Tennessee is holding primary elections that will determine nominees for several significant offices. In the Republican gubernatorial primary, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, four-term U.S. Rep. John Rose, and state Rep. Monty Fritts are competing to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. Blackburn launched her campaign in August 2025, while Rose began his bid in March 2025 and has loaned his campaign approximately $13 million since mid-June. According to available data, Blackburn has outraised Rose in campaign contributions and has backing from an outside group that has spent roughly $5.1 million supporting her and opposing Rose. President Donald Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the gubernatorial primary, though he supported both Blackburn and Rose in their previous campaigns. The Democratic primary for governor includes five candidates, with Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green among them.
Memphis voting patterns have shifted significantly following new congressional boundaries enacted by state Republican lawmakers in May. The redrawn map splits the heavily Democratic city into three Republican-dominated districts. Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represented the current Memphis-based 9th District for 20 years, ended his reelection bid after the redistricting. The new 9th District will support Trump-backed candidates, with presidential voting data showing Trump received approximately 60% of the vote in 2024, compared with approximately 71% for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the current district.
In the new 9th District races, state Rep. Justin Pearson is among three Democrats running, alongside state Sen. London Lamar and Jim Torino. Four Republicans are competing for the nomination, with state Sen. Brent Taylor outraising his opponents combined and holding Trump’s endorsement. Separately, U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty is the only candidate on the Republican primary ballot for his Senate seat, while five Democrats are running to challenge him in the general election.
Approximately 4.7 million voters were registered in Tennessee as of June 1. Early voting and mail-in balloting have accounted for substantial portions of primary votes in recent cycles, with approximately 397,000 Republican and 225,000 Democratic primary ballots already cast as of Saturday. All polls will close at 8 p.m. ET, with both chambers of the state legislature also holding elections for the majority of available seats.
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