Democrat Phil Bredesen, Republican Marsha Blackburn will face off in Tennessee's Senate race

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen wins Democratic Senate primary — (Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) easily won their respective primaries on Thursday, as expected, and they'll face each other in November for the chance to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). Polls have suggested it will be a tight race, and the winner will help determine which party controls the closely divided Senate. Blackburn, if she wins, would be Tennessee's first elected female senator. The state hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate since Al Gore in 1990, and the last Democrat to win statewide office was Bredesen, who swept all of Tennessee's 95 counties in his 2006 re-election victory.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.