Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is running for governor, she announced Wednesday, promising to help her state be "America’s conservative leader" for generations to come.
Blackburn, who would be the state’s first female governor if she wins, leaned heavily on her support for President Donald Trump in a short video on X announcing her campaign. The first images in the video are of Trump, before Blackburn takes over to declare: "Trump is back, America is blessed, and Tennessee — better than ever."
"Here in the Volunteer State, we always lead the way. And that's why I am announcing my candidacy for governor," she says, promising to bring more jobs and energy production to the state, adding she plans to "deliver a world-class education for our children by empowering parents, not the deep state."
She framed herself as a stalwart of conservative policy who would carry forward those values as governor — promising to deport illegal aliens "whether it takes planes, trains or starships"; promising to "value life"; and waving at the debate over transgender athletes' participating in women's sports by saying, "We'll define our boys and girls the way God made them."
"I love Tennessee, I believe in Tennesseans, and I'm ready to deliver the kind of conservative leadership that will ensure our state is America's conservative leader for this generation and the next," she added.
Blackburn will join a primary that includes Rep. John Rose, who has lent his campaign $5 million to boost his bid. Gov. Bill Lee cannot run again because of term limits.
Rose's campaign chairman, Chris Devaney, said that while Rose and Blackburn "have a mutual respect," he would not drop out now that she is running.
"Tennessee is at a crossroads and now we get to have a 365-day conversation about who would make the best CEO of the state. Senator Blackburn is going to talk a lot about Washington. John is going to talk about his record as a CEO, an outsider, and a reformer,” Devaney said in a statement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also discussed the idea of running for political office next year in Tennessee, NBC News reported last week, citing two people who have spoken with him about it. A Defense Department spokesperson denied he was considering a bid, and others in Hegseth’s orbit told NBC News that he has no plans to run for office.
Blackburn is a prominent force in Republican politics in the state, having served in elected office there for a quarter-century, taken high-profile roles in the Senate on issues like abortion and banning transgender athletes from women's sports, and cultivated a relationship with Trump. Trump has not yet weighed in on the race.
If Blackburn were to win, she would have to vacate her seat, to which she was re-elected in November. As governor, she would have the ability to appoint a temporary successor before a special election to fill the seat.
Republican Rep. Chuck Fleischmann said in an interview that he would consider running for the Senate if the state's future governor "considered" him but that he would be "fine" remaining in the House, where he serves on the key Appropriations Committee.
His House GOP colleague Tim Burchett told NBC News after Blackburn's announcement that he would consider running for her seat in light of her announcement.
Blackburn is the third senator to announce a run for governor this year after Republican Tommy Tuberville, of Alabama, and Democrat Michael Bennet, of Colorado.
