U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn won Tennessee’s 2026 gubernatorial election, becoming the state’s first woman elected governor.
The Republican defeated Democratic nominee Jerri Green and independent candidate David Hatley in the November 3 election. According to unofficial statewide results, Blackburn received approximately 45.5% of the vote, compared to Green’s 43% and Hatley’s 9.3%.
The election also marked the first time in Tennessee history that both major political parties nominated women for governor.
Blackburn, who has represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate since 2019, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Tennessee State Senate. She also made history in 2018 as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee.
Blackburn will succeed term-limited Governor Bill Lee when she takes office in January 2027, becoming Tennessee’s 51st governor. Her departure from the U.S. Senate will create a vacancy, which will be filled by a gubernatorial appointment until voters elect a successor in November 2028.
