Washington — Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Wednesday announced a bid for Tennessee governor, pledging to make the state “America’s conservative leader for this generation and the next.”
“Trump is back, America is blessed and Tennessee — better than ever,” Blackburn said in a video announcement Wednesday. “Here in the Volunteer State, we always lead the way. And that’s why I am announcing my candidacy for governor.”
Blackburn came to the Senate in 2019, after representing Tennessee in the House since 2003. Her 2018 Senate bid gained added national attention when Taylor Swift, who had previously stayed out of politics, criticized Blackburn’s voting record and endorsed her opponent. But Blackburn went on to win the race, becoming the first woman to represent Tennessee in the Senate, and easily won reelection to a second term in November.
If elected, Blackburn would become the first woman to serve as Tennessee governor. The 73-year-old has touted her background as a staunch conservative and an ally of President Trump, lauding the president in her campaign announcement for making “historic strides in Making America Great Again” in his return to the White House, while adding that “he’s going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home.”
“I’m running to serve as Tennessee’s next governor to ensure Tennessee is America’s conservative leader,” Blackburn said in a statement.
In her bid to replace term-limited Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Blackburn will face off in the primary against Rep. John Rose, a Tennessee Republican who announced a bid for the governors’ mansion in March.
Blackburn’s announcement marks the latest governor bid from a U.S. senator, as a number of lawmakers have expressed interest in leaving Washington to lead their home states in recent months. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado announced in April that he’s running for governor, and GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama announced bid for governor in May.
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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