Tennessee Governor Race: Candidates, Primaries, and Key Issues

The 2026 Tennessee governor race is an open-seat contest to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee, with the Republican primary dominated by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and the Democratic field led by Memphis Councilmember Jerri Green. Primary day is August 6, 2026. The general election follows on November 3, 2026.¹ Lee, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, cannot run again under the state constitution’s two-consecutive-term limit, making this Tennessee’s first open governor’s race in eight years.²

Dates to Put on the Calendar

Voter registration deadline: July 7, 2026.¹
Early voting: July 17 through August 1, 2026.¹
Primary election: August 6, 2026.¹
General election: November 3, 2026.¹

The candidate filing deadline passed on March 10, 2026, and the Tennessee Secretary of State has posted the final candidate lists.³

The Republican Primary

Three Republicans qualified for the primary ballot: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Representative John Rose, and state Representative Monty Fritts. A May 2026 Beacon Center poll of 1,200 Tennessee voters put Blackburn at 63 percent, up from 56 percent in January, with Rose at 10 percent and Fritts at 5 percent.⁴

Marsha Blackburn

Blackburn, a senior U.S. senator reelected to a six-year term in 2024, formally launched her gubernatorial campaign in August 2025.⁵ Her platform centers on economic growth, stopping illegal immigration, protecting women’s sports, and public safety.⁶ She supports Tennessee’s private-school voucher program, the Education Freedom Scholarships, and has backed legislative efforts to expand it.⁷

Her fundraising matches her poll numbers. In her first five months as a candidate she raised $5.5 million from more than 33,000 contributors, a record for contributions to a Tennessee gubernatorial campaign in a single reporting period. Her combined cash on hand across her gubernatorial account and the affiliated Team Tennessee PAC stood at $4.2 million as of early 2026.⁵ Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is her campaign treasurer, and her listed endorsers include State Senator Shane Reeves, Congressman Matt Van Epps, and former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger.⁸

President Donald Trump in March 2026 publicly referred to Blackburn as the likely “new governor soon,” but as of June 2026 he had not formally endorsed in the primary.⁹

Blackburn’s campaign has drawn one notable complaint. In January 2026, Knoxville Republican activist Gary Loe alleged that she used her federal “Marsha for Senate” account to lay the groundwork for her governor’s run, citing $2.8 million in federal campaign spending in 2025 against $404,325 in the comparable 2019 period. The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance dismissed the complaint on March 31, 2026, finding it lacked jurisdiction over federal funds and that no transfer between accounts occurred.¹⁰

John Rose

Rose, a farmer from Temperance Hall, the owner of Boson Software, and a fourth-term U.S. representative for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, announced his campaign on March 20, 2025, at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. Open Secrets estimates his net worth at $56 million, and he reported a war chest exceeding $6.1 million as of mid-2025, including a $5 million personal loan to his campaign.¹¹

His platform leans into infrastructure. He has pledged to widen all Tennessee interstates to at least eight lanes, build four-lane highways to every county seat, and put all residents within 30 minutes of emergency medical care. He supports expanding nuclear energy and has promised to appoint an education commissioner with Tennessee-specific teaching experience.¹² On vouchers, Rose takes what he has called a “middle of the road” stance, supporting expansion only if evidence shows the scholarships improve outcomes.⁷

Rose has said he is “absolutely” ready to debate Blackburn. As of late 2025, Blackburn had not committed to a primary debate and declined to take press questions on the subject.¹³

Monty Fritts

Fritts, a second-term state representative from Kingston, Army veteran, and retired nuclear industry worker, entered the race on September 5, 2025, running against what he calls the “Nashville establishment.” He is the only Republican candidate who opposes the voucher program, calling it “fiscally irresponsible” and pledging to suspend or end it. His other priorities include eliminating the 4 percent state sales tax on groceries, curbing state budget growth, and strengthening gun rights. His fundraising lags far behind: his state House account held $11,050 in September 2025, supplemented by a $15,000 self-loan.¹⁴

The Democratic Primary

Six Democrats filed by the March 10 deadline.¹⁵ The May 2026 Beacon poll showed Memphis Councilmember Jerri Green at 14 percent, Kevin Lee McCants at 11 percent, Carnita Atwater at 8 percent, and 62 percent of Democratic voters undecided.⁴

