Shining a light on education & government in TennesseeShining a light on education & government in TennesseeEvery declared candidate for Tennessee Governor in 2026 — who they are, what they've raised, and where they stand on education.
| Candidate | Party | Raised | Ed. Freedom Scholarship | School Choice | Charters | Teacher Pay | TISA Funding | Workforce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marsha Blackburn | R | $9.51M | Supports | Supports | Supports | No Position | No Position | Supports |
Republican Primary · August 6, 2026
The Republican primary is widely considered the decisive contest in this deep-red state. Three major candidates bring distinct backgrounds: a sitting U.S. Senator, a congressman with deep agricultural roots, and a state legislator who broke with his party on school vouchers.
U.S. Senator
Close ally of President Trump with statewide name recognition from two Senate elections. Would be Tennessee's first female governor. Campaign raised $6.73M since announcing in August 2025 across nearly 48,000 contributions, plus a separate Team Tennessee PAC has raised $3.2M to support her bid.
State Representative, District 32
Anti-establishment Army veteran and Y-12 nuclear complex manager. One of roughly 20 House Republicans to vote against the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.
U.S. Representative, TN-6
Family farmer, IT businessman, and former Commissioner of Agriculture. Self-funded $5M of his campaign and has run TV ads statewide. Q1 2026 fundraising fell to roughly $150K, far behind Blackburn's $1.23M Q1 haul.
The Signal·The Beam·Friday Flicker
Democratic Primary · August 6, 2026
Democrats face an uphill battle in Tennessee but offer the clearest contrasts on education policy. Both major candidates oppose the Education Freedom Scholarships program and advocate for increased public school funding, a position shared by a majority of Tennessee teachers but at odds with the Republican-led legislature.
Memphis community advocate
Memphis community advocate, museum president, and 2022 Democratic gubernatorial candidate (third place). Also ran for Memphis mayor in 2023. Career spans healthcare and higher-ed administration; currently leads the African American International Museum Foundation.
Home repair business owner
"Tennessee Tim" runs a home repair business in Gallatin. Previously ran for Illinois House District 109 in 2010 and the 2022 Tennessee gubernatorial primary. No campaign website or media coverage in the 2026 cycle.
Memphis City Councilor, District 2
Georgetown Law grad, former public defender, three-time gun violence survivor. The only Democrat with current elected office and a statewide campaign operation. Endorsed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and the Tennessee Education Association.
Nashville musician & activist
Nashville pedal steel guitarist who launched his campaign at The 5 Spot in East Nashville in May 2025 with the slogan "By the people, for the people, I'm a people." Running a grassroots small-donor-only campaign that explicitly rejects corporate money.
Democratic candidate
Filed on the deadline day to enter the Democratic primary. Polled at 11% in the Targoz Market Research April 20–27, 2026 Democratic primary survey, behind Jerri Green's 14% but ahead of the rest of the Democratic field.
The Signal·The Beam·Friday Flicker
Independent · General Election · November 3, 2026
Independent candidates have filed for the governor's race. Tennessee's political landscape makes independent campaigns historically difficult, but these candidates add diversity to the field. None have released detailed education platforms as of the last update.
Businessman, financial education & emerging technology
Pakistani-American businessman who moved to the U.S. as a teenager in 1997 and has worked across retail, banking, and emerging technologies. Platform centers on a proposed "Tennessee Dividend Fund," workforce skills mandates in K-12, and reducing regulatory burden. Website: misamforgovernor.com.
Independent candidate
Knoxville resident who filed on the qualifying deadline to appear on the November general ballot. No detailed public platform available.
Independent candidate
One of the earliest filers in the 2026 race. No detailed public campaign platform available.
Businessman
East Tennessee businessman who filed on the qualifying deadline. No detailed public campaign platform available.
Independent candidate
Clarksville resident running as an independent. No detailed public campaign platform available.
Independent candidate
Knoxville resident running as an independent. Sometimes listed as Charles Morgan. No detailed public campaign platform available.
Independent candidate
Spring Hill resident running as an independent. No detailed public campaign platform available.
Former Lipscomb University professor
Former Lipscomb University professor and Putnam-area math tutor who built a tutoring operation serving hundreds of Tennessee students at no charge. Endorsed by the Forward Party.
Tennessee Firefly tracks all candidates who have filed qualifying petitions with the Tennessee Secretary of State. We categorize candidates as “major” or “minor” based on fundraising, polling presence, and media coverage.
Education stances are sourced from official campaign websites, debate transcripts, legislative voting records, and on-the-record statements. We reach out to every campaign for comment.
Fundraising figures come from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance (TREF). We update numbers after each filing deadline and note when personal loans are included in totals.
If you believe any information is inaccurate or out of date, please contact our corrections desk. We take accuracy seriously and correct errors promptly.
About this tracker
This tracker is produced by The Tennessee Firefly, an independent, nonpartisan news outlet covering education and government in Tennessee. We don't endorse candidates. We don't take political ads. We follow the money, the policy, and the people who shape your kids' schools. All data comes from official filings, verified reporting, and on-the-record sources, with freshness timestamps visible on every page that surfaces live data.
| Monty Fritts | R | $274K | Opposes | Opposes | No Position | No Position | No Position | No Position | → |
| John Rose | R | $10.86M | Supports | Supports | Supports | Supports | Supports | Supports | → |
| Carnita Atwater | D | $0 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | → |
| Tim Cyr | D | $40 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | → |
| Jerri Green | D | $703K | Opposes | Opposes | No Position | Supports | Supports | Supports | → |
| Adam "Ditch" Kurtz | D | $14K | Opposes | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | → |
| Kevin Lee McCants | D | $0 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | → |
The Signal·The Beam·Friday Flicker