Sen. Marsha Blackburn won Tennessee’s Republican Senate primary on Thursday, likely securing a Senate seat in the heavily Republican state. Blackburn led Tres Whittam in Thursday’s primary with nearly 93% of the vote, as of the time the Associated Press announced the results.
Blackburn, a current senator, was considered a strong contender in this election after defeating former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen by 11 points in the 2018 Senate election.
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Blackburn’s only challenger is Whittam, a former Tennessee state legislative staffer who finished last in the 2022 primary for the state’s 5th Congressional District.
Blackburn will now face off against Democratic state Sen. Gloria Johnson.
Johnson gained notoriety last year as one of three Tennessee lawmakers who protested at the state Capitol after the elementary school shooting, part of the “Tennessee Three,” along with fellow Democrats Rep. Justin Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) speaks onstage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Both Pearson and Jones were expelled after protests that violated House rules, but they were later reappointed and then handily won special elections to regain their seats.
Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville speaks after voting to expel Nashville’s Justin Jones from the governing body, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tennessee has leaned heavily Republican in statewide elections in recent years, giving Blackburn a strong chance to prevail in November’s general election.
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Blackburn’s colleague, Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, was re-elected by a margin of about 30 points in 2020, and Republican Gov. Bill Lee could secure re-election in 2022 by a margin of more than 30 points.
Former President Donald Trump also easily won Tennessee in 2016 and 2020, winning by 26 and 23 points, respectively.
