Primary showdown: Conservative firebrand Marsha Blackburn eyes governor's office in Tennessee

Conservative firebrand Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is aiming to change her work address from Washington D.C. to Nashville.

The former longtime congresswoman and two-term senator with a robust national profile thanks to her regular cable news appearances is the front-runner in Thursday's Republican gubernatorial primary, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee.

The Republican face-off for governor of Tennessee, where Democrats haven't won a gubernatorial election in two decades, takes top billing as the red-leaning southeastern state holds nominating contests for state and federal offices.

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Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is running for governor in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Blackburn is considered the frontrunner in a race that also includes four-term Rep. John Rose, who like Blackburn is a staunch Capitol Hill supporter of President Donald Trump, and state Rep. Monty Fritts.

Even though the president handed out endorsements in other GOP gubernatorial primaries this cycle, Trump remained neutral in the Tennessee contest.

"Unfortunately, she’s running for governor. She’s running for governor of Tennessee. I’d love her not to, I begged her," Trump said in January. "‘I said, ‘Marsha, don’t. We don’t want to lose you in the Senate.’"

But the president has said Blackburn would be a good governor, and also noted that Rose has been a staunch loyalist.

Even though she didn't land Trump's endorsement, Blackburn has showcased her support for him.

"As President Trump sends power and authority back to the states, I'm ready to deliver for the people of the Volunteer State and make our state America's conservative leader," she wrote on the eve of the primary in a social media post that included a photo of her and Trump.

Five Democrats, including Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, are bidding for their party's gubernatorial nomination.

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Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is seen inside the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)

Tennessee's other U.S. senator, Republican Bill Hagerty, is unopposed in the GOP primary as he seeks a second six-year term in the Senate.

Five Democrats are vying to challenge Hagerty in the general election. Then-Sen. Al Gore's re-election 36 years ago was the last time a Democrat won a Senate contest in Tennessee.

In U.S. House battles, Memphis voters will cast ballots for their Democratic and Republican nominees using a new GOP-drawn congressional district map that created an extra right-leaning seat and forced longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen to not seek re-election.

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Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) walks through the U.S. Capitol on February 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, two-term Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, a major Trump ally in the House who is backed by the president, is facing a stiff primary challenge from Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who was endorsed earlier this week by Lee. The race has seen a large infusion of money from outside groups.