U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, will serve a second term representing Tennessee in the U.S. Senate, after The Associated Press called the race Tuesday night.
Blackburn defeated state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, at the polls. Throughout the race, Blackburn did not publicly mention her opponent by name and would not agree to join her on the debate stage. At campaign events and in press interviews, Johnson attacked Blackburn’s conservative voting record and pushed for a debate.
(READ MORE: State Rep. Gloria Johnson visits Chattanooga in final weeks of Senate race)
Blackburn raised nearly $12 million and spent about $10.5 million, according to the Federal Election Commission database. Johnson raised about $7.3 million and had spent $5.7 million as of the most recent reports. The position pays a salary of $174,000.
On social media Tuesday night, Johnson thanked Tennessee.
“Our journey does not stop here. Our fight for a better Tennessee continues,” she wrote. “Together, I know we’ll continue to fight for this state we call home.”
ABOUT BLACKBURN
Blackburn, 72, became a U.S. senator in 2018 when she beat Democrat and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in the general election, succeeding former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Chattanooga. She spent the bulk of her political career in the Tennessee General Assembly, as both a state representative and a state senator.
She grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, and graduated from Mississippi State University, according to her campaign website. She and her husband, Chuck, have two children and four grandchildren, the website says.
Blackburn touts her endorsement from former President Donald Trump and is known for her work to protect children from dangerous online content, her strict foreign policy stances — particularly with China — and her push to crack down on illegal immigration and enhance border security.
On Monday, Blackburn visited Chattanooga for a “get out the vote breakfast” at Wally’s Restaurant. She urged the sea of GOP supporters to vote for Trump, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, and members of the state legislature who are up for reelection, along with Republican Michele Reneau who is running for the Tennessee House District 27 seat. Attendees chanted “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha” between bites of pancake and sausage.
Blackburn said Republicans believe in a small government and said she and Fleischmann are working on getting inflation under control and securing the southern border.
She told reporters that she would reduce federal government spending and make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. She also said she would accept the results of the presidential election, no matter who wins.
Blackburn told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that inflation, the economy and the southern border are the main issues for Tennesseans. She also said she hears a lot about America’s place in the world, referring to Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as “the axis of evil.” Blackburn also said she hears a lot about keeping men out of women’s sports.
“We want to make certain our allies know they’re an ally and our enemies fear us,” Blackburn said, “and with Donald Trump, we will do that.”
Blackburn told the Times Free Press that if reelected she will continue to work on issues regarding the Chinese Communist Party. She said soft propaganda in the Confuscious Institute and sister city programs are factors weakening American society and said social media, particularly TikTok, is a platform China uses to spy on Americans.
Blackburn will begin her second term in the first week of January when the 119th U.S. Congress convenes.
GLORIA JOHNSON
Johnson, 62, was born in Denver and moved around during her early childhood due to her father’s job in the FBI. In late elementary school, she moved to Knoxville and has lived there for most of her life. Her family is from Tennessee, and she considers herself a Tennessean.
Johnson went to the University of Tennessee and worked in special education for 27 years. She has served four terms in the state house starting with her election in 2012. She lost the seat in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
In a video call Monday with the Times Free Press, Johnson said her motivation to continue running even after losing multiple elections is to keep up the fight against Republicans because she thinks they don’t represent Tennesseans well.
In April 2023, Johnson joined state Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and state Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, in a gun policy protest on the house chamber floor to demand change after six people were killed at a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. The trio became known as the “Tennessee Three,” and Johnson was the only member who was not expelled from the state house after the protest.
Johnson said the main issues for Tennesseans are the economy and the minimum wage in the state, which is the federal rate of $7.25. She said the wage is not enough to survive and also spoke of the state legislature’s vote against expanding Medicaid.
Johnson said bodily autonomy and equal rights for women are at stake and also said that gun violence must be addressed with common sense laws. She noted that the Border Act of 2024, a bipartisan border security bill, did not make it through the U.S. Senate in May.
“Whether it’s border problem, whether it’s a living wage problem,” Johnson said, “Tennesseeans want real solutions from people who care about hard-working families.”
Blackburn will be sworn in for her next term in the first week of January when the 119th U.S. Congress commences.
Staff writer Ellen Gerst contributed to this report.
Contact Sarah Dolgin at sdolgin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6556.