5 hours ago - Politics

Marsha Blackburn, Jerri Green win nominations for Tennessee governor

Tennessee is poised to elect its first woman governor this year, with Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green facing off in November.

The latest: Blackburn and Green secured their nominations in Thursday's primary. The Associated Press called both wins.

Blackburn, who was the first woman in Tennessee elected to the U.S. Senate, is the odds-on favorite heading into the general election in the deep-red state. (She won her last statewide race in 2024 with more than 63% of the vote.)
Democrats are hoping a favorable midterm landscape could give Green a boost.

Zoom in: Blackburn faced U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts in the Republican primary.

Rose mounted a muscular campaign. He put $13 million of his own money toward the effort and blanketed local TV with ads, but he failed to overtake Blackburn, who entered the race as the frontrunner.

Green bested four other candidates on the Democratic ballot.

Zoom out: Thirteen independent candidates for governor have qualified for the November ballot, according to the Tennessee secretary of state.

What's next: The general election is Nov. 3. Early voting will run Oct. 14–29.

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