Tennessee - 6th District
Incumbent --
Bart Gordon (D)
; Will retire at end of current term (announced Dec. 14, 2009)
Safe Republican
Updated Oct. 14, 2010
After Gordon unexpectedly announced his retirement plans in mid-December, Democrats expressed confidence the party would hold the Republican-trending middle Tennessee district.
But recruitment efforts never panned out, and Democrats were left with little-known political newcomer Brett Carter, who will simply be outgunned by state Sen. Diane Black (R) in November.
National Democratic strategists acknowledge the seat is gone and won't waste their resources trying to hold it.
District Information
District Profile from Politics in America
Nashville's population boom continues to spill into much of the 6th, which surrounds Tennessee's capital city (in the neighboring 5th) clockwise from the north to the south. The hilly countryside includes two notable college communities -- Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, and Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville -- establishing a top-tier industry for the district's economy.
Two decades of explosive population growth in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) has led to commercial expansion. A well-developed highway system eases the commute from Murfreesboro into Nashville, but most residents have relied more on automobile manufacturing jobs in the 6th itself. Nissan's primary American plant in Smyrna is expanding production, and local auto parts manufacturers have supplied other plants located around the state. Despite tobacco revenue losses in some of the 6th's farming communities, Robertson County is still a key tobacco producer. Book, video and music distribution also is big business in the district.
In recent elections, Republican candidates have benefited from the presence of newly arrived suburbanites in the historically Democratic 6th. Unionized conservative Democrats are losing their electoral clout as socially conservative tendencies launch Republicans into public office.
Major Industry
Distribution, higher education, tobacco, auto manufacturing
Cities
Murfreesboro, 108,755; Hendersonville, 51,372; Smyrna, 39,974; La Vergne, 32,588
Notable
Shelbyville is the heart of Tennessee Walking Horse country.
District Election History
| Year |
Election |
Candidate |
Votes |
Percent |
| 2010 |
general |
Diane Black (R) |
128,517 |
67.3% |
| Brett Carter (D) |
56,145 |
29.4% |
| Jim Boyd (I) |
2,157 |
1.1% |
| David Purcell (I) |
1,296 |
0.7% |
| Tommy Hay (I) |
1,270 |
0.7% |
| Brandon Gore (I) |
1,103 |
0.6% |
| Stephen Sprague (I) |
596 |
0.3% |
| 2008 |
general |
Bart Gordon (D) |
194,264 |
74.4% |
| Chris Baker (I) |
66,764 |
25.6% |
| 2006 |
general |
Bart Gordon (D) |
129,069 |
67.1% |
| David Davis (R) |
60,392 |
31.4% |
| Robert Garrison (I) |
2,035 |
1.1% |
| Norman Saliba (I) |
884 |
0.5% |
| 2004 |
general |
Bart Gordon (D) |
167,448 |
64.2% |
| Nick Demas (R) |
87,523 |
33.6% |
| J. Lyons (X) |
3,869 |
1.5% |
| Norman Saliba (X) |
1,802 |
0.7% |
| 2002 |
general |
Bart Gordon (D) |
117,119 |
65.9% |
| Robert Garrison (R) |
57,397 |
32.3% |
| J. Lyons (I) |
3,065 |
1.7% |
Vote For President
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
Independent |
| 2008 |
Barack Obama: 37% |
John McCain: 62% |
|
| 2004 |
John Kerry: 40% |
George W. Bush: 60% |
|
| 2000 |
Al Gore: 49% |
George W. Bush: 49% |
|
