Jerri Green

Jerri Green, a Memphis native, is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee Governor in 2026. She earned her B.A. from the University of Tennessee and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Her career includes serving as a public defender in D.C., practicing international human rights law, leading a nonprofit, teaching at the University of Phoenix, and becoming Shelby County's Interim Chief Public Defender in 2026. Green, a mother of three, campaigns as "One Tough Mother" who puts families over billionaires, contrasting herself as a local officeholder and public defender, not a traditional politician. She acknowledges the challenge of being a Democrat in Tennessee and runs in the August 6th primary.