Candidate · November 3, 2026
Marsha Blackburn
On the ballot for Governor · Tennessee
- issues with public statements
- 16
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | Governor · Tennessee1, |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Republican1 |
| Status | Open seat — Currently serves in the U.S. Senate from Tennessee.3 |
| Also on the ballot |
|
§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Marsha Blackburn grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, and graduated from Mississippi State University, which she attended on a 4-H scholarship.4 Early in her career she sold educational books door to door for the Southwestern Company.4 She became executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission in 1995 and was elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 1998.4 She later represented Middle and West Tennessee in Congress, and in 2018 she became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee.4
Why they say they're running
Her campaign website says that as President Trump returns power to the states, Tennessee needs a strong conservative governor to guard the state's conservative values and keep it leading the nation.4,
Service in Congress since 2023
Websites and accounts
- Official websiteblackburn.senate.gov3
- X (Twitter)x.com/MarshaBlackburn6
- Facebookfacebook.com/marshablackburn6
- YouTubeyoutube.com/RepMarshaBlackburn6
- Instagraminstagram.com/marshablackburn6
- Campaign websitemarshablackburn.com7,
8 - Facebookfacebook.com/votemarshablackburn8
- X (Twitter)x.com/votemarsha8
- Instagraminstagram.com/votemarsha8
- YouTubeyoutube.com/@votemarshablackburn8
- Othertruthsocial.com/@VoteMarshaBlackburn8
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Taxes and Budget
Her campaign website says that as a state senator she led the fight against a proposed state income tax, and that as governor she will continue low-tax, pro-growth policies.9,
Agriculture and Rural Life
Her campaign website says Tennessee should enact a complete ban on China owning any type of land in the state.13
- Ban farmland purchases by all foreign buyers
- Ban purchases by buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
- Require more reporting and national security reviews of purchases, but no outright bans
- Keep current reporting rules, with no new limits on foreign buyers
Education
Her campaign website says students born male should not use girls' locker rooms or play on girls' sports teams, and that as governor she will make sure girls' sports are protected.14
- Require teams based on sex at birth
- Let each state decide
- Let schools or sports organizations set rules case by case
- Teams based on gender identity
Her campaign website says she supports school choice, would work to give every child access to an education that fits their needs regardless of family income or ZIP code, and would fully carry out Tennessee's new school choice law.15
- Make them available to every family
- Offer them only to some students, such as those from low-income families or with disabilities
- No public money for private school or homeschooling costs
Her campaign website says she would stop what it calls woke, anti-American curriculum in Tennessee schools and that children should never be taught to oppose one another based on race or gender.16
Immigration
Her campaign website says she supports President Trump's mass deportations and would make sure the state works with the federal government to carry them out.4,
- Abolish ICE and move any remaining enforcement work to other agencies
- Deport only people convicted of serious crimes or who threaten national security
- Focus on people with criminal records and recent border crossers
- Deport as many people here without legal permission as possible, with or without criminal records
Her campaign website says she will make sure sanctuary cities never have a home in Tennessee and will push to penalize elected officials who refuse to follow federal law.17
- Require full cooperation, with penalties for places that limit it
- Let each state, county or city decide
- Cooperate only in cases involving people convicted of serious crimes
- Bar police and jails from helping without a judge's warrant
Her campaign website says she has long supported President Trump's effort to build the border wall.17
Courts, Rights and Civil Liberties
Her campaign website says Tennessee colleges and universities must follow President Trump's executive orders barring them from using federal money for DEI programs.18
Technology, Privacy and AI
Her campaign website says the state should give parents tools to protect children online and require independent audits of whether social media platforms address risks to kids, and she proposes banning student cell phones for the entire school day.19,
Her campaign website says that as governor she is committed to closing the digital divide by bringing broadband to rural communities.21
Crime, Policing and Prisons
Her campaign website says she supported Tennessee legislation making people convicted of child rape eligible for the death penalty.19
- Use it more often or for more crimes (for example, child rape or drug trafficking)
- Keep it as current law allows
- Pause executions (a moratorium)
- Abolish it
Her campaign website says she will stand up to those who try to defund the police and will always back law enforcement.22
Abortion and Reproductive Health
Her campaign website says she is 100 percent pro-life and that as governor she will always be a voice for the voiceless.23
Economy, Jobs and Trade
Her campaign website says she supports cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, opposes central bank digital currencies, and believes Tennessee can become a world capital for cryptocurrency.24
§4Popular bills that never got a vote
Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.
