Tennessee has never had a woman hold the office of governor, but this week’s campaign filing shows two women are significantly outraising their male opponents in the lead-up to next August’s gubernatorial primary.¶
Candidates were required to file their Year-End Supplemental report by Monday, and it’s the first filing that includes multiple expected frontrunners.¶
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s reported $5,354,381 in contributions exceeded the combined total of every other Republican and Democratic candidate in the 2026 governor’s race.¶
Blackburn’s Contributions Create Technical Challenge¶
The senator reported so many contributions that the Registry of Election Finance granted her a special dispensation to file her report after the deadline, because of technical challenges entering the data into the state’s system.¶
“We didn’t just break a record, we broke the system,” wrote Blackburn on social media. “Our campaign received so many donations that Tennessee’s campaign-finance reporting system broke. As Governor, I’ll break the status quo and deliver the kind of conservative leadership that will ensure our state is America's conservative leader for this generation and the next. I'm extremely grateful for every Tennessean who has chipped in.” ¶
Blackburn will face Congressman John Rose and State Representative Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, in the Republican primary next August. Fritts reported $151,892 in contributions on the latest filing, while Rose reported $354,977.¶
Rose Touts Total Campaign War Chest¶
Rose launched his campaign last March and was the only Republican candidate required to report campaign information last summer, reporting $1.1 million in contributions and a $5 million personal loan.¶
In a social media post, Rose’s campaign positively highlighted the difference between his total campaign war chest of $6,456,005 and Senator Blackburn’s.¶
“That is $1,01,624 ahead of his closest primary opponent. The Rose for Governor Campaign also leads in cash on hand with $4,712,735, despite being the only candidate to run a statewide television and mail campaign,” wrote Rose’s campaign. “Tennesseans accounted for 92 percent of contributions to the Rose campaign. Only 22 percent of contributions to Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn came from the Volunteer State.”¶
Blackburn has not reported any personal loans to her campaign, and her reported $1.6 million in expenditures was higher than Rose’s $1.5 million for this campaign filing.¶
Green Leads Democrat Contributions¶
Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green is currently the only Democrat in the governor’s race who’s held an elected office.¶
Monday’s filing was her campaign’s first, and she reported $125,014 in contributions, well ahead of her nearest opponent, musician Adam “Ditch” Kurts, who reported $9,502.¶
Green told supporters in a post on social media that her contributions have included donations from almost every county in the state.¶
“Because of YOU, we added 7 new counties to our list of supporters. That makes 83 counties across Tennessee that folks have donated from to help us flip Tennessee blue. We're just 1 city away from 200 towns who've donated, and just 12 counties away from turning the whole map green,” wrote Green.¶
Tennessee Democrats have struggled to field well-funded candidates in state races in recent years, with the exception of 2018, when former Governor Phil Bredesen and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean unsuccessfully ran for the open U.S. Senate and Governor’s seats.¶
In that election, Dean reported just over $1.2 million in contributions on his first campaign filing.¶
