By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Lookout readers:
For some of us, the days that candidates file their campaign finance disclosures feel akin to a holiday. We live to pore through pages of documents, checking for the names of prominent donors and comparing fundraising totals.
Thus, this is a good week for us weirdos. The due date for candidates for state offices, including governor, state House and Senate was Friday; for federal candidates — think U.S. Senate and Congress — it’s Wednesday.
One of the hottest primaries is the Republican gubernatorial race between U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts, so we headed to their disclosures first.
Blackburn raised nearly $2.8 million in the second quarter of 2026 on top of the $4.4 million she started with. That leaves her with just over $6 million to spend with early voting starting Thursday and the primary election on August 6.
But that doesn’t count money poured into her race from outside groups, as Adam Friedman reports in our top story.
Meanwhile, Rose raised only $259,000 in Q2 but loaned himself just under $4 million. He’s been running ads since May 7 to close the gap between presumed frontrunner Blackburn and himself and has “only” $1.5 million left to spend.
Dark horse candidate Fritts raised $80,000 and has a passionate fan base but only $62,000 in the bank as he rolls towards primary day.
Also: Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Jerri Green, a member of Memphis City Council, raised $303,000; Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate who is positioning herself as an alternative to partisan candidates, raised $93,000 and loaned herself $31,000 for a total Q2 intake of $120,500.
In other news:
On the record: The East Tennessee Young Republicans held a forum Friday for GOP gubernatorial candidates. Rose and Fritts participated; Blackburn did not. You can watch a replay of the forum here.
Campaign surrogates: Another closely watched race is the Congressional District 5 race, on both sides of the aisle. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles held a Nashville event last week with U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana; his opponent, former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher is holding one in Franklin this morning with former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue.
On the Democratic side: The Congressional Black Caucus PAC last week endorsed state Rep. Vincent Dixie, candidate for the 7th Congressional District nomination and Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, candidate for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 5.
THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY
The Tennessee Freedom Fund political action committee, an arm of the conservative group Club For Growth and backed by billionaire Jeff Yass, paid for two ads for U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a gubernatorial candidate.(Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Adam Friedman
A pro-private school voucher group has donated $3 million to a Tennessee political action committee backing U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in her gubernatorial campaign, the latter of which has paid for two campaign ads for Blackburn.
NEWS AND NOTES
South Carolina US Sen. Lindsey Graham dies after ‘brief and sudden illness’ | Jane Norman, States Newsroom
Trump guts election commission in move seen as increasing his sway over midterms | David Lightman, States Newsroom
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
A Nashville judge on Friday extended a restraining order preventing the Department of Health from reporting sick and immigrant kids in a public health program to a state immigration office. Pictured: Metro Nashville Courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Anita Wadhwani
A Nashville judge has extended an order preventing Tennessee Department of Health officials from sharing identifying information about 400 sick and disabled kids with a state agency that collaborates with federal immigration enforcement.
COMMENTARY
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville settled for $1.9 million a free speech case filed by a professor after she was fired for social media posts made after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Bruce Barry
“How fitting is it that (former University of Tennessee professor) Tamar Shirinian landed on the happy side of a nearly $2 million legal settlement just as the country was celebrating its 250th. After all, when we think of the things that make America America, what is more quintessentially American than building wealth by suing the pants off someone?”
ICYMI
COMMENTARY
Judge calls it illegal. It’s time for Tennesseans to call it immoral. | Rev. Jeff Brown
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