Image Credit: @MarshaBlackburn / X, @GovBillLee / X, @RustyCroweTN / X & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Tennesseans are just under a year away from selecting their candidate for governor in a 2026 primary election.
Currently, U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-District 6) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are the only Republican candidates to announce their gubernatorial bids.
According to Ballotpedia, an individual by the name of Cito Pellegra is also on the Republican ticket. However, there does not appear to be any information about the campaign available at this time.
Right now, Sen. Blackburn is leading in the polls.
Just last week Governor Bill Lee (R-TN), who is serving his second and last term, publicly stated that he has not and will not be endorsing any candidates in the governor’s race, according to WSMV 4.
“I’ve been friends with Marsha for a long time, and she served as my congressman and representative in the General Assembly,” Gov. Lee said at a groundbreaking ceremony for Barrett Manufacturing and Technology Campus in Murfreesboro. “I’m proud we have really good people running for governor in this state.”
Another development in the race for governor includes Sen. Blackburn obtaining an endorsement from state lawmaker Sen. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City-District 3).
On Thursday, Sen. Blackburn posted Sen. Crowe’s endorsement to her social media saying, “Grateful to have State Senator Rusty Crowe on our team!”
“I served with Marsha for many years in the Tennessee Senate,” Sen. Crowe states in his endorsement. “Together, we stopped our great state from having an unconstitutional income tax. Marsha is like a Tennessee snapping turtle; when she latches on to an issue important to the people she serves, she just doesn’t let go. She is a true conservative and ready to ensure our state is America’s conservative leader.”
The primary election for governor will be held on Thursday, August 6th, 2026 and the general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
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Pharma Payments to Blackburn
Marsha Blackburn has received significant campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies and health product PACs throughout her political career. Between 2017 and 2022, she received $215,500 from pharma and other health product PACs.
Over the course of her entire congressional career, she has collected nearly $800,000 in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry.
Specifically, she received $46,500 from the three major opioid distributors—McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen—and during her Senate campaign, she took in $17,500 from Cardinal Health and $15,000 from McKesson.