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By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning, Lookout readers:

We continue our focus on Tennessee’s governor’s race, but first, an explanation.

Yesterday, a reader wrote in to ask: Why so much focus on the Republican candidates and not Democratic ones or Independent ones? First, we are honed in on the August 6 primary election, and independent candidates do not appear on that ballot. Independents pass ‘go’ and head directly to the November general election ballot.

And while we will be covering the Democratic field, the GOP field of three features two candidates who hold federal office and have longer track records than the Democratic ones. There’s more to unpack, but rest assured, we will cover candidates from all parties.

In the second installment of Sam Stockard’s look at gubernatorial issues, we learn about how U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts view private school vouchers, while Adam Friedman continues his deep dive into campaign finances.

  • Ad watch: In U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s latest 30-second gubernatorial ad, Blackburn touts her toughness on immigration, saying she will crack down on drug cartels and keep immigrants from “sending their dirty money home.”

  • Mulroy in the spotlight again. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has a knack for making the news. On Saturday, USA Today published a provocative commentary in which Mulroy called out a private company that conducts trainings for police departments across the country for its alleged justification for law enforcement use of force.

  • The message was timely, given that agents with the Memphis Safe Task Force shot and killed two men in Memphis last week but Mulroy’s missive didn’t sit well with some of his fellow district attorneys from across the state: A handful signed a letter to media that said, in part, “General Mulroy writes only for himself. He does not speak for Tennessee's other thirty-one elected District Attorneys General.”

THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY

In the next installment the Tennessee Lookout’s coverage of the upcoming 2026 primary elections, the Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidates talk about school vouchers. (Photo illustration by John Partipilo)

Tennessee GOP gubernatorial hopefuls split on private-school vouchers

by Sam Stockard

Tennessee’s three top Republican gubernatorial candidates are miles apart on expanding the state’s main private-school voucher program, with one saying vouchers are unconstitutional, another all for expanding the program and the third landing in the middle, saying transparency is necessary to ensure the program is producing effective results.

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NEWS AND NOTES
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT

Tennessee Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, photographed in Nashville in 2024, has had $100 million spent over her two decades in political office. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

by Adam Friedman

Over $100 million is aiding U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s rise from the Tennessee state legislature to U.S. Congress and now her bid for governor. About half of that money she’s raised through campaign accounts and a federal political action committee and outside groups have spent the other half on her behalf, particularly in a costly 2018 Senate race and this year to boost her chances for Tennessee’s top office.

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FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT

The Tennessee Department of Health agreed, for now, to hold off on plans to report children without legal immigration status, who receive healthcare through the publicly-funded Children’s Special Services program, to a state immigration office. Pictured: the Davidson County Courthouse. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessee agrees to hold off, for now, reporting sick, disabled kids to immigration office

by Anita Wadhwani

The Tennessee Department of Health has agreed to stop reporting sick, disabled children to a state immigration enforcement division while a legal challenge to the policy continues, according to an order filed Tuesday in Davidson County Chancery Court.

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COMMENTARY

John Cole’s Tennessee: Bridge over troublesome waters? An East Tennessee bridge over the French Broad River that was renamed for President Donald Trump last week may not be the troublesome choke point experienced by the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz.

ICYMI
COMMENTARY

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