Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026

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← 2022
Governor of Tennessee
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 10, 2026
Primary: August 6, 2026 General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: Varies by county Voting in Tennessee
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Tennessee executive elections
Governor

Tennessee is holding an election for governor on November 3, 2026. The primary is August 6, 2026. The filing deadline is March 10, 2026.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 6 Democratic primary)
• Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 (August 6 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on August 6, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for Governor of Tennessee

Stephen Maxwell and Manasa Reddy are running in the general election for Governor of Tennessee on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Stephen Maxwell (Independent)
	Submit photo	Manasa Reddy (Independent)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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 election

Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee

Carnita Atwater, Tim Cyr, Jerri Green, and Adam Kurtz are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 6, 2026.

		Candidate
		Carnita Atwater
	Submit photo	Tim Cyr
		Jerri Green
		Adam Kurtz

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee

Marsha Blackburn, Monty Fritts, Cito Pellegra, and John Rose are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 6, 2026.

		Candidate
		Marsha Blackburn
		Monty Fritts
	Submit photo	Cito Pellegra
		John Rose

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Stephen Maxwell

Party: Independent

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Stephen C. Maxwell, Write In Candidate for Governor of the State of Tennessee. I have been a Non Profit Lead Director and Founder, Minister, Church Board Member and CFO of same. I am a PTSD U.S. Military Veteran. I am 46 at the time of this writing and desire a Bigger, Better, Faster Tennessee. I want to see Tennessee able to fend for itself without Federal Overreach such as TSA, REALID, 9/11 ACT, Patriot Act and forcing Tennessee to keep Illegal Aliens, Child Predators, uphold Planned Parenthood. I would like to Execute a Year Round Education, Male to Male, Female to Female, with productive Students either skipping grades or Non Testing/Homework Periods of Time. Tennessee should be a giving State, as Farmers Give their Produce, Farmers should have 40% Statewide Stimulus, Teachers their Raises, U.S. Veterans their Housing and not Homeless and Clergy Protected while being Soveriegn Immune. As a U.S. Citizen born in the Highlands of Lowell Massachusetts, I was raised Oneness Pentecostal, attending Church in Hudson NH, while attending School and playing in the Parks on Middlesex Street. Let us give our Children Moral Values, Quality Education and a Brighter Future for the Young and the Old."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Farmers, Teachers, U.S. Veterans and Clergy need more quality in Stimulus as Farmers, Teachers need their Raises, Bonuses and Stipends for Class Supplies, Veterans need Housed, not Homeless, Clergy need protected not verbally assaulted and under false arrest or investigation, caring for the souls of men.

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Healthcare for those 40 and older, 12 and under and for the SSA/VA recipients should not be so sky rocketed that one has to choose food or medicine during the month. Dr Visits, ER Visits, Urgent Care visits should not have to be the price of a Gold Bar, but $50 per visit, without Litigation form Hospitals, costs capped at $5000 per stay and those on Medicines should never have to pay more than $3 per Rx.

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Tennessee should be only for the United States Citizens either born here in Tennessee or these United States, Illegal Aliens are going to have to leave without Drivers' License, Renting or Owning a Home, Not able to Work in Tennessee, not able to obtain Small Business License or having it revoked, not being able to own property. Also those who are Sex Offenders, Weapons Offenders, Drug Offenders after 2 or more convictions, and those part of the LGBTQAI++ are leaving the State of Tennessee until I am out of office.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Farmers, Teachers, U.S. Veterans and Clergy need more quality in Stimulus as Farmers, Teachers need their Raises, Bonuses and Stipends for Class Supplies, Veterans need Housed, not Homeless, Clergy need protected not verbally assaulted and under false arrest or investigation, caring for the souls of men.

Healthcare for those 40 and older, 12 and under and for the SSA/VA recipients should not be so sky rocketed that one has to choose food or medicine during the month. Dr Visits, ER Visits, Urgent Care visits should not have to be the price of a Gold Bar, but $50 per visit, without Litigation form Hospitals, costs capped at $5000 per stay and those on Medicines should never have to pay more than $3 per Rx.

