Tennessee voters selected Republican and Democratic nominees for governor and Congress on August 6, 2026, in a primary election that will shape the state’s political direction for the next four years. The primary featured competitive races across multiple offices, with the gubernatorial contests drawing particular attention in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in two decades.
The Republican gubernatorial primary centered on three major candidates: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Representative John Rose, and state Representative Monty Fritts. Blackburn, who won reelection to a second Senate term in 2024, launched her gubernatorial campaign in August 2025 and has consistently led in polling. Rose, a four-term congressman from Cookeville, launched his bid in March 2025 and loaned his campaign approximately $13 million since mid-June. Aside from candidate loans, Blackburn has outraised Rose in campaign contributions, and an outside group has spent roughly $5.1 million backing her and opposing Rose, according to PBS News.
On the Democratic side, five candidates competed for the nomination: Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, Carnita Atwater, Tim Cyr, Adam Kurtz, and Kevin Lee McCants. Green is the only candidate with prior public office experience, having served on the Memphis City Council since January 2024. The winner will face the Republican nominee in November’s general election.
The primary took on added significance because Republican Governor Bill Lee is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. According to PBS News, Tennessee has not elected a Democratic governor since Phil Bredesen was reelected in 2006, and the state has not elected a Democratic statewide official in 20 years, making the November general election a potential challenge for either party’s nominee.
In congressional races, Tennessee’s newly redrawn map had major implications for Memphis representation. The Republican-controlled legislature redrew boundaries in May that split the heavily Democratic city into three Republican-dominated districts. Democratic U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, who had represented the Memphis-based 9th District for 20 years, ended his reelection bid shortly after the new map was adopted. State Representative Justin Pearson, state Senator London Lamar, and former healthcare executive Jim Torino are running in the Democratic primary to replace him. On the Republican side, state Senator Brent Taylor, who has Trump’s endorsement, has outraised the other candidates in the race, according to PBS News.
U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, the state’s junior senator, is running unopposed in the Republican primary for his second term. Five Democrats are competing for the opportunity to challenge him in November.
Roughly half of Tennessee’s 33 state Senate seats and all 99 state House seats were also up for election in 2026. Republicans hold overwhelming majorities in both chambers. Early voting data showed strong participation, with approximately 397,000 Republican primary ballots and 225,000 Democratic primary ballots cast before election day, according to PBS News.
Sources
- PBS News — Tennessee gubernatorial primary candidates, campaign finance, historical context, and early voting data
- The Tennessean — Comprehensive coverage of primary races, candidate information, and election results
- Local Memphis — Gubernatorial race overview and candidate details
