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By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief

Good morning and TGIF, Lookout readers:

As early voting begins and the hourglass starts running out of time in which campaigns can make their marks, expect to see candidates getting chippy and looking for cracks in their opponents’ armor.

Such is the case in the Tennessee gubernatorial race. Senior Reporter Sam Stockard unspools the continued unhappiness by Republicans and Democrats alike over a failure to get all three GOP candidates on stage together in a debate, or even a genteel forum. The root cause is U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s unwillingess to respond to debate invitations or in some cases, outright refusals. Blackburn is finding herself