Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn just started her second term, but she is already reportedly considering a run for the state’s highest political office.
On Jan. 3, Blackburn took her congressional oath of office, but on Jan. 14 – less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration – Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, a top Republican contender for governor in 2026, said he would endorse the senator for the office if she chose to run.
She is considered by political observers one of the top candidates to succeed Gov. Bill Lee, who is term limited out. She has the money, the network, the far right conservative credentials and, most importantly for the GOP, a close relationship with Trump.
However, if she chooses to run for governor, the campaign would become a distraction that wouldkeep her from fully being engaged in Washington, D.C.
It’s not just about the 63.8% of Tennessee voters who picked her on Nov. 5, but also her chance to make a mark as Tennessee’s senior senator with GOP control of the White House, Senate and House. This has never happened before during her time in the Senate.
Has Blackburn tired of the Senate after just one term?
When Blackburn was elected to her first term in 2018, she entered an environment where Trump was president and the Senate was led by the GOP under then Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, but Democrats reclaimed the House with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi taking the gavel.
The subsequent two years of divided government included Trump’s first of two impeachment trials and the start of the 2020 presidential contest, which ultimately led to the election of President Joe Biden and the Democrats taking back the Senate.
She served in the minority party for the last four years. Even so, she crafted bipartisan legislation with Democrats harboring polar opposite politics.
Among her wins: The REPORT Act sponsored with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, which requires Big Tech companies to report sex crimes against children and the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Act, sponsored with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin.
These bills were passed by both houses of Congress and signed by Biden into law. The latter is especially significant given that Blackburn is the first female senator of Tennessee, which became the pivotal 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and enshrine women’s suffrage across the U.S.
Now that she has seniority and is a member of Majority Leader John Thune’s leadership team, she is in the best position she has ever been in her Senate career to pass legislation, grill judicial candidates and advance Trump’s agenda.
Opinion:Tennessee Marsha Blackburn: America needs robust, bipartisan and respectful debate
Why would she give that up?
An ambitious politician is nothing new, and perhaps it is because in the Senate, she is one of 100 voices when she could be the sole chief executive of the Volunteer State with an influential bully pulpit.
Would a Governor Blackburn face a lawmaker with similar tactics to hers?
Blackburn certainly does not rely on me for political advice, but her team should discuss whether this is about public service or about ego.
She has a track record of political wins from state senator to U.S. House of Representatives member to federal senator.
Would pursuing the governor’s office be another box to check or does she truly wish to govern a state with 7.1 million residents and a multibillion-dollar budget in both good and bad years, in times of disaster, and in moments in which residents need a consoler-in-chief not a partisan firebrand?
I wrote last year that Blackburn is a “political bruiser” who fights hard but also has sought bipartisan consensus.
Perhaps one advantage of going for the governorship in an increasingly red state with a super majority Republican-dominated legislature is that you rarely have to negotiate with Democrats.
Just one word of caution, though, Republican legislators do not always support a GOP governor.
Blackburn knows this better than anyone because as a state lawmaker two decades ago, she proudly helped kill Republican Gov. Don Sundquist’s proposal for a state income tax.
If she becomes Governor Blackburn, she may also have to deal with ambitious, assertive lawmakers who revel at trying to thwart her policies too.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @davidplazas.
TN’s Marsha Blackburn is a force to be reckoned with in Washington. As the first woman to represent Tennessee in the Senate, Blackburn has proven herself to be a powerful advocate for her constituents and a formidable voice on the national stage.
But the question remains: does Marsha Blackburn want more? With her track record of pushing for conservative policies and standing up to the political establishment, it’s clear that Blackburn is not content to simply sit back and maintain the status quo. She is a woman on a mission, and it’s clear that she has her sights set on achieving even greater things in the future.
Whether it’s fighting for pro-life legislation, advocating for stronger border security, or standing up for Tennessee’s farmers and small businesses, Marsha Blackburn has proven time and time again that she is not afraid to take on the tough fights. And as she continues to rise in influence and power in Washington, one thing is for certain: Marsha Blackburn is a force to be reckoned with, and she shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Tags:
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Senator, political power, ambitions, aspirations, Republican party, Tennessee politics, government influence, leadership goals
#TNs #Marsha #Blackburn #powerful
Leave a Reply