Green holds a law degree from Georgetown and currently serves as Shelby County’s Chief Public Defender. She has previously worked as a public interest lawyer, a criminal law instructor, Executive Director of the Community Legal Center, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.¹⁶ Her platform focuses on expanding Medicaid in rural areas, fully funding public schools while opposing vouchers, paid family and medical leave, and gun safety measures including background checks and red flag laws. Her endorsers include U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, several state legislators, and labor organizations including the Tennessee Pipe Trades, the Tennessee Building Trades, and Teamsters Local 667.¹⁷

The general election math is daunting for any Democrat. No Democrat has won statewide office in Tennessee since 2006, and the May 2026 Beacon poll showed Blackburn leading Green by 24 points in a hypothetical November matchup.⁴

Where the Candidates Divide

School Vouchers

Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarships have become a real fault line in the Republican primary. The legislature approved $144 million for the program in a January special session, and 42,000 families applied for just 20,000 available vouchers worth $7,300 each. Gov. Lee has proposed more than $303 million to expand the program to 40,000 students for the 2026–2027 school year.¹⁸ Blackburn supports expansion, Rose supports it conditionally, Fritts opposes it outright, and Green opposes it in favor of fully funding public schools.⁷

Energy and Infrastructure

Utility costs rank among the top voter concerns: 77 percent of respondents in the May 2026 Beacon poll reported rising costs, and 61 percent called them burdensome. A majority (54 percent) support easier permitting for new nuclear power plants.⁴ Both Blackburn and Rose back nuclear expansion, and Rose has made highway and emergency-services infrastructure his signature issue.¹²

Immigration, Elections, and Public Safety

Immigration is a central theme for all three Republican candidates. The Beacon poll found 84 percent of Tennessee voters support requiring photo ID to vote in state and local elections, and 52 percent back the federal SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.⁴ Green has framed public safety primarily around gun-violence prevention.¹⁷

Three Constitutional Amendments Share the November Ballot

Voters who turn out for the general election will also decide three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution. Each must be approved by a majority of voters casting ballots in the November election to take effect.

Amendment 1 would eliminate the right to bail for defendants charged with any of 73 specified felonies carrying an 85 percent service requirement, giving judges discretion to set or deny bail in those cases.
Amendment 2 would constitutionally prohibit the state from enacting a state property tax.
Amendment 3 would expand crime victims’ rights, including the right to be present and heard at public criminal proceedings, to receive notification of proceedings and releases, and to be protected from harassment by the accused.¹⁹

What Happens to Blackburn’s Senate Seat if She Wins

A Blackburn victory would open the U.S. Senate seat she won in 2024. Under Tennessee law, the governor can appoint a temporary replacement if the vacancy would leave the state without full representation while Congress is in session, with a successor elected at the next regular November election. If Blackburn resigned before being sworn in as governor, Gov. Lee would make the appointment; if she resigned after, she would appoint her own temporary replacement.²⁰

1
Tennessee Secretary of State. Elections Calendar
2
Term Limits. Tennessee Governor Term Limits
3
Tennessee Secretary of State. 2026 Candidate Lists
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Beacon Center of Tennessee. Beacon Poll May 2026 Results
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Tennessee Lookout. FEC Filings Reveal How Blackburn Laid the Groundwork for Governor Campaign
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Marsha Blackburn for Governor. Marsha Blackburn for Governor
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Tennessee Lookout. Gubernatorial Candidate Would Suspend Private School Vouchers
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Axios Nashville. Sen. Blackburn Sets Fundraising Record for Tennessee Governor
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Nashville Banner. Donald Trump, Marsha Blackburn, John Rose Endorsement
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Knoxville News Sentinel. Tennessee Election Officials Reject Complaint Against Marsha Blackburn
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Tennessee Lookout. Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Touts $6.1M Campaign War Chest
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Tennessee Lookout. Rose Jabs Gov. Lee, Not His Likely Opponent, in Gubernatorial Kickoff
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Tennessee Lookout. Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Bucking for Debate
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Tennessee Lookout. East Tennessee Republican Runs for Governor To Topple Nashville Establishment
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Tennessee Lookout. Tennessee’s 2026 Candidate Lists Finalized for State and Federal Races
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City of Memphis. Memphis City Council District 2
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Green for Governor. Green for Governor
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Chalkbeat Tennessee. Republican Voucher Expansion: How Many New Seats
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Tennessee Lookout. Voters Face Three Constitutional Questions in November Election
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The Hill. Burchett, Ogles Eye Senate if Blackburn Leaves