While Marsha Blackburn served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. Marsha Blackburn sponsored or cosponsored 27 of the 50. How bills die without a vote.
See all 50
- Requires sanctions and tariffs if Russia refuses peace talks with Ukraine or invades again (S. 1241, 119th Congress · 84 cosponsors)25Cosponsored
- Lets combat-disabled military retirees receive full retired pay and disability pay (S. 1032, 119th Congress · 80 cosponsors)26Cosponsored
- Lets combat-disabled veterans with under 20 years' service get full retirement pay (S. 344, 118th Congress · 74 cosponsors)27Cosponsored
- Sets prior authorization standards for Medicare Advantage plans (S. 1816, 119th Congress · 71 cosponsors)28Cosponsored
- Gives new-car dealers more time to restock inventory under a tax accounting method (S. 443, 118th Congress · 63 cosponsors)29Cosponsored
- Requires AM radio as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles (S. 1669, 118th Congress · 62 cosponsors)30Cosponsored
- Sets electronic prior-approval and reporting rules for Medicare Advantage plans (S. 4532, 118th Congress · 59 cosponsors)31Cosponsored
- Bans connected vehicles and parts tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea (S. 4429, 119th Congress · 57 cosponsors)32Cosponsored
- Sets criminal penalties for charging unauthorized fees to help with VA benefit claims (S. 740, 118th Congress · 55 cosponsors)33Cosponsored
- Bars insurance discrimination against living organ donors and clarifies their leave rights (S. 1552, 119th Congress · 50 cosponsors)34Cosponsored
- Limits VA cuts to payment rates for ambulances and other special transportation (S. 2757, 118th Congress · 49 cosponsors)35Cosponsored
- Adds military spouses to the groups covered by the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (S. 596, 118th Congress · 49 cosponsors)36Cosponsored
- Lowers U.S. taxes on Taiwan residents if Taiwan gives Americans similar treatment (S. 199, 119th Congress · 48 cosponsors)37Cosponsored
- Bars insurer bias against living organ donors; counts recovery for job-protected leave (S. 1384, 118th Congress · 43 cosponsors)38Cosponsored
- Expands and revises the low-income housing tax credit for affordable rentals (S. 1515, 119th Congress · 41 cosponsors)39Cosponsored
- Expands tax breaks and federal support for employee ownership of S corporations (S. 2515, 118th Congress · 40 cosponsors)40Cosponsored
- Expands and extends the military's authority to counter drone threats through 2030 (S. 1793, 119th Congress · 39 cosponsors)41Cosponsored
- Lowers Medicare drug plan costs and limits for non-opioid pain medicines (S. 475, 119th Congress · 36 cosponsors)42Cosponsored
- Expands and renames the low-income housing tax credit (S. 1557, 118th Congress · 34 cosponsors)43Cosponsored
- Adds permanent Medicare coverage of pharmacist testing and treatment for common infections (S. 2426, 119th Congress · 33 cosponsors)44Cosponsored
- Expands tax deferral and federal support for employee ownership of S corporations (S. 2461, 119th Congress · 33 cosponsors)45Cosponsored
- Adds a presentation on VA benefits to military transition counseling (S. 3938, 119th Congress · 32 cosponsors)46Cosponsored
- Expands U.S.-Israel military cooperation on counter-drone and emerging technology (S. 554, 119th Congress · 32 cosponsors)47Cosponsored
- Funds SNAP food assistance benefits during a lapse in fiscal 2026 Agriculture funding (S. 3024, 119th Congress · 31 cosponsors)48Cosponsored
- Expands and extends federal and local authority to detect and stop threatening drones (S. 1631, 118th Congress · 30 cosponsors)49Cosponsored
- Makes the federal adoption tax credit refundable (S. 2895, 118th Congress · 30 cosponsors)50Cosponsored
- Expands tech company reporting duties and victim remedies for online child sexual abuse (S. 1829, 119th Congress · 29 cosponsors)51Cosponsored
