When Bill Lee first ran for Tennessee governor in 2018, he toured the state for parts of two years and had a story to tell.
He’d run a business, lost a wife, was a farmer, had deeply religious values and had been deeply affected by working with men in prison. They were experiences that affected his life and would influence his two terms as governor.
Although it was the state’s worst-kept secret, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced her candidacy for governor in 2026 through a video on Wednesday. But the video mentioned President Donald Trump first and included numerous shots of her with him.
“Trump is back,” she said. “America is blessed, and Tennessee is better than ever. I’m Marsha Blackburn. Here in the Volunteer State, we always lead the way, and that’s why I am announcing my candidacy for governor.”
Blackburn went on to talk about making the state the country’s “powerhouse” for creating jobs and producing energy and said she would emphasize parents’ rights to improve education, honor the Constitution, value life, “define our boys and girls the way God made them,” and deport those who are in the country illegally.