Bill Hagerty beat Democrat Marquita Bradshaw in a rematch of their 2020 race, winning a second term in the Senate.
Bill Hagerty is Tennessee’s junior senator. He first won the seat in 2020, taking over from retiring Senator Lamar Alexander, and voters have now given him six more years.
Hagerty built his career in business. He worked as a management consultant, was a White House Fellow under President George H. W. Bush, and co-founded a private equity firm. From 2011 to 2014 he ran Tennessee’s economic development department, working to bring jobs and investment to the state.
President Donald Trump then named him U.S. ambassador to Japan, a post he held from 2017 to 2019. He left Tokyo to run for the Senate.
Tuesday’s race was a rematch. Hagerty faced Marquita Bradshaw, a Memphis organizer who leads an environmental justice nonprofit and was also his opponent in 2020. The margin was much closer this time than in their first race. The Associated Press declared Hagerty the winner at 11:28 p.m. EST.
His win matters because Tennessee has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1990, and the seat stays safely Republican even as Democrats take control of the chamber.
What to watch: Hagerty’s work on banking, foreign relations and spending bills, where he sits on key committees.
Fast facts
- Age: 67
- Party: Republican
- Office: U.S. Senator
- State: Tennessee
- Previous job: U.S. ambassador to Japan (2017–2019)
- Called by AP: 11:28 p.m. EST, Nov. 3, 2026
Part of the Zark News Election 2026 winners profile series. Winners are listed as called by the Associated Press.
