Latest news with #JohnRose
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump ally Blackburn announces bid for Tennessee governor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies in Congress, on Wednesday launched a run for governor of Tennessee in 2026, becoming the third sitting senator to launch a gubernatorial bid this year. Blackburn, who has served in the Senate and House of Representatives for more than two decades, will seek the Republican nomination for governor against U.S. Representative John Rose, 60, who is also the state's former agriculture commissioner. Blackburn and Rose are vying for the chance to succeed Republican Governor Bill Lee, who will leave office after reaching the state's two-term limit. A slate of Democratic candidates includes Memphis city council member Jerri Green. The 73-year-old Blackburn's announcement follows similar decisions by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Democratic Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado to seek the governorship of their respective states. She was elected as the state's first woman U.S. senator in 2018 and won reelection to the Senate last year over Democrat Gloria Johnson by nearly 29 points. A politician who has aligned herself with the MAGA and Tea Party movements, Blackburn pledged in a one-minute, 39-second video to pursue a conservative economic agenda that would also oppose abortion and "define our boys and girls the way God made them." "We'll make Tennessee America's No. 1 job-creating, energy-producing powerhouse, deliver a world-class education for our children by empowering parents, not the deep state, and whether it takes planes, trains or starships, we'll deport illegal aliens," Blackburn said in the video, which showed Trump half a dozen times.
Reuters
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Trump ally Blackburn announces bid for Tennessee governor
WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies in Congress, on Wednesday launched a run for governor of Tennessee in 2026, becoming the third sitting senator to launch a gubernatorial bid this year. Blackburn, who has served in the Senate and House of Representatives for more than two decades, will seek the Republican nomination for governor against U.S. Representative John Rose, 60, who is also the state's former agriculture commissioner. Blackburn and Rose are vying for the chance to succeed Republican Governor Bill Lee, who will leave office after reaching the state's two-term limit. A slate of Democratic candidates includes Memphis city council member Jerri Green. The 73-year-old Blackburn's announcement follows similar decisions by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Democratic Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado to seek the governorship of their respective states. She was elected as the state's first woman U.S. senator in 2018 and won reelection to the Senate last year over Democrat Gloria Johnson by nearly 29 points. A politician who has aligned herself with the MAGA and Tea Party movements, Blackburn pledged in a one-minute, 39-second video to pursue a conservative economic agenda that would also oppose abortion and "define our boys and girls the way God made them." "We'll make Tennessee America's No. 1 job-creating, energy-producing powerhouse, deliver a world-class education for our children by empowering parents, not the deep state, and whether it takes planes, trains or starships, we'll deport illegal aliens," Blackburn said in the video, which showed Trump half a dozen times.
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Marsha Blackburn announces she is running for Tennessee governor
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced she is running for Tennessee governor, ending months of speculation. The senior senator, who lives in Brentwood, said Aug. 6 she's in the race. "I'm running for governor to ensure Tennessee is America's conservative leader for this generation and the next," she said. The primary election to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee is Aug. 6, 2026, and U.S. Rep. John Rose is the only declared candidate. Blackburn is already the recipient of endorsements from across the state even without having announced she's running, including from once-gubernatorial hopeful Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann. Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, an influential conservative policy group that helped the state's school choice voucher program across the finish line, are mobilizing to knock 200,000 doors to "share how Marsha Blackburn led the way in the U.S. Senate to secure major WINS for President Donald Trump & TN taxpayers." Blackburn became the first woman elected to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate when she won in 2018. If she were elected governor, she would be the first woman to serve in that role, too. Blackburn was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1998. She served there until 2003, then was elected to represent part of Middle Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives until her 2018 election to the U.S. Senate. She was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2024 with 89.5% of the Republican primary vote. In the general election, she received 63.8%. Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Marsha Blackburn enters race for Tennessee governor in 20226
CNN
06-08-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn joins Tennessee race for governor
