Who's in the Race
Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green face each other in Tennessee's governor's race on Nov. 3. The seat is open because incumbent Republican governor Bill Lee is not running for reelection.
Both nominees won their Aug. 6 primaries. Blackburn took the Republican contest with 44 percent of the vote, beating second-place John Rose by about 11 percentage points out of 714,810 total votes cast. Green won the Democratic primary with about 69 percent of the 354,822 votes cast and was not opposed by a single dominant rival.
Endorsements
President Donald Trump endorsed Blackburn for the general election. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs also backed her.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear endorsed Green, as well as several Tennessee state and local officials, including Lee Harris and Heidi Campbell.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Polling
Every major race-rating service calls this race solidly in Blackburn's favor. Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Republican, updated Oct. 28. Sabato's Crystal Ball also rated it Solid Republican, updated Oct. 28. Inside Elections rated it Solid Republican, updated Oct. 23.
Previous Elections
Donald Trump carried Tennessee in the 2024 presidential election with 64 percent of the vote, compared with 34 percent for Democrat Kamala Harris. That 30-point margin made Tennessee one of the most lopsided states in the country for Republicans at the presidential level.
In the last governor's race, in 2022, Republican Bill Lee won with 65 percent of the vote. Democrat Jason Martin finished second with 33 percent, a margin of more than 556,000 votes. The pattern across both cycles is consistent: statewide Democratic candidates in Tennessee have not come within 30 points of their Republican opponents in recent years.
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