The Volunteer State of Tennessee held a Thursday primary election, and aside from the upset due to Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05) losing his seat to former Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher, the night went as expected.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R) wants to become the first female governor of the state, and swept the field with 43 percent of the vote, winning by a 10-point margin over second-place vote-getter State Rep. John Rose, and over 20 percentage points over State Rep. Monty Fritts.
Decision Desk HQ projects Marsha Blackburn wins the TN Governor Republican Primary#DecisionMade: 9:24 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/sYTHZBKqlk
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) August 7, 2026
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, won the Republican nomination Thursday night for Tennessee governor, defeating Tennessee GOP Rep. John Rose for the party's nomination.
Blackburn is running to replace Republican Gov. Bill Lee who is term limited. Her victory comes exactly one year after she announced her gubernatorial campaign.
The senator defeated Rose 43.9% to 32.7%, while state Rep. Monty Fritts came in third with 23.3% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
Blackburn was only reelected to the Senate in 2024, meaning her full-term is not up until 2031. But if Blackburn wins in November, Lee will select a replacement to fill the seat until the state's next general election.
Blackburn will face Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis City Councilwoman, in the November general election, the first-ever TN gubernatorial contest where two females are vying for the executive office.
Sen. Bill Haggerty (R) ran unopposed for his seat. Democrat politician and environmentalist Marquita Bradshaw is the candidate he will face in November.
The newly-redrawn District 9, which divided Memphis across three districts, may finally have a chance for Black representation (/sarc). After the redistricting, incumbent Rep. Steve Cohen decided not to run for reelection, leaving the field wide open. State Rep. Justin Pearson, the chameleon clown car who was briefly expelled from the State House over his redistricting protests, won the Democrat nomination for the seat. Pearson will face Republican State Senator and business owner Brent Taylor, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump.
While the redrawn District 9 could be instrumental in helping flip this seat, the redrawn District 5 was part of what cost Ogles his seat. The anti-incumbency fervor of the electorate, coupled with the name recognition of former Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher and his five-generation farming family credentials, helped him rise in this now heavily rural area — even among younger voters.
Maddie Hobaica, 21, a student at Lipscomb University, said Hatcher’s background and values inspired her to put a red campaign badge over her uniform as she worked the party.
“The fact that he comes from a farmer family," Hobaica said, "that’s kind of what America is built on.”
We have less than 90 days before the November midterms, so there is still much ground to cover and campaigning to be done. We will see if Tennessee remains reliably red or if it manages a few upsets.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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