Nashville, Tenn. (AP) — Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced on Wednesday that she is entering the open Tennessee governor's race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with US Rep. John Rose. Blackburn's announcement makes official what had been expected for some time from the ally of President Donald Trump. She had made no secret that she was planning on running for the position. It sets up a Republican primary clash in August 2026 against Rose who is also a Trump backer. They will be competing to replace GOP Gov. Bill Lee, who is hitting his limit of two four-year terms in office. Blackburn won her Senate seat in 2018 by nearly 11 percentage points over Democrat Phil Bredesen, a popular former governor. That victory marked a rightward shift from previous Republican senators who has represented the state. She then won reelection against Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson by more than 29 percentage points last November. First elected to the US House in 2002, Blackburn aligned with the tea party movement and regularly appeared on Fox News. Before that, the Brentwood resident made a name for herself as a state lawmaker who helped lead the revolt against a proposed Tennessee income tax in the early 2000s. In an opening campaign ad, Blackburn lauded Trump, promised leadership in job creation and energy production and hit on timely conservative themes — for example, empowering parents in education, defining 'boys and girls the way God made them,' and deporting immigrants in the country illegally, 'whether it takes planes, trains or starships.' 'In his first six months, President Trump has made historic strides in Making America Great Again, but as he sends power back to the states, he's going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home,' Blackburn said in an announcement news release. 'I'm running to serve as Tennessee's next governor to ensure Tennessee is America's conservative leader.' Rose, who announced his bid for governor in March, likewise has voiced strong support for Trump in a state that Trump has easily won in the past three presidential elections. Trump won Tennessee in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Lee defeated a Democratic opponent in 2022 by 32 percentage points. Blackburn's prior statements about considering a bid for governor scared off some prominent Republicans who may have otherwise run. Rose, a Cookeville businessman and farmer who can tap into personal wealth, lent his campaign $5 million and raised $1.1 million from donors through June. Cito Pellegra of Arlington joins Blackburn and Rose in the GOP primary. Several Democrats have announced or opened fundraising accounts for the race so far. They include Memphis city councilmember Jerri Green, Memphis community advocate Carnita Atwater, musician Adam 'Ditch' Kurtz and Tim Cyr from Gallatin.
CNN
06-08-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn joins Tennessee race for governor
Nashville, Tenn. (AP) — Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced on Wednesday that she is entering the open Tennessee governor's race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with US Rep. John Rose. Blackburn's announcement makes official what had been expected for some time from the ally of President Donald Trump. She had made no secret that she was planning on running for the position. It sets up a Republican primary clash in August 2026 against Rose who is also a Trump backer. They will be competing to replace GOP Gov. Bill Lee, who is hitting his limit of two four-year terms in office. Blackburn won her Senate seat in 2018 by nearly 11 percentage points over Democrat Phil Bredesen, a popular former governor. That victory marked a rightward shift from previous Republican senators who has represented the state. She then won reelection against Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson by more than 29 percentage points last November. First elected to the US House in 2002, Blackburn aligned with the tea party movement and regularly appeared on Fox News. Before that, the Brentwood resident made a name for herself as a state lawmaker who helped lead the revolt against a proposed Tennessee income tax in the early 2000s. In an opening campaign ad, Blackburn lauded Trump, promised leadership in job creation and energy production and hit on timely conservative themes — for example, empowering parents in education, defining 'boys and girls the way God made them,' and deporting immigrants in the country illegally, 'whether it takes planes, trains or starships.' 'In his first six months, President Trump has made historic strides in Making America Great Again, but as he sends power back to the states, he's going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home,' Blackburn said in an announcement news release. 'I'm running to serve as Tennessee's next governor to ensure Tennessee is America's conservative leader.' Rose, who announced his bid for governor in March, likewise has voiced strong support for Trump in a state that Trump has easily won in the past three presidential elections. Trump won Tennessee in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Lee defeated a Democratic opponent in 2022 by 32 percentage points. Blackburn's prior statements about considering a bid for governor scared off some prominent Republicans who may have otherwise run. Rose, a Cookeville businessman and farmer who can tap into personal wealth, lent his campaign $5 million and raised $1.1 million from donors through June. Cito Pellegra of Arlington joins Blackburn and Rose in the GOP primary. Several Democrats have announced or opened fundraising accounts for the race so far. They include Memphis city councilmember Jerri Green, Memphis community advocate Carnita Atwater, musician Adam 'Ditch' Kurtz and Tim Cyr from Gallatin.
