Democrats Victoria Broderick and Cyril Jefferson are challenging the political landscape in traditionally Republican districts by running campaigns with minimal spending and virtually no paid television advertising. Broderick, a Democrat, is currently leading incumbent Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais by 280 votes in Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District. This district, which President Donald Trump carried by 24 points in 2024, has been held by DesJarlais for 16 years. Broderick’s campaign spent less than $100,000 and aired no paid TV ads, a stark contrast to DesJarlais’ campaign spending of over $508,000 through October 14.
In North Carolina, High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson, a Democrat, is narrowly leading Republican Rep. Addison McDowell, 51.1% to 48.9%, in the state's 6th Congressional District. McDowell had won the district by 38.3 points in 2024. Similar to Broderick, Jefferson's campaign reported minimal advertising spending, with only $2,000 in Google ads, including YouTube placements, according to one tracker.
Broderick told Axios that her campaign’s performance was not a surprise to her team, stating, "I know it was a shock for the rest of the country, but it wasn’t a shock for our team." Jefferson attributed his potential success to engaging voters directly, saying, "You have to go engage them."
Political science professor John Dinan of Wake Forest University noted that challengers in such Republican-leaning districts would typically require significant funding for TV ads. However, he observed that "there wasn’t a whole lot of money spent" in these particular races. These contests suggest that strong grassroots organizing and effective local candidates can make traditionally Republican districts competitive, even with substantial financial disadvantages.
The Associated Press has not yet called either race.