Tennessee should be only for the United States Citizens either born here in Tennessee or these United States, Illegal Aliens are going to have to leave without Drivers' License, Renting or Owning a Home, Not able to Work in Tennessee, not able to obtain Small Business License or having it revoked, not being able to own property. Also those who are Sex Offenders, Weapons Offenders, Drug Offenders after 2 or more convictions, and those part of the LGBTQAI++ are leaving the State of Tennessee until I am out of office.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Year Round Separate Sex (male/female) Education while enhancing those with Immaculate Grades, HUD-VA for those Veterans and Families without Housing, HUD-Corrections to acclimate back to Society under Heavy Guard and Chains, Agriculturally Farmers getting their fair share, Teachers getting Raises, Clergy being Protected, Veterans Getting Housed, The Middle Aged/Kindercare for Healthcare Quality, Property/Sales/Wheel Taxes Abolished while Invoking a Consumption (Food/Drink) Tax, State Employment/Advancement Freeze while D.O.G.E. work is applied to save Tennessee and Taxpayers Wasted Dollars.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Reagan. Pres. Reagan knew what to say, when to say it and stuck to his guns when a decision was made.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

No, when someone wants to understand empathy and sympathy, you treat your fellow man such as the Widow/Orphan, the Homeless, the U.S. Veteran, The Clergy and the Stranger of Town like your own family and you find the very best quality and dependancy of Programs that this group of People and their families can recieve help from under the most honest of laws and regulations, with emergencies or the disabled being the exception to the laws and regulations.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Elected Officials answer to the People. Put their Taxes on State Websites and do not have any brick and mortar bank accounts in the City/County/State they represent for moral turpitude purposes. Elected Officials are not loyal to one party or their leader over another, nor over the Taxpayer, but to the Taxpayer.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

I am most efficient in Administrative Duties and love minimal paperwork duties. I love to help people come up from Nothing and Start their gain success on everything they need to be successful. I am a firm believer to answer to the Taxpayer. I am a strict and enforcing type of person. I believe to act as a Arbitrator and hear both sides of the story before I make my decisions in haste.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

The Governor is ready to roll up their sleeves, Terminate the former administration, Pull back any money suspected of Waste, Fraud and Abuse. The Governor is responsible to see that those 40 and older, those on Kindercare and the SSA/VA recipients recieve Quality Healthcare at the Most Efficient/Affordable Prices. The Governor should request some of their Executive Orders to be Legislation in the State Assembly to pass for Laws. The Governor should NEVER SIGN the State Budget without the Consent of the Governed at the very least of 90 out of 95 counties saying aye, then signing such into Law.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Someone cared enough to hear out the Citizen rather than be a Yes Man for every Politician known to Tennessee.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Reagan became President, (Movie Star)

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Newspaper Boy, More than 12 months.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Scriptural Teachings of the Pilgrim Days in my Home State of Massachusetts.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Bruce Wayne

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

No more the Code, Song I wrote concerning the Welfare of Minor Children around Unknown Predators in the family

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Learning Disability

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Financial Transparency, Tax Abolishment/Deferment/ Healthcare Quality, Stimulus Actions, Building/Preserving Toll Booths for Infrastructure/Bridges Appropriations, Safety/Security of Citizens through Non-Corrupt Law Enforcement Agents. Abolishing Federal Overreach.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Before the Governor signs the Budget, Counites should be cut off with a -0- placed in their column for 2 years and any extra appropriations ought to be put in Farmers, Teachers, Clergy and U.S. Veteran Coffers for Stimulus Checks and under no circumstances should the official signature be applied without 90/95 counties in Tennessee voting AYE. Its the Taxpayers Money, It should be the Taxpayers Permission for the Budget while the Budget is placed on the State of Tennessee Website in Laymen Terms for 48 hours for all to see where their money is used for and consideration of their Vote.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

State Budget Appropriations, Taxes and how they are Appropriated, Appropriations for Cabinet and how they are used.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Both should answer to the People and the Taxpayer should have the Main Say. The Governor should be on Good Terms with the State Legislature as long as the Taxpayer has a Say in Votes and Final Passage of Bills.

