Election Roundup: Winners (And Runoffs) For Some Tight Middle Tennessee Contests

Let’s do it again. There was no decisive winner in the race for vice mayor of Nashville last night, so another runoff will follow.

Councilwoman Sheri Weiner, who has been in the role of acting vice mayor, led with 45 percent, followed closely by Councilman Jim Shulman at 42 percent.

Local musician Matthew DelRossi played the role of spoiler, grabbing 13 percent — and keeping either Weiner or Shulman from reaching the majority needed to win outright. They’ll face off in September.

Several County Mayors Chosen

In Wilson County, incumbent Randall Hutto won another term, easily defeating a challenge from former state lawmaker Mae Beavers.

The race was closer in Maury County, where entrepreneur Andy Ogles edged out the incumbent by just 588 votes, according to The Columbia Daily Herald.

In Rutherford County, longtime state Sen. Bill Ketron won the mayor’s seat with nearly two-thirds of the vote.

Newcomers To Replace Departing State Lawmakers

For state and federal posts, a raft of newcomers appear poised to take office.

For the Tennessee General Assembly, Nashville bail bond company owner Vincent Dixie won a close race in District 54 to take the seat being vacated by lawmaker Brenda Gilmore. She also won last night and will move into the state Senate (Gilmore does not have a Republican opponent).

In Franklin, construction company owner Brandon Ogles won a six-person Republican primary for state House District 61, which has been occupied for 22 years by outgoing Rep. Charles Sargent. In the heavily red area, Ogles will run against Democrat Rebecca Purington.

And in Rutherford County, there will be a face-off for state Senate District 13 (vacated by Ketron). The front-runner is Dawn White, a former teacher and businesswoman who won the Republican primary. Her challenger is Democrat Kelly Northcutt.

Meanwhile, the contest to replace Diane Black in Congressional District 6 has taken shape.

Businessman and former state agriculture commissioner John Rose will be the favorite in a devotedly Republican district that lies to the north and east of Nashville and which includes Sumner and Wilson counties.

Rose’s support for a southern border wall and gun rights helped grabbed more than 40 percent of the Republican vote. That included Nancy Mullis in Lebanon, who said she chose candidates who align with the president.

“I care about our country, and I care about the direction our country is going in. I want to get local people that will support our president,” she said.

Rose will face Democrat Dawn Barlow in the race for Congress. Barlow is a Cookeville native who works as a doctor in Overton County.