Marsha Blackburn

Marsha Blackburn is a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, serving since January 2019, and the first woman elected to that office from the state. She previously served 16 years in the U.S. House and four years in the Tennessee State Senate. A staunchly conservative Tea Party Republican and ally of President Donald Trump, she chaired the RNC's official party platform in 2024. Blackburn announced her run for Governor of Tennessee in 2026 on August 6, 2025, seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. If elected, she would become Tennessee's first female governor and its oldest at age 74. She is a frontrunner in the Republican primary, emphasizing her conservative credentials and aiming to bring a "conservative revolution" to the state. Her campaign has seen significant fundraising success.