Blackburn Wins Tennessee Governorship by Narrow Margin

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee’s first female governor after winning Tuesday’s election by a margin of less than three percentage points. The longtime Republican also becomes the state’s oldest governor at age 74. Her victory comes despite President Donald Trump’s approval rating hitting a historic low in the region.

Blackburn defeated Memphis City Council member Jerri Green in a race that saw some inroads for the Democratic candidate in a traditionally Republican state. Conservative independent David Hatley captured roughly 10% of the vote, taking votes away from the mainline Republican ticket. Hatley, who self-funded his campaign, criticized Blackburn for accepting out-of-state money for her bid. In response, Blackburn and her supporters spent nearly $10 million attacking Hatley over his past bank fraud convictions.

The senator claimed victory before the race was officially called on Tuesday night. She pledged to place the state budget on a “GLP-1,” which she defined as a “government-lessening plan.” “We’re going to skinny up that state budget,” Blackburn said. She also addressed her refusal to debate Green and other challengers, stating she would not run the campaign on the media or any other candidate’s terms.

Blackburn returned to Tennessee politics after two decades in Washington. She said she will not resign from her U.S. Senate seat until she is sworn in as governor. This move allows her to choose her own interim replacement in the Senate. While she has not confirmed a specific choice, former CoreCivic CEO and Blackburn supporter Damon Hininger has created a non-office-specific candidate page.

During her campaign, Blackburn focused on national issues such as opposing China. She refused to debate opponents in both the primary and general elections. Following Tennessee’s second failed execution this year, she called for the return of the electric chair. As the next governor, she said she would continue the independent review that began under current Gov. Bill Lee.

Blackburn has cited her work as a state lawmaker as a key part of her record. In 2001, she helped stop an effort to impose a state income tax. Voters later solidified a ban on the tax through a ballot amendment in 2014. Her victory marks a shift in the state’s executive leadership after a competitive contest.

The winner will be sworn in as governor following the official certification of the election results. Her tenure will begin with a focus on budget reduction and criminal justice reform as outlined in her campaign promises.