Republican candidates drew strong support in Grundy County in the Nov. 3 general election, while voters approved all three proposed constitutional amendments and decided several municipal races.

However, the big surprise on a night that saw a dramatic shift to Democratic control of the U.S. House and Senate, was the ousting of long-time 4^th District Congressman Scott DesJarlais. He was toppled by Victoria Broderick by the narrowest of margins, losing his seat by just over 200 votes. DesJarlais led the 4th Congressional District contest in Grundy County with 2,494 votes, or 73.42%, to 793 votes, or 23.34%, for Democrat Victoria Broderick. However, strong showings in Davidson and to some extent Rutherford counties gave the Democrat the winning margin.

Grundy was better at picking the winners in the other major contests as they chose Senator Marsha Blackburn as the state’s first female governor. In the governor’s race, Republican Marsha Blackburn received 2,292 votes, or 62.88%, compared with 876 votes, or 24.05%, for Democrat Jerri Green. Independent candidates divided the remaining votes and state-wide, Independent David Hatley was unable to garner 10% state-wide but got 392 votes in Grundy. Also, the governor’s race was much closer state-wide as Blackburn won 45% to 43% for Green.

Meanwhile, in Grundy County, incumbent Republican state Rep. Rush Bricken received 2,409 votes, or 74.46%, to 822 votes, or 25.42%, for Democrat Mike Stein in Tennessee House District 47. Bricken swept the region, getting 70% of the vote compared to 30% for Stein.

All three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution received majority support in the county. Amendment 1 drew 2,527 yes votes (76.02%) and 797 no votes (23.98%). Amendment 2 received 2,385 yes votes (74.09%) and 834 no votes (25.91%). Amendment 3 received 2,722 yes votes (83.17%) and 551 no votes (16.83%). They also passed state-wide by big margins.

Senate Bill Hagerty had little problem beating Democrat Marquita Bradshaw state-wide. He romped in Grundy getting 75% of the vote to return to Washington.

Locally, in the town of Altamont, Jana Barrett was elected mayor with 232 complementary votes. For Altamont aldermen, Darrell Tate was top vote getter with 153. He will be joined on the board by Caleb Smartt who got 151 votes. Bridget Jones was third with 112.

Clayton Forsyth was elected as Commissioner for the town of Beersheba Springs with 109 complementary votes.

In Coalmont, Dennis Alan Jones was elected mayor with 138 votes. He will be joined on the board by aldermen Andrew Parson and Carla Tate.

In Tracy City, Sara G. Brown was lead vote-getter for alderman as she got 250 votes. She will be joined on the city board by Theron E. Gross who got 197 votes. Julie Crudgington was third with 100 votes. Cindy Kilgore won an unexpired term as Tracy City alderman with 228 votes. Stacie Hutcheson was elected mayor with 290 complementary votes.

In Gruetli Laager, Colby Cox with 263 votes and Hubert Dewayne Turkey Hargis with 177 votes were elected aldermen. Michael Jones with 145 votes and Ronnie Wayne Scissom with 94 votes fell just short. Allen “Big Al” Joslyn was elected mayor with 379 complementary votes. Jama Jacks King won an unexpired term in the Gruetli-Laager council with 270. She beat Donna Rollins for the spot as Rollins had 133 votes.

In the town of Palmer, Daniel T. Crabtree was elected mayor with 108 votes. Justin Clay Cannon was elected alderman with 107 votes.

In Monteagle, Dean Lay was elected mayor without opposition, getting 212 complementary votes in Grundy County and 77 from Marion County. He will be joined on the city council by Nate Wilson who had 111 votes in Grundy and 43 in Marion, and Jessica D. Blalock who had 102 votes in Grundy and 39 in Marion. Dan Sergeant finished with 84 in Grundy and 17 in Marion, David M. Pilcher with 80 in Grundy and 33 in Marion and Felicia Ladd with 79 in Grundy and 24 in Marion. Their totals do not include any votes from Franklin County which have a small number of voters who vote in the Monteagle elections.

According to the Grundy County Election Commission’s election summary report, 3,685 residents were listed in the public count and 9,131 were registered voters. The report listed voter turnout at 40.35%. The election included 2,091 Election Day voters, 772 absentee voters and 1,522 walk-in early voters, according to the commission’s report.