: "I figured: 'You know, why not?'" He expected it would be a "destined loss" for Democrats, but now he is set to lead the court's clerk's office for the nation's fourth-largest county.
In North Carolina, LaKesha Womack, a Democrat, won her congressional race against Republican incumbent Tim Moore after running her campaign without any paid, full-time staffers and raising only $59,000 compared to Moore's $2m. "I wanted to run a different type of race. I wanted to be more present in the community," Womack, 49, said. "So I didn't spend as much time fundraising. I spent most of my time with the voters – attending events, going to church, doing meet-and-greets."
Womack, founder of a consulting firm for small businesses, non-profits and faith-based organizations, was served with a criminal summons last month while at a campaign event, accused of failing to return a rental car on time in 2019. She said she had struggled with homelessness at the time and was unaware of criminal proceedings until the surprise summons. She has a court date next week.
"It was very hurtful, but my supporters reached out to me and said: 'We've got your back.' They had questions, but never doubted that I was the person they had gotten to know over the past nine months," she said. She said her experiences with economic insecurity made her better prepared for Congress: "When you know what it's like to figure out how am I going to put food on the table for me and my child, then you look at food security differently."
Womack, who has a political science degree but no previous experience as an elected official, said voters were desperate for a candidate who would stand up to Donald Trump. She noted Moore had not criticized Trump when the president at a rally said he would not send Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) funding to North Carolina if the Republican Senate candidate lost, before adding he was "kidding."
"People understand what's at stake in this election. They chose the candidate they believe will go to Washington and fight for them," she said. "I'm looking forward to our freshmen orientation. I'm sure I'll get a big binder of all the things I need to work on."