- Permanently expands Medicare coverage of telehealth services (S. 1261, 119th Congress · 73 cosponsors)52Did not cosponsor
- Renews the repair-backlog fund for national parks and other public lands (S. 1547, 119th Congress · 70 cosponsors)53Did not cosponsor
- Adds Medicare coverage of tests that screen for many types of cancer, starting in 2028 (S. 339, 119th Congress · 68 cosponsors)54Did not cosponsor
- Permanently expands Medicare coverage of telehealth services (S. 2016, 118th Congress · 65 cosponsors)55Did not cosponsor
- Allows Medicare to cover FDA-approved tests that screen for many types of cancer (S. 2085, 118th Congress · 64 cosponsors)56Did not cosponsor
- Lets surviving military and veteran spouses who remarry keep certain benefits (S. 410, 119th Congress · 61 cosponsors)57Did not cosponsor
- Adds Medicare coverage of early Alzheimer's screening tests starting in 2028 (S. 3267, 119th Congress · 57 cosponsors)58Did not cosponsor
- Requires health plans to cover birth defect care for the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth or jaw (S. 1677, 119th Congress · 54 cosponsors)59Did not cosponsor
- Expands federal support for community development lenders, including Native lenders (S. 3940, 119th Congress · 53 cosponsors)60Did not cosponsor
- Requires employer health plans to offer exceptions to step therapy drug rules (S. 2903, 119th Congress · 52 cosponsors)61Did not cosponsor
- Requires health plans to offer exceptions to step-therapy drug rules (S. 652, 118th Congress · 48 cosponsors)62Did not cosponsor
- Raises the railroad track maintenance tax credit and updates which track qualifies (S. 1532, 119th Congress · 48 cosponsors)63Did not cosponsor
- Has education civil rights officials consider a specific definition of antisemitism (S. 558, 119th Congress · 47 cosponsors)64Did not cosponsor
- Restores immediate tax deductions for research costs and expands startup research credits (S. 866, 118th Congress · 43 cosponsors)65Did not cosponsor
- Authorizes stillbirth research, data collection and public education programs (S. 2647, 118th Congress · 41 cosponsors)66Did not cosponsor
- Funds state stillbirth data collection and federal stillbirth guidelines (S. 2858, 119th Congress · 41 cosponsors)67Did not cosponsor
- Lets surviving military and veteran spouses who remarry keep certain benefits (S. 1266, 118th Congress · 40 cosponsors)68Did not cosponsor
- Adds military spouses to the tax credit for hiring workers from targeted groups (S. 1027, 119th Congress · 39 cosponsors)69Did not cosponsor
- Creates a White House coordinator and task force to counter antisemitism (S. 4091, 118th Congress · 38 cosponsors)70Did not cosponsor
- Funds two federal diabetes programs, including one for Native Americans, through 2027 (S. 2211, 119th Congress · 34 cosponsors)71Did not cosponsor
- Creates a federal data system on college students' enrollment, costs and outcomes (S. 1349, 118th Congress · 31 cosponsors)72Did not cosponsor
- Sets federal criminal penalties for illicit use of xylazine, an animal sedative (S. 993, 118th Congress · 30 cosponsors)73Did not cosponsor
- Adds Medicare payment for pharmacist testing and treatment of flu, COVID-19 and more (S. 2477, 118th Congress · 29 cosponsors)74Did not cosponsor
§5Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left.
Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Online campaign finance records search — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.75
§6Financial disclosures
Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.
Senate candidates and senators file with the Senate's own disclosure system, which asks each visitor to agree to its terms before searching, so we can't link straight to a filing. You can search for Marsha Blackburn at efdsearch.senate.gov76.