Key facts
- Tennessee Republicans are holding a primary election to select their nominee for governor.
- The main Republican contenders are U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative John Rose.
- Both Blackburn and Rose are described as close allies of President Donald Trump.
- Governor Bill Lee is leaving office due to term limits.
- The state is considered a Republican stronghold, with Trump winning it by a significant margin in 2024.
- A U.S. House seat in a redrawn, majority-Black Memphis district is also being contested.
In Tennessee, a state strongly favoring Republicans, the race for governor has become a contest between two prominent allies of President Donald Trump: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative John Rose.
Both Blackburn, 74, and Rose, 61, are vying for the Republican nomination to succeed two-term Governor Bill Lee, who is departing due to term limits. The winner is widely expected to win the general election in November, given Trump's significant victory margin in the state in 2024.
While polls initially showed Blackburn with a comfortable lead, recent indications suggest the race has tightened. A third Republican candidate, state representative Monty Fritts, 62, could potentially influence the outcome by appealing to far-right voters.
The primary also includes the first U.S. House election since Tennessee's Republican-controlled legislature redrew congressional maps, dismantling a majority-Black district in Memphis previously held by Democrat Steve Cohen, who is not seeking reelection. The seat is now considered safely Republican.
Four Democrats are competing for the nomination in that House race, including state representative Justin Pearson, who has progressive endorsements, and state senator London Lamar, backed by Cohen and Memphis Mayor Paul Young. On the Republican side for the House seat, four candidates are running, including state senator Brent Taylor, who has Trump's endorsement.