As many in Tennessee wondered how the state would handle its failed execution of death row prisoner Christa Pike on Sept. 30, gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn used the opportunity to get in front of voters with her solution.
“Bring back the electric chair,” Blackburn posted on X the morning after the botched execution where the state delivered two injections of what should have been fatal doses of pentobarbital.
Pike was taken away in an ambulance and given life-saving care as the state doesn’t have a plan for when two doses of the injection do not work. This comes just months after the state botched Tony Carruthers’ execution.
Though Blackburn goes on in her post to tell folks that as governor she would be sure to “deliver justice swiftly,” the state already employs her solution. Though people sentenced to the death penalty before 2000 already had the choice of the chair, the state officially made it a backup to injections in 2014.
Not unsurprisingly, democratic candidate for governor Jerri Green feels differently about the situation.
“The state botched this execution because the Attorney General rushed this process, even after the execution of Tony Carruthers failed just four months ago,“ Green said in a statement. ”There is a lack of transparency around drug testing, as well as qualified and ethical personnel — but the fact of the matter is: the death penalty has always been inhumane, expensive, and biased.
“As a public defender, I’ve met a few too many people who were wrongfully convicted on death row who were later exonerated. As Governor, I would put a moratorium on all future executions. If we say we are pro-life, that means we must be anti-death penalty.”
Gov. Bill Lee has already paused executions until January — one scheduled for Dec. 3 will now be pushed back. Lee has launched an investigation into the execution, but the results will be left for the incoming governor to reckon with.
This stark difference between how the two top contenders have responded to this is just a parallel for every other issue that faces the state.
Blackburn, as usual, shows up to deliver the most barbaric solution, albeit in a way that plays to a group intent on making others suffer. Green releases a thoughtful statement that mostly goes by the wayside because it’s not a four-to-five-word call for increased violence or treachery. Blackburn refuses to hold town halls or engage in debates, but attends large events to wave on camera — and in some cases gets booed. Green is all over the state at small, medium and large venues meeting with potential voters.
While Blackburn leads the most recent polls in the state, Green is not that far behind. In September, The Progress Fund, a political action committee supporting Green, polled 600 likely voters and their survey put Blackburn at 45 percent, Green at 36 percent, David Hatley, a conservative-leaning independent, at 10 percent and independent Lauren Pinkston at 2 percent. In the last election, only 38 percent of all registered voters cast a ballot in the gubernatorial election, and even that is a small subset of the overall pool of voters who could be registered but are not. A substantial increase in voter turnout in Davidson County alone, where only 36 percent of voters cast a ballot, could make a huge difference on Election Day.
If Blackburn wins, in many ways things in the state will stay the same. While Lee may not post as bombastically on social media, his policies and positions and Blackburn’s do not differ. And, unfortunately, if Green somehow pulls off a win, her fight against the Republican supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly will have only just begun.
Mini Voter Guide
The Contributor worked to create a mini guide of all the offices and candidates for whom you might be asked to check a box in the upcoming election. Each section provides a brief bit of information on candidates on the ballot as well as a link to their campaign website, if it is available. Early voting begins Oct. 14 and ends Oct. 29 and Election Day is Nov. 3. Visit nashville.gov for more information on where to vote. All candidates are listed as they are on the ballot in alphabetical order. Where full information could not be found on a candidate, staff reported what was available.
Governor
Republican: Marsha Blackburn
www.marshablackburn.com
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has been in Tennessee politics since 1998, when she was elected to serve on the Tennessee State Senate. The focus of her campaign has been protecting what she describes as Tennessee’s values of “faith, family and freedom.” She emphasizes border security, parental rights in education, economic growth, strengthening law enforcement and limiting government regulation. Her recent campaign ads focus on lessening the Chinese influence on America. Blackburn highlights her experience representing Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and positions herself as someone who will keep Tennessee “America’s conservative leader.” She has also stressed and promoted her proximity to President Donald Trump and his policies, and she has faced recent pressure as she refuses to answer any questions from the media or debate her opponents on stage.
Democratic: Jerri Green
www.greenforgovernor.com
Jerri Green’s campaign website highlights her background as a Memphis city council member, attorney, mother and public servant. She says her priorities include making government work for everyday Tennesseans by improving healthcare access, increasing economic opportunity, reducing violent crime and strengthening support for working families. Green emphasizes expanding affordable healthcare, raising wages and ensuring state government serves residents rather than powerful interests. Her campaign presents her as a pragmatic Democrat.
Independent Candidates
Misam Abidi
Dean Brewer
Ray Brown
David Hatley
Wendell Jackson
Charles Van Morgan
Eddie Lee Murphy
Lauren Pinkston
Victor L. Scoggin
Dave Seeman
Karl Knox Smithson
L. Webb Taylor
Robert C. Vick
U.S. Senate
Republican: Bill Hagerty
www.teamhagerty.com
U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty is the only Republican candidate on the ballot for the Aug. 6 primary. On his campaign website, he calls himself “Trump’s top ally in the Senate.”
