Coverage desk
2026 Governors Race
TRP coverage of Tennessee's 2026 race for governor — the candidates, their records, and what the contest means for the state.
59 articles · 3 episodes, newest first
Newsroom ·
Blackburn Is Campaigning on Infrastructure. What Does Her Washington Record Show?
Marsha Blackburn says Tennessee’s growth has outpaced its roads and broadband.
Newsroom ·
The Opioid Law Blackburn Helped Pass — and Later Tried to Undo
Marsha Blackburn helped advance legislation that changed the DEA’s enforcement standard for drug distributors during the opioid epidemic.
Newsroom ·
Lauren Pinkston Has No Voting Record. What Should Voters Use Instead?
Pinkston has never held elected office, so Tennessee voters cannot examine roll-call votes, vetoes or public budgets bearing her name.
Newsroom ·
The Blackburn Record: What She Has Accomplished and Where It Gets More . . . Complicated
Marsha Blackburn enters Tennessee’s governor race with something her principal opponents cannot match in scale: nearly three decades of votes, legislation and public decisions.
Newsroom ·
What Can Tennessee’s Governor Actually Do? We Tested the Campaign Promises.
Blackburn, Green and Pinkston are promising significant changes.
Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Voted. Here Are the Races That Matter Next.
The Aug. 6 election chose nominees for governor, Congress and the General Assembly while settling local races from Knoxville to Memphis
Newsroom ·
Blackburn, Green and Pinkston Offer Three Different Models of Tennessee Government
The Republican and Democratic nominees and an independent candidate with a detailed statewide platform are asking voters to choose among different ideas about when government should act, what it should leave alone and wh…
Newsroom ·
Jobs Are the Headline. Blackburn, Green and Pinkston Disagree on What Builds the Economy.
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Newsroom ·
The Voucher Fight Is Only the Beginning: How Blackburn, Green and Pinkston Compare on Education
Tennessee’s next governor will inherit an expanding private-school scholarship program, rising teacher salaries and unresolved questions about testing and school funding.
Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip
What is the Tennessee Forward Party? In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley talks with Nick Nugent, chair of the Tennessee Forward Party, about what the Forward Party is, why it wants to challenge the two-pa…
Podcast · Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip
What is the Tennessee Forward Party? In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley talks with Nick Nugent, chair of the Tennessee Forward Party, about what the Forward Party is, why it wants to challenge the two-pa…
Listen to episodeNewsroom ·
Blackburn Won Tennessee’s GOP Primary. Now Comes the Coalition Test.
Marsha Blackburn won with about 43.5% of the Republican primary vote. John Rose and Monty Fritts combined for roughly 56.5% — but those voters are not one bloc, and November will show what their prima
Civic Conversations ·
Candidates will bring faith into office. Voters need to know what that means.
July 19, 2026
Civic Conversations ·
Two primaries, one test: do Tennessee voters have enough evidence to choose a governor?
Before Tennessee Votes
Civic Conversations ·
Beyond the horse race: what Tennessee Republican voters are actually choosing
Before Tennessee Votes
Civic Conversations ·
Beyond the ballot: what Tennessee Democratic voters are actually choosing
Before Tennessee Votes
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Blackburn donors, Rose loans and Fritts’ grassroots lane: how money is shaping the GOP race
Before Tennessee Votes
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
What the Tennessee GOP governor polls actually say — and what they do not
Before Tennessee Votes
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
What the Tennessee Democratic governor poll actually says — and what it does not
Before Tennessee Votes
Newsroom ·
Rose and Fritts give voters a side-by-side look at Knoxville gubernatorial forum
by Brandon Burley
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee’s GOP governor primary is no longer just a frontrunner story
Before Tennessee Votes
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Democrats have a governor primary. The question is whether voters know it.
Before Tennessee Votes
Personal Reflections ·
As early voting nears, Blackburn faces questions over debates and voter access
With early voting approaching in Tennessee’s Republican primary for governor, front-runner Marsha Blackburn is facing renewed questions over debates, media access and whether voters will get to compare the candidates dir…
Newsroom ·
Data center fights move from Tennessee zoning boards into governor’s race
Tennessee’s growing debate over data centers is moving from local zoning boards into the governor’s race, as communities across the state weigh temporary pauses on new projects and at least one candidate calls for statew…
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Survey: What the Willing-Participant Data Shows — and What It Does Not
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 3: Systems Explained ·
How to read attacks, scandals and campaign noise in the Tennessee governor’s race
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Roundtable results on housing costs, groceries, utilities, insurance and the affordability crisis
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
The full Tennessee gubernatorial roundtable is now available
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 7
Public Safety
Podcast · Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Gubernatorial Roundtable 2026
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee…
Listen to episodeSeason 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 6
Public Safety
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What Tennessee may be underestimating depends on who is answering
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
TN Governor race, where does education rank for you?
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 5
Public Safety
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
The next Governor, jobs and the state economy
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
ROUNDTABLE IS SET!
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Not All Support Is Equal: What One Poll Question Suggests Before the Roundtable
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 4
Public Safety
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
When Tennessee governor candidates are asked what voters are still underestimating, they do not point to the same future.
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: Qualified immunity reveals how candidates define accountability
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 3
Public Safety
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Responses to Question 2
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Before Tennessee’s governor candidates sit down, I'm asking readers where they stand
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Newsroom ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: Marijuana policy reveals different governing instincts
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Responses: Full Answers to Six Policy Questions
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates finances, day six: What PAC money shows in early state filings
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates finances, day five: What corporate and business-linked money shows early in the race
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates finances, day four: What party and committee money shows early in the race
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates finances, day three: What self-funding reveals about campaign structure
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates finances, day two: What individual donations reveal about each campaign
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee gubernatorial candidates, day one: What state filings show before federal money is added
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee Governor Candidate Matrix: What the Field Looks Like in One View
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
What seven questions revealed about Tennessee’s governor field
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: Why each believes their candidacy matters
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: The clearest divide yet may be school vouchers
Few education issues in Tennessee now create faster reaction than school vouchers.
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What difficult decision they believe Tennessee cannot avoid
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Newsroom ·
Reader Poll: What's Your Vote? Where Does Tennessee’s Governor Race Stand Right Now?
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What they believe Tennessee faces that national politics keeps missing
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What they believe would most improve public safety statewide
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What they say they would do differently than Bill Lee
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Season 4: Civic Conversations ·
Tennessee governor candidates, side by side: What they say government should fix first
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Podcast · Systems Explained ·
What a Tennessee Pardon Really Means — and What It Doesn’t
In this episode, Brandon Burley breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of criminal justice: pardons . Following Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s recent decision to grant clemency to 33 individuals—including a high-…
Listen to episode