
2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee

The 2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States elections in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Tennessee voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Tennessee has 11 electoral votes in the Electoral College.
Trump won Tennessee with 60.66% of the vote, almost tied with his 60.72% vote share in 2016. Despite this, Biden got 37.4% of the vote, three points better than Hillary Clinton. Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations considered this a state Trump would win, or a safe red state. The Volunteer State has not supported a Democrat since 1996. Biden won the same counties as Clinton did: urban Shelby and Davidson counties--anchored by Memphis and Nashville, respectively--as well as majority-Black Haywood County, and became the first Democrat to win the presidency without Hardeman County. In addition, Trump performed somewhat better than polls anticipated, as they had Trump leading Biden by 55%–41%.
Despite this, Biden was able to improve his support among white progressives in Davidson County, winning with 64.5% of the vote, the best Democratic performance in the county since FDR won 72.1% of the vote in 1944. In addition, he narrowed Trump's margins in Hamilton County--anchored by Chattanooga--only losing it by 9.7 points, the best Democratic performance there since Bill Clinton lost the county by 6.5% in 1996; and with 44.1% of the popular vote, the best Democratic percentage since Carter's 48% in 1976, consequently losing by 2.8 points; and, to a much further extent, Rutherford County--anchored by Murfreesboro--only losing it 56.6% to 41.2%--a margin of 15.4%, much lower than Clinton's 25.9-point loss in 2016. This is the first time a Democrat has even garnered 40% of the vote in Rutherford County since 2000, when favorite son Al Gore lost the county by 9.7 points while at the same time losing both his home state and the election.
Winning the state by 708,764 votes, Tennessee gave Trump his largest margin of victory by the number of votes nationally. This exceeded the 631,221 vote margin he won in Texas, marking the first time since 1988 (when Florida provided the largest margin of victory) where Texas did not provide the Republican presidential nominee with his widest margin of votes for a statewide victory. Tennessee was also one of sixteen states where President Trump received less percentage of the vote than he did in the 2016 election. Additionally, this is the second consecutive election in which Tennessee was carried by more than 60%, the first time since 1996 that Tennessee and neighboring Georgia did not vote for the same president, and the first time since 1980 that Tennessee was won by the Republicans while Georgia was won by the Democrats.
Per exit polls by the Associated Press, Trump's strength in Tennessee came from a 69% showing among white voters, who made up 84% of the electorate. Similarly, Trump carried white born-again/Evangelical Christians by 86%–12%. The only strength Biden showed was 88% of African-American voters. 65% of voters opposed removing Confederate statues from public places in Tennessee, and these voters backed Trump by 83%–15%.
Primary elections.
Republican primary.
The Republican primary was on March 3, 2020. Former Tennessee senator Bob Corker was considered a potential primary opponent for Trump.
Democratic primary.
The Democratic primary was on March 3, 2020. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden were among the major declared candidates.
General election.
Polling.
Aggregate polls
Polls
Results.
By congressional district.
Trump won 7 of 9 congressional districts.