What do you love most about your state?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Tennessee has beautiful Metropolises, Wonderful and Friendly People and Mountains that take your Breath away.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Education, Healthcare and Quality Care for the Generation X as they age.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Blonde walks into the Library up to the Circulation Desk and says, "Id like Big Mac Fries and a Coke", Librarian then exclaims, "Madam, this is a library", The Blone then in quieter tones said, "Sorry, I'd like Big Mac Fries and a Coke".

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

With permission of the State Legislature, during Inclement Weather (Tornadoes, etc..), Pandemics and Riotous Acts of Felons, Prison Riots

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

None

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Tennessee needs to adopt D.O.G.E. and pull back all funds that are wasted, fraudulent and abused. Departments such as Health and Health and Human Services could be combined. There is too much bureauracracy and not enough answers given to the Citizen Taxpayer. Every elected person should be held accountable placing their Bank Account Statements and Taxes online with private information redacted such as SSN or House Addresses. Tennessee really needs to retire those 55 and older and Terminate those with 3 years or less of service for Essential Program needs.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

Good, The Taxpayer has the final say. I am a great believer that the Taxpayer to the Government.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean to you?

Stephen Maxwell (Independent)

The Governor is responsible for all of The State's Citizens. The Health, Welfare and Society Issues are on the Shoulders of the Executive and through Executive Actions, that responsibility can be delegated by expanding or decreasing the Cabinet. The Governor should be ready to answer to the Taxpayer Citizen(s) at all times.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Tennessee

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026
Race tracker	Race ratings
	11/18/2025	11/11/2025	11/4/2025	10/28/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican	Solid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican	Safe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.

2022

See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Tennessee

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Tennessee on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Lee (R)	64.9	1,129,390
		Jason Martin (D)	32.9	572,818
		John Gentry (Independent)	0.9	15,395
		Constance Every (Independent)	0.6	10,277
		Deborah Rouse (Independent)	0.2	3,772
		Rick Tyler (Independent)	0.1	2,380
		Charles Morgan (Independent)	0.1	1,862
	Submit photo	Basil Marceaux (Independent)	0.1	1,568
	Submit photo	Alfred O'Neil (Independent)	0.1	1,216
		Michael Scantland (Independent)	0.0	815
		Lemichael Wilson (L) (Write-in)	0.0	386
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,739,882
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Hosie Holomon III (Independent)
• Jake Johns (Independent)
• Wendell Jackson (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee

Jason Martin defeated JB Smiley Jr. and Carnita Atwater in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jason Martin	39.4	101,552
		JB Smiley Jr.	38.8	100,062
		Carnita Atwater	21.8	56,227

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 257,841
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Casey Nicholson (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee

Incumbent Bill Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 4, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Lee	100.0	494,362

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 494,362
= 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Tyler Hagerman (R)
• Patricia Anne Morrison (R)
• Curtis Carney (R)