Democratic: Marquita Bradshaw
www.marquitabradshaw.com
Marquita Bradshaw is a longtime environmental activist and community advocate from Memphis. She ran against Hagerty in 2020, and while she lost, she was the first Black woman in Tennessee to earn a major political party nomination. She also ran for Senate in 2024.
Independent Candidates
Tharon Chandler
Jeremy Dean Hearn
Robert Jones
James William Macon III
Yoshi D. Matthews
David Sutman, Jr.
Catherine Barcel “Barcy” Whitson
U.S. House
District 4
Republican: Scott DesJarlais
www.scottdesjarlais.com
Incumbent Scott DesJarlais has a long history as a legislator in Tennessee. He calls himself a “strong advocate for small government.” In the past, he has faced controversy for being recorded asking a mistress to have an abortion after promoting staunch anti-abortion policies as a legislator.
Democratic: Victoria Broderick
www.victoria4tennessee.org
Victoria Broderick works in the logistics and technology industry, and says she entered politics after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Her website outlines a run based on equity, affordability, community safety and freedom.
Independent Candidates
Jacob Kristopher Anders
Clay Faircloth
District 6
Republican: Johnny Garrett
www.johnnygarrettforcongress.com
Johnny Garrett’s run has focused on his alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda. He currently serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Democratic: Mike Croley
www.croleyforcongress.com
Mike Croley says on his campaign website that his run is built around listening to constituents. He focuses on affordability, accountability and action and highlights his background as an engineer as a policy building strength and encourages people to reach out and ask issue-specific questions rather than issuing talking points.
Independent Candidates
Christopher B. Monday
Angus Purdy
District 7
Republican: Matt Van Epps
www.mattfortn.com
Incumbent Congressman Matt Van Epps from Nashville has no Republican challenger. Epps won narrowly over Democratic Rep. Aftyn Behn in a special election in fall of 2025.
Democratic: Darden Copeland
www.dardenforcongress.com
Darden Copeland says his working class upbringing led him to wanting to restore accountability in Congress. His website outlines his work as a business owner and entrepreneur.
Independent Candidates
Andrew J. Koontz
Lowell Reynolds
Tennessee Senate
District 17
Republican: Mark Pody
www.markpody.com
Incumbent Sen. Mark Pody has served in the legislature in both the house and senate since 2010. He owns a small business in Murfreesboro. His website emphasizes his conservative leadership and his goal of protecting “family values” and Constitutional rights.
Democratic: Lindsey Patrick-Wright
No website available
Lindsey Patrick-Wright doesn’t have a campaign website, but her social media accounts say she is a librarian running to “make Tennessee better for all of us.”
District 52
Republican: Michele Vetter
www.mvetterforall.com
Longtime District 52 resident Vetter says on her website that she’d like to reduce partisan divides as a legislator. Her campaign says that she’d like folks to feel more involved at the local level and wants to bring the “community back to the Capitol.”
Democratic: Justin Jones
www.votejustinjones.com
Incumbent Justin Jones is nearly a household name in the nation after being kicked out of the legislature as an advocate, elected to office, expelled by his colleagues and then coming back again as a legislator. Jones is a long-standing, deeply rooted local advocate who says he’s working to promote justice in many different areas.
Independent Candidate
Martez Coleman
District 55
Republican: Jayla Thomas
www.jaylat4tennessee.com
Jayla Thomas is a business leader, energy infrastructure professional and a Nashville Affordable Housing Trust Fund commissioner. Her campaign’s focus is on affordability and responsible growth as well as protecting workers from “unchecked AI-driven job displacement.”
Democratic: John Ray Clemmons
www.johnrayfortennessee.com
Incumbent Clemmons has for a long-time focused on bipartisan problem solving in the legislature. His website highlights the need for lowered costs for families, better resources for public education and investing in infrastructure.
District 59
Republican: Bill Hancock
www.billhancockfortn.com
Bill Hancock is a sixth-generation Tennessean who has worked in healthcare and real estate as well as a community volunteer. His website focuses on capping tax increases and increasing public safety as well as protecting seniors from scams.
Democratic: Mark Proctor
www.markproctortn.com
Mark Proctor was a Captain, Major and ended his service as a Lieutenant Colonel for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. His campaign is focused on keeping communities safe and affordable living as well as government accountability.
District 60
Republican: Eva Angelina Romero
www.electevaromero.com
Eva Angelina Romero is a Gov. Bill Lee-appointed commissioner for Tennessee Housing Development Agency. Her platform has focused on freezing property taxes for seniors and capping future property tax increases as well as improving local roads. She is also a former history teacher.
Democratic: Shaundelle Brooks
www.brooksforstatehouse.com
Incumbent Shaundrelle Brooks is seeking re-election on a platform of public safety, violence prevention, mental health, affordable housing, healthcare and support for working families. On her website, she highlights passing Akilah’s Law, supporting accountable policing.