US Senator Marsha Blackburn has won Tennessee’s Republican primary for governor, putting her in a strong position to succeed the term-limited Republican Governor Bill Lee. Her victory matters because Tennessee has not elected a Democratic governor for 20 years, making the Republican nominee the likely favourite in November.

Blackburn defeated US Representative John Rose and state Representative Monty Fritts for the nomination, while Memphis City Council member Jerri Green won the Democratic primary. Blackburn, first elected to the Senate in 2018 and re-elected in 2024, would become Tennessee’s first woman governor if she wins the general election on 3 November.