Misam Abidi
Misam Abidi (independent) is running for election for Governor of Tennessee. Abidi declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 3, 2026.[source]
Abidi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on August 6, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for Governor of Tennessee
The following candidates are running in the general election for Governor of Tennessee on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Misam Abidi (Independent)  | |
| Santiago Asconape (Independent) | ||
| Dean Brewer (Independent) | ||
| Ray Brown (Independent) | ||
| Taylor Hafley (Independent) | ||
| David Hatley (Independent) | ||
| Wendell Jackson (Independent) | ||
 | Stephen Maxwell (Independent) | |
 | Charles Morgan (Independent) | |
| Eddie Lee Murphy (Independent) | ||
| Lauren Pinkston (Independent) | ||
| Manasa Reddy (Independent) | ||
| Victor Scoggin (Independent) | ||
| Dave Seeman (Independent) | ||
| Karl Smithson (Independent) | ||
| L. Webb Taylor (Independent) | ||
| Robert Vick (Independent) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee
The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 6, 2026.
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 6, 2026.
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Misam Abidi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abidi's responses.
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Growing up between two very different worlds gave me a simple but powerful realization. One place had deep human connection but limited opportunity. The other had incredible opportunity, but many people were stressed, overworked, and struggling to keep up.
That contrast stayed with me.
In America, I worked my way through real life — not theory. I worked entry-level jobs, drove taxis, worked in retail, technology, and banking, and eventually started businesses in financial education and emerging technologies. I have lived the same pressures that many Tennesseans quietly carry every day — trying to build something stable in a system that often feels confusing and overwhelming.
And through all of it, one belief became clear:
Government should not make life harder. Government should make it easier for people to move forward and create an environment for its citizens to become healthy, wealthy and prosperous.
I am running for governor because I believe Tennessee can become a place where people are not just surviving — but truly thriving.
A place where hard work actually leads somewhere. Where families feel stable and cared for. Where opportunity is real. Where common sense wins again.
A strong state is a byproduct not the product. The product is a strong citizen. My goal is simple — help Tennesseans rise.
Learn more www.misamforgovernor.com- Economic opportunity is the foundation of a healthy society. Tennessee has the opportunity to lead the next generation economy built on emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and financial innovation. My campaign supports clear pro-innovation policies that attract new industries, create jobs, and strengthen long-term economic growth. I also support initiatives like the Tennessee Dividend Fund, which would focus on building long-term financial assets that help expand opportunity for citizens while reducing long-term tax pressure. Learn more www.misamforgovernor.com
- Every young person deserves a real chance to stand on their own. Right now, too many students leave school without the tools they actually need for life. A diploma alone is not enough. Every student should graduate with at least one real, usable skill — something they can fall back on no matter what happens. If life goes according to plan, that’s great. But if it doesn’t, they should still be able to stand back up. Skills create confidence. Skills create independence. Skills destroy poverty. This is not complicated. It is common sense. Why do we not teach about how credit works before they need credit repair? We owe our kids a system that prepares them for real life — not just the classroom. Learn more. www.misamforgovernor.com
- People need to feel like the system is fair again. Government should protect people — not overwhelm them. That means fair justice, real due process, affordable healthcare, and solutions to addiction that actually help people rebuild their lives instead of trapping them in cycles. Right now, too many systems feel complicated, expensive, and disconnected from real people. We can fix that. When you focus on the human being — their health, their stability, their future — everything else begins to improve. Stronger people create stronger families. Stronger families create stronger communities. And that is how you build a stronger Tennessee. www.misamforgovernor.com
It is a simple idea: government should be designed around helping people grow, not around expanding systems or complexity.
When policy is built with the individual in mind, everything aligns.
Economic policy should help people build real wealth, not just earn income.
Education should give young people real skills they can rely on.
Healthcare should bring peace of mind, not financial stress.
Justice should feel fair and balanced.
Recovery should help people truly rebuild their lives. Innovation should open new doors of opportunity and wealth.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE CAN BUILD TOGETHERwww.misamforgovernor.com
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Governor of Tennessee |
Footnotes
