Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Tennessee’s long-awaited governor’s race has taken a historic turn after voters on August 6 cleared the way for an all-female major-party showdown in November. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn captured the Republican nomination, while Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green secured the Democratic nomination, setting up a race that will determine the state’s next governor.
Blackburn defeated U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts in the Republican primary, overcoming a late push from her rivals to emerge as the GOP nominee. Green, meanwhile, comfortably led the Democratic field and secured her party’s nomination.
The November 3 election will replace Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who cannot seek another consecutive term because of term limits. Whoever wins will make Tennessee history as the state’s first elected woman governor.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Marsha Blackburn Wins Tennessee Republican Primary
Marsha Blackburn secured the Republican nomination after defeating John Rose and Monty Fritts in Thursday’s primary.
Blackburn entered the race as the leading Republican candidate and maintained her advantage through Election Day. The contest attracted significant attention because both Blackburn and Rose had strong ties to President Donald Trump and competed for the support of the party’s conservative voters.
Reuters reported that Blackburn defeated Rose by a comfortable margin and now enters the November election as the early favourite in a state that strongly backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Blackburn previously served 16 years in the U.S. House before winning a U.S. Senate seat in 2018 and taking office in 2019. Her campaign for governor marks a major shift from federal politics to Tennessee’s top state office.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Marsha Blackburn vs John Rose: Republican Primary Results
Blackburn finished ahead of Rose and Fritts in the Republican contest.
Based on the results provided in the election coverage:
- Marsha Blackburn: about 43.8%
- John Rose: about 32.7%
- Monty Fritts: about 23.4%
The result gave Blackburn a clear path to the November general election after a campaign in which Rose attempted to close the gap.
The Republican primary also tested the strength of Blackburn’s statewide political network. She had built a strong fundraising operation and received substantial support from Republican voters before Election Day.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Jerri Green Wins Democratic Gubernatorial Primary
Jerri Green secured the Democratic nomination after dominating a five-candidate field.
Green, a Memphis City Council member, will now face Blackburn in the November 3 general election. WSMV reported that Green won the Democratic primary comfortably and will compete for the governorship in a state where Republicans have held a strong statewide advantage for years.
Green has worked across Tennessee’s judicial, legislative and executive branches and previously served as a senior policy adviser and deputy chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
Her campaign focused on issues including education, affordable childcare, healthcare access, gun violence and environmental policy.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Jerri Green Primary Results
Green won roughly 69% of the Democratic primary vote, putting her far ahead of Carnita Atwater, who received about 17.9%.
The remaining Democratic candidates divided the rest of the vote.
Green’s decisive victory gives her a strong mandate heading into the general election. Her campaign now shifts from a Democratic primary contest to a statewide race against Blackburn.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Why Tennessee Will Elect a Woman Governor?
The November contest carries historic significance because both major-party nominees are women.
If Blackburn wins, she will become Tennessee’s first elected woman governor. If Green wins, she will also make history as the first woman elected to the state’s highest office.
The race therefore guarantees that Tennessee will break a long-standing political barrier regardless of which candidate wins on November 3. WSMV described the election as giving Tennessee its highest-ever likelihood of having a female governor.
The contest also comes as Tennessee prepares to replace Bill Lee, who cannot seek a third consecutive term.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: What Marsha Blackburn Stands For?
Blackburn has campaigned on a conservative platform and has closely aligned herself with Trump’s immigration policies.
Her campaign has emphasised immigration enforcement, lower taxes, school choice and public safety. Blackburn has also highlighted her support for parents having greater choices in education.
Her campaign promises include backing Trump’s immigration policy “100 per cent,” maintaining low taxes, supporting school choice and advancing policies involving women’s sports.
Blackburn has also placed economic development and technology among her campaign priorities. She has discussed the role of data centres in Tennessee’s economy while arguing that communities need to consider their location and impact.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: What Jerri Green Stands For?
Green has presented a different policy agenda, focusing heavily on public services and issues affecting families.
Her campaign has highlighted affordable childcare, public education, healthcare access, environmental protection and gun-safety measures. She has also discussed support for working families and affordable housing.
Green listed affordable child care, stronger public education, expanded healthcare access, common-sense gun laws and climate policies among the issues she “stands for.”
Her campaign also proposes using state resources to address childcare costs and expand access to services for Tennessee families.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: Other Major Tennessee Primary Results
The gubernatorial race was not the only major contest on Tennessee’s August 6 ballot.
Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated two-term U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in the Republican primary for the reconfigured 5th Congressional District. Ogles had received Trump’s endorsement, making the result a notable setback for a Trump-backed incumbent.
In the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson won his party’s nomination, while Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor won the GOP nomination. The two candidates will face each other in November.
The 9th District contest has attracted national attention because Tennessee Republicans redrew the congressional map earlier this year, breaking apart the previously majority-Black Memphis-based district.
Tennessee Primary Results Live News: What Happens Next?
The Republican and Democratic primaries have now produced the two major-party candidates for Tennessee governor.
Marsha Blackburn will represent the Republicans, while Jerri Green will represent the Democrats. The two candidates will meet in the general election on November 3, 2026.
Tennessee remains a heavily Republican state, giving Blackburn an early advantage in the race. Reuters noted that the state voted for Trump by nearly 30 percentage points in 2024 and that Republicans are widely expected to remain in control of the governor’s office.
However, the historic nature of the matchup gives the election significance beyond party politics. For the first time, Tennessee voters will choose between two women representing the state’s two major political parties for governor.
The November contest will decide whether Blackburn moves from the U.S. Senate to the governor’s mansion or Green delivers a major Democratic breakthrough in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for years.
