Blackburn wins Tennessee governor's race with 45.52 percent of the vote

Marsha Blackburn won the Tennessee governor's race on Tuesday night with 45.52 percent of the vote.

The Tennessee Secretary of State's Office certified Blackburn as the winner after Democratic nominee Jerri Green received 42.95 percent of the total. The margin of victory was 2.57 percentage points. Blackburn will succeed Governor Bill Lee, who has reached his term limit. She is the first woman to be elected to the state's highest office.

Voters chose Blackburn in a contest that traded leads for hours on election night. The narrow result contradicted polls that predicted a wider margin for the Republican senator. The race threatened the Republican Party's long-standing control of the Tennessee governor's office. Democrats have not held the position since Phil Bredesen, who served from 2003 to 2011. Republicans have held the office for the previous 15 years.

Green currently serves as a council member for District 2 on the Memphis City Council. She also serves as Shelby County's Chief Public Defender. During her campaign, Green focused on affordable child care, public education, healthcare access, gun laws, and climate policies. In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Green said she remains committed to changing Tennessee for the better.

Blackburn will be sworn in as the 51st governor of Tennessee in January. The specific date of the ceremony has not yet been released. Governor Lee took the oath of office for his second term on Jan. 21, 2023. The swearing-in ceremony typically occurs about two weeks into the month.

When Blackburn vacates her U.S. Senate seat to take the governor's office, she will appoint an interim senator to fill the vacancy. According to congress.gov, the interim senator can remain in office until the next general election in 2028. The appointment allows the governor to select a successor after her inauguration.

The election results followed a broader shift in the 2026 midterms. Democrats secured control of the U.S. House and Senate. Voters cited President Donald Trump's handling of the war in Iran, which raised prices at the pump and in supermarkets, as a key factor in their decisions. Vice President JD Vance attributed the war to the Republican Party's widespread losses on Tuesday night.