Shining a light on education & government in TennesseeShining a light on education & government in TennesseeHow much each candidate has raised, spent, and has on hand, sourced from official filings.
Total funds raised by each candidate.
Source: Tennessee Registry of Election Finance | Last updated: 2026-05-05
| Candidate | Party | Total Raised | Personal Loans | Total Spent | Cash on Hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Rose | R | $1,456,044 | $5,000,000 | $412,727.06 | $4,449,763.19 |
| Marsha Blackburn | R | $1,235,922.67 | $0 | $722,339.91 | $4,387,909.27 |
| Lauren Pinkston | I | $68,705.73 | $0 | $65,626.5 | $21,666.24 |
| Robert Vick | I | $4,575.2 | $0 | $4,871.87 | $714.62 |
| HATLEY, DAVID E. | unknown | $1,600 | $0 | $31,465.21 | $1,970,134.79 |
| Adam 'Ditch' Kurtz | D | $1,547 | $0 | $2,566.52 | $3,647.53 |
| Victor Scoggin | R | $780.67 | $0 | $780.67 | $0 |
| Monty Fritts | R | $0 | $15,000 | $74,534.09 | $73,118.86 |
| ABIDI, MISAM | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $143.61 |
| BROWN, RAY | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SMITHSON, KARL KNOX | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Carnita Atwater | D | $0 | $0 | $0 | $100 |
| Cito Pellegra | R | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Brandee DeRosier | D | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| BREWER, DEAN | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SEEMAN, DAVID | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $190 |
| Eddie Murphy | I | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| MCCANTS, KEVIN LEE | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Stephen Maxwell | I | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| MORGAN, CHARLES "VAN" | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $30 |
| JACKSON, WENDELL | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tim Cyr | D | $0 | $0 | $0 | $40 |
| WEBB TAYLOR, LARITA | unknown | $0 | $0 | $0 | $18.07 |
Contribution counts and in-state donor percentages.
The financial picture of this race tells two stories. In the Republican primary, Blackburn's $5.5M in pure donor contributions dwarfs Rose's $1.46M from donors (77% of his $6.46M war chest is a personal loan). Fritts is running on fumes at $147K with a principled refusal of PAC money. The Republican primary will be decided by whether Blackburn's national fundraising machine can outgun Rose's self-funded TV blitz.
The Democrat-Republican gap is even more stark. Green's $125K is roughly 42 times less than Blackburn's haul and 51 times less than Rose's war chest. The last competitive Democratic governor candidate, Karl Dean, reported $1.2M on his first filing in 2018 — Green's at roughly 10% of that benchmark. For the general election to be competitive, Democrats need a dramatic fundraising acceleration that Tennessee hasn't seen in a decade.
The most telling metric may be donor geography. Rose's 92% in-state donor base suggests genuine Tennessee grassroots support. Blackburn's 22% in-state rate reflects her national profile — an advantage in fundraising but potentially a vulnerability if opponents frame her as Washington's candidate rather than Tennessee's.
Total Raised includes all contributions received by the campaign committee, including personal loans from the candidate. Personal loans are broken out separately because they can be repaid from future contributions.
Cash on Hand is the amount remaining after spending. This is the most telling indicator of a campaign's current strength, and it shows how much firepower they have for the months ahead.
In-State vs. Out-of-State donor percentages reveal whether a candidate's support is homegrown or driven by national interest groups. Higher in-state percentages generally indicate stronger grassroots support.
All figures come from the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance (TREF). Campaigns file quarterly, with additional pre-election reports required. We update this page after each filing deadline.
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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. Last updated March 17, 2026.