2018

See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Governor of Tennessee

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Tennessee on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Lee (R)	59.6	1,336,106
		Karl Dean (D)	38.6	864,863
	Submit photo	Sherry Clark (Independent)	0.2	5,198
	Submit photo	Mark Wright (Independent)	0.2	4,687
	Submit photo	Patrick Whitlock (Independent)	0.2	3,631
	Submit photo	Yvonne Neubert (Independent)	0.1	3,070
		Heather Scott (Independent)	0.1	2,969
	Submit photo	Mark Brown (Independent)	0.1	2,841
	Submit photo	Joe Wilmoth (Independent)	0.1	2,444
	Submit photo	George Blackwell Smith IV (Independent)	0.1	1,550
	Submit photo	Cory King (Independent)	0.1	1,502
	Submit photo	Tracy Yaste Tisdale (Independent)	0.1	1,396
	Submit photo	Justin Cornett (Independent)	0.1	1,217
		Chad Riden (Independent)	0.0	1,096
	Submit photo	Robert Sawyers Sr. (Independent)	0.0	1,059
		Vinnie Vineyard (Independent)	0.0	1,012
		Rick Tyler (Independent)	0.0	981
		Gabriel Fancher (Independent)	0.0	869
	Submit photo	Sean Fleming (Independent)	0.0	814
	Submit photo	Alfred Rapoza (Independent)	0.0	800
	Submit photo	Jessie McDonald (Independent)	0.0	755
	Submit photo	Toney Mitchell (Independent)	0.0	739
	Submit photo	Mike Toews (Independent)	0.0	726
	Submit photo	Matthew Koch (Independent)	0.0	652
	Submit photo	Jeremy Allen Stephenson (Independent)	0.0	613
	Submit photo	Tommy McAnally (Independent)	0.0	609
	Submit photo	Jaron Weidner (Independent)	0.0	588
	Submit photo	William Helmstetter (Independent)	0.0	496
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	11

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,243,294
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee

Karl Dean defeated Craig Fitzhugh and Mezianne Vale Payne in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karl Dean	75.1	279,324
		Craig Fitzhugh	19.4	72,263
		Mezianne Vale Payne	5.4	20,253

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 371,840
= 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 election

Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 2, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bill Lee	36.7	289,699
		Randy Boyd	24.3	191,940
		Diane Black	23.0	181,719
		Beth Harwell	15.3	120,910
		Kay White	0.4	3,181
	Submit photo	Basil Marceaux	0.2	1,270

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 788,719
= 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.

2014

See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2014

Republican incumbent Bill Haslam won re-election on November 4, 2014.

Governor of Tennessee, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bill Haslam Incumbent	70.3%	951,796
	Democratic	Charles V. "Charlie" Brown	22.8%	309,237
	Independent	John Jay Hooker	2.3%	30,579
	Constitution	Shaun Crowell	2%	26,580
	Green	Isa Infante	1.4%	18,570
	Independent	Steve Coburn	0.6%	8,612
	Independent	Daniel Lewis	0.6%	8,321
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0%	33
Total Votes				1,353,728
Election results via Tennessee Secretary of State

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
• Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
• State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

• Presidential elections
• Statewide elections
• State partisanship
• Demographics

See also: Presidential voting trends in Tennessee and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Tennessee

District	Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
Tennessee's 1st	21.0%	78.0%
Tennessee's 2nd	32.0%	66.0%
Tennessee's 3rd	31.0%	67.0%
Tennessee's 4th	28.0%	71.0%
Tennessee's 5th	40.0%	58.0%
Tennessee's 6th	32.0%	67.0%
Tennessee's 7th	38.0%	60.0%
Tennessee's 8th	29.0%	70.0%
Tennessee's 9th	71.0%	27.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2024 presidential election, 77% of Tennesseans lived in one of the state's 92 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 23% lived in one of 3 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Tennessee was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Tennessee following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Tennessee county-level statistics, 2024
Solid Republican	92	77.0%
Solid Democratic	3	23.0%
Total voted Democratic	3	23.0%
Total voted Republican	92	77.0%

Historical voting trends

Tennessee presidential election results (1900-2024)

• 15 Democratic wins
• 17 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Tennessee

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Tennessee.

U.S. Senate election results in Tennessee

Race	Winner	Runner up
2024	63.8%	34.2%
2020	62.2%	35.2%
2018	54.7%	43.9%
2014	61.9%	31.9%
2012	64.9%	30.4%
Average	61.5	35.1

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Tennessee

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Tennessee.

