Sen. Marsha Blackburn wins Republican primary for Tennessee governor
Sen. Marsha Blackburn had faced two primary challengers, including Rep. John Rose.
Senator Marsha Blackburn emerged victorious in the Republican primary for Tennessee's gubernatorial race on Thursday, according to early projections from The Associated Press. The former Senator secured 43.8% of the votes compared to Rep. John Rose, who garnered 32.6%. Rose, the first candidate to enter the race, ultimately fell short despite pumping $13 million of his own funds into the campaign, with an additional $4.5 million in the final weeks.
Blackburn, on the other hand, amassed a total of $10.8 million in campaign contributions. Despite President Trump not endorsing in this particular race, Blackburn emphasized her alignment with his conservative stance in her announcement video. Both Blackburn and Rose presented themselves as the most conservative contenders, while Rep. Monty Fritts also joined the race, attempting to distance himself from Blackburn by highlighting her vote to certify the 2020 election results.
The race is particularly significant as Democrats have not won a statewide race in Tennessee since 2006, and incumbent Republican Governor Bill Lee is barred from running due to term limits.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.
