Latest news with #TennesseeGovernor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marsha Blackburn mounts a run for governor
Staunch MAGA Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced a campaign for Tennessee governor Wednesday. '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 a statement. Blackburn announced her bid to replace Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who is term-limited, with an ad that relies on several images of Donald Trump. 'Trump is back,' Blackburn said in the video. 'America is blessed. And Tennessee, better than ever.' She is widely considered to be a formidable candidate for the Aug. 6 primary, which also includes Republican Rep. John Rose. A January survey from Trump's pollster Tony Fabrizio found Blackburn had an 82 percent approval among the state's primary voters. If elected, Blackburn would not only appoint her successor in the Senate — she's not up for reelection until 2030 — but become the first female governor in state history.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn joins Tennessee race for governor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced Wednesday that she is entering the open Tennessee governor's race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with U.S. 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 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 U.S. 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 Sherri Green, Memphis community advocate Carnita Atwater, musician Adam 'Ditch' Kurtz and Tim Cyr from Gallatin.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Pentagon descends into chaos, Hegseth mulls governor run
Pete Hegseth is reportedly mulling running for Tennessee governor amid continued strife at the Pentagon. The US defence secretary has privately discussed running for office in the state with two individuals, sources told NBC News, one of whom said their conversation took place in the last few weeks. Mr Hegseth is under pressure over a watchdog report expected to be released within weeks into the 'Signalgate' fiasco, in which he accidentally leaked US military plans to a journalist. One individual said they spoke to the defence secretary, who is from Minnesota but lives in Tennessee, about the eligibility requirements of running for governor in the state, where the Republican Party is traditionally dominant. Mr Hegseth would face difficulties because he has only lived in Tennessee for three years rather than the required seven, and would likely face challenges from other Republicans. A second source told NBC they spoke to Mr Hegseth about the realities of winning a campaign. The Pentagon has pushed back on the story, insisting Mr Hegseth was focused 'solely on serving under' President Donald Trump. If Mr Hegseth ended up running for office in Tennessee, where the governor's race will take place next year, he would be forced to resign from the cabinet because the Pentagon bars civilian employees from seeking government office. The former Fox News host ran for a Minnesota Senate seat in 2012, but dropped out after failing to secure the Republican nomination. Mr Hegseth was embarrassed this year when it emerged he had inadvertently leaked US military plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in–chief of The Atlantic, via the messaging app Signal. The Pentagon is undertaking an independent internal review of the scandal, which is expected to be released within weeks. Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a memo to the department's inspector general that its report was 'clearly a political witch hunt'. 'This entire exercise is a sham, conducted in bad faith and with extreme bias,' he claimed. Hegseth overruled on polygraph test Earlier this month, Mr Hegseth was reportedly overruled by the White House after ordering officials to submit to polygraph tests in an attempt to root out leakers. Patrick Weaver, an adviser to Mr Hegseth, was angered by the demand and complained to senior figures in the administration, The Washington Post reported. The White House is said to have told the defence secretary to stop the tests, via a phone call from an individual close to the administration. The Pentagon declined to comment on what it called an 'ongoing investigation' and decried the newspaper's focus on 'months old workplace gossip'. It marked the second time Mr Trump had overruled his defence secretary, after the president halted his Mr Hegseth's order stopping vital military aid being sent to Ukraine, a decision Mr Hegseth reportedly made without informing the White House. 'Hegseth has no trusted advisers' Sources suggested to CNN that the root of the debacle was that Mr Hegseth, who has never previously held a government job, had no chief of staff or trusted advisers around him to guide him on coordinating major policy decisions. He is reportedly relying heavily on his wife, Jennifer, to help him with decisions. Three senior aides were sacked in April during a leak investigation, subsequently claiming they had been smeared by 'baseless attacks' from officials. Days later, John Ullyot, a press assistant, said he had been asked to resign and characterised the department as in 'full-blown meltdown', saying it was hard to see Mr Hegseth remaining in position after repeated scandals. Mr Parnell said in the statement: 'Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story… again. 'Only two options exist: either the 'sources' are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked. Secretary Hegseth's focus remains solely on serving under President Trump and advancing the America First mission at the Department of Defence.' Another individual told the news outlet they had spoken to Mr Hegseth about if he was considering leaving the cabinet, and he was 'very, very clear' he would stay in position.
