Overview

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn officially launched her campaign on August 6, setting up a marquee Republican primary against Rep. John Rose for the open governor’s seat.
• Blackburn capitalized on her 29-point Senate reelection victory and Trump endorsements to emerge as the clear frontrunner in early polling.
• Her launch video stakes out a hard-line conservative platform, promising to make Tennessee “America’s conservative leader” and deport illegal immigrants “whether it takes planes, trains or starships.”
• If elected, Blackburn would become Tennessee’s first female governor and the first woman to hold the state’s top executive office.
• A Blackburn victory would trigger her resignation from the Senate in early 2027, giving her the power to appoint a successor and potentially reshape Tennessee’s federal delegation.