Gubernatorial election results in Tennessee

Race	Winner	Runner up
2022	64.9%	32.9%
2018	59.6%	38.5%
2014	70.3%	22.8%
2010	65.0%	33.1%
2006	68.6%	29.7%
Average	65.7	31.4

See also: Party control of Tennessee state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Tennessee's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Tennessee
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	1	1
Republican	2	7	9
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	1	1
Total	2	9	11

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Tennessee's top three state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Tennessee, October 2025

Office	Officeholder
Governor	Bill Lee
Secretary of State	Tre Hargett
Attorney General	Jonathan Skrmetti

State legislature

Tennessee State Senate

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	6
	Republican Party	27
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		33

Tennessee House of Representatives

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	24
	Republican Party	75
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		99

Trifecta control

Tennessee Party Control: 1992-2025
Five years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

The table below details demographic data in Tennessee and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Tennessee
	Tennessee	United States
Population	6,910,840	331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)	41,224	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	73.5%	63.4%
Black/African American	15.9%	12.4%
Asian	1.8%	5.8%
Native American	0.2%	0.9%
Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.4%
Other (single race)	2.5%	6.6%
Multiple	6%	10.7%
Hispanic/Latino	7.1%	19%
Education
High school graduation rate	89.6%	89.4%
College graduation rate	30.4%	35%
Income
Median household income	$67,097	$78,538
Persons below poverty level	13.8%	12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Gubernatorial elections in 2026

There are 36 gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Office of the Governor of Tennessee

Footnotes

2026 state executive official elections

Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Lieutenant Governor

Alabama • Alaska • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • U.S. Virgin Islands • Vermont • Wisconsin

Attorney General

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Guam • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • New York • North Dakota • Northern Mariana Islands • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Vermont • Wisconsin

Secretary of State

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • North Dakota • Ohio • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Treasurer

Alabama • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Massachusetts • Nebraska • Nevada • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Vermont • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Auditor

Alabama • Arkansas • Delaware • Iowa • Massachusetts • Minnesota • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota • Vermont • Wyoming

Comptroller

California • Connecticut • Idaho • Illinois • Maryland • Nevada • New York • South Carolina • Texas

Education officials

Alabama (board of education) • Arizona (superintendent) • California (superintendent) • Colorado (board of education) • Colorado (board of regent) • District of Columbia (board of education) • Georgia (superintendent) • Guam (education board) • Idaho (superintendent) • Kansas (board of education) • Michigan (board of education) • Michigan (board of regent) • Michigan (board of trustees) • Michigan (board of governors) • Nebraska (board of education) • Nebraska (board of regents) • Nevada (board of regents) • New Mexico (board of education) • Northern Mariana Islands (board of education) • Ohio (board of education) • Oklahoma (superintendent) • South Carolina (superintendent) • Texas (board of education) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of education) • Utah (board of education) • Wyoming (superintendent)

Commissioners

Alabama (agriculture) • Alabama (public service) • Arizona (corporation) • Arizona (mine inspector) • Arkansas (public lands) • California (board of equalization) • California (insurance) • Florida (agriculture) • Georgia (agriculture) • Georgia (labor) • Georgia (insurance) • Georgia (public service) • Guam (utilities) • Hawaii (Hawaiian affairs) • Iowa (agriculture) • Kansas (insurance) • Louisiana (public service) • Massachusetts (governor's council) • Montana (public service) • Nebraska (public service) • New Hampshire (executive council) • New Mexico (public lands) • North Dakota (agriculture) • North Dakota (public service) • North Dakota (tax) • Oklahoma (corporation) • Oklahoma (insurance) • Oklahoma (labor) • Oregon (labor) • South Carolina (agriculture) • South Dakota (public lands) • South Dakota (public utilities) • Texas (agriculture) • Texas (public lands) • Texas (railroad) • U.S. Virgin Islands (board of elections)

State executive offices

Offices

Governor • Lt. Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Schools • Insurance Commissioner • Controller • Agriculture Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commissioner

States

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Elections

2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features

Chart of state executive officers • Compensation • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • How vacancies are filled in state executive offices • State executive officials serving in home states • State government trifectas • State of the state addresses • Term limits

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