Nashville, Tenn. (AP) -Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn announced on Wednesday that in 2026 she enters the Open -Tenne -Gouvener race and brings a primary collision with the US representative John Rose.
The announcement of Blackburn officially does what has been expected from the ally of President Donald Trump for some time. She hadn’t made a secret that she was planning to run for the position.
In August 2026 it sets up a republican primary impact against rose, which is also a Trump supporter. You will compete to replace GOP governor Bill Lee, who increases his limit of two consecutive sentences in a row.
Blackburn was the first woman to represent Tennessee in the US Senate. If she were chosen, she would also be the state’s first governor.
Blackburn won her headquarters in the Senate in 2018 with almost 11 percentage points compared to the Democrat Phil Bredesen, a popular former governor. This victory was a shift by the former Republican senators who represented the state. Subsequently, she won more than 29 percentage points against the democratic state representative Gloria Johnson last November.
Blackburn was first elected to the US house in 2002, coordinated with the Tea party movement and regularly appeared in Fox News. Previously, the Brentwood residents made a name for himself as a state legislator that headed the revolt against a proposed Tennessee tax in the early 2000s.
In an opening campaign, Blackburn deleted Trump, promised leadership in the creation of jobs and energy generation and beat timely conservative topics – for example, to enable parents in education to “define boys and girls as God made them and the deportation of immigrants in the country illegally,” whether airplanes, trains or starship are necessary. “
“In his first six months, President Trump has made historical progress to make America great again, but when he sends power back to the States, he will need strong conservative governors who can bring this revolution home,” said Blackburn in a press release for announcements. “I am running as the next Governor of Tennessee to make sure that Tennessee is America’s conservative leader.”
Rose, who announced his offer for governor in March, has also expressed powerful support in a state that Trump has won in the last three presidential election. Trump won Tennessee in 2024 with almost 30 points and Lee defeated a democratic opponent in 2022 with 32 percentage points. The President’s confirmation will be very much in demand in the Republican primary school.
The earlier statements of Blackburn about taking into account an offer for governor have frightened some prominent republicans who may otherwise have run.
Rose, a businessman and farmer in Cookeville, who can utilize personal assets, gave his campaign $ 5 million and collected $ 1.1 million of donors by June.
Rose’s campaign chairman Chris Devaney said on Wednesday that Rose and Blackburn had a “mutual respect” and Rose voted to keep Blackburn in Washington. But Devaney said that Blackburn’s start of campaign solves a one -year debate about who will be the best CEO for a state on a crossroads, and Rose had a lead.
“Senator Blackburn will talk a lot about Washington,” said Devaney. “John will talk about his recording as CEO, outsider and reformer.”
Since Blackburn was re -elected to another six -year term last year, her seat in the Senate is not at risk if it runs for the governor. If Blackburn wins, a seat in the Senate and Blackburn as governor opens would possibly appoint the fleeting replacement. Roses Congress seat will also be open competition next year.
Cito Pellegra from Arlington joins Blackburn and Rose in the GOP primary school.
Several Democrats have previously announced or opened donation accounts for the race. These include the city council of Memphis, Jerri Green, the lawyer of Memphis Community Carnita Atwater, the musician Adam “Ditch” Kurtz and Tim Cyr by Gallatin.
The main election for the governor is August 6, 2026.
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The story has been updated to correct the first name Jerri Green.
