40 counties drive voters to the polls Tuesday

Forty counties in Tennessee share a border with another state, a geographic fact that has driven residents to cross state lines for grocery shopping. This pattern of cross-border spending forms the core of a tax proposal discussed by four gubernatorial candidates as polls opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2026 midterm election. The race features Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn, Democratic nominee Jerri Green, and 13 independent candidates, including front-runners David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston.

On the cost of living, each candidate targeted specific state taxes. Blackburn proposed a statewide program modeled on the federal DOGE initiative and a ban on state property tax. She described the approach as a method to give the state budget a GLP to skinny it up. Green focused on basic necessities, stating a plan to raise the minimum wage, eliminate the grocery tax, and freeze the gas tax. Hatley aligned with the grocery tax repeal and added caps on local property tax increases. He criticized current tax trends, noting that rates were increasing by four or 500 percent over a few years. Pinkston also supported repealing the grocery tax to retain consumer spending within state borders.

Immigration policy presented a sharp divide among the four. Blackburn characterized enforcement as a public safety matter and pledged to continue cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She cited families who lost loved ones in accidents involving individuals illegally in the country. Hatley echoed this stance, stating that every local department needs to work with ICE to remove violent illegal criminals from the state. Green took the opposite position, vowing to end agreements with ICE on her first day in office and ask the agency to leave. She argued that the agency terrorizes neighborhoods and complicates local crime enforcement. Pinkston argued that current tactics create a workforce gap, calling it economically irresponsible to hunt and peck people off the streets.

Rural healthcare issues centered on hospital closures, with Tennessee leading the nation in closures per capita. Blackburn advocated for freestanding emergency departments in rural counties to reduce travel times to facilities in Knoxville or Cookeville. Green pointed to Medicaid expansion funds used by other states to keep rural hospitals open and highlighted maternal mortality rates. She stated that a state claiming to be family first must allow residents to start families safely. Pinkston argued for stronger preventive care to limit costly emergency room visits and save hospitals money. Hatley proposed reworking the state budget to prioritize rural hospitals, citing reduced federal funding as a complicating factor.

The four candidates also addressed data centers, education, and infrastructure during their interviews. The full recordings of these discussions are available on the WSMV4 website. Voters in Davidson County and across the state cast ballots on Tuesday to select the next governor.

The election determines leadership on key economic and health issues facing the state. The results will set the direction for state policy on taxes, immigration cooperation, and rural medical infrastructure. The candidates' positions reflect distinct philosophies on the role of state government in these areas.