Shane Reeves wins Tennessee Senate District 14 special election

Voters in four counties elected Republican Shane Reeves to succeed retired state Sen. Jim Tracy in Tennessee's 14th District.

"It was a great victory," Reeves said during a victory party at Five Senses restaurant in Murfreesboro. "I had a great team that helped me. I had a lot of voters. I appreciate them coming out and supporting me in the primary and general race.

"Obviously our message resonated with the district," he added.

Tracy vacated his seat in November after accepting an appointment from President Donald Trump to serve as state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office. Tracy is a Republican from Shelbyville who had served in the Senate since 2004.

Reeves claimed a big early lead soon after polls closed by a count of 2,235 to Democrat Gayle Jordan's 1,446. Reeves would go on to capture 71.73 percent of the total vote.

Senate District 14 encompasses the eastern part of Rutherford County, along with all of Bedford, Moore, Lincoln and Marshall counties.

The Reeves campaign included negative messages attacking Jordan's atheism and referring to her as a "radical."

"The Tennessee Republican Party did some mailers, and I did some radio along the way," Reeves said. "I kept running into people throughout the district who said, 'Shane, you have to show a contrast between you and your opponent.' You have to. There's such a significant contrast in worldview, background, capabilities and just political issues in general. You are not doing the voting public a favor unless you try to show a contrast."

Despite being a special election, many voters, particularly those living in District 13, represented by Republican state Sen. Bill Ketron, showed up to vote Thursday.

"Hundreds," Election Commission Chairman Ransom Jones said when asked how many out-of-district voters were turned away Tuesday.

Reeves will hold the seat through 2020.

Ketron said Tuesday night at the celebration that he'd made arrangements for Reeves to be sworn into office at 9 a.m. Thursday on the Senate Floor in Nashville, with Senior Judge Don Ash presiding.

"This was a great victory for Sen. Shane Reeves, the Reeves campaign and the Tennessee Senate," Ketron said.

Ash said he's honored that Reeves requested the judge to do the swearing in ceremony.

"My family and I are looking forward to visiting the Senate chambers," Ash said.

About 45 minutes after polls closed, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released a statement regarding Shane Reeves' anticipated victory.

"Tonight’s election shows that voters see the results of Tennessee’s Republican leadership — increased economic opportunity, expanded access to education, and record low unemployment rates," Golden said in the release, congratulating Reeves and his campaign team.

During a campaign party at Mayday Brewery, Jordan acknowledged she hoped for a different outcome.

"We're disappointed in the results, but we couldn't be prouder of the campaign that we ran," she said.

Tennessee Senate District 14 voting breakdown

Rutherford County

Reeves: 5,616

Jordan: 2,684

Bedford County

Reeves: 2,696

Jordan: 929

Lincoln County

Reeves: 2,542

Jordan: 668

Marshall County

Reeves: 1,721

Jordan: 727

Moore County

Reeves: 564

Jordan: 171

Totals

Reeves: 13,139

Jordan: 5,179

Votes must be certified by the state election commission.

Reach Scott Broden at sbroden@dnj.com, 615-278-5158 or on Twitter @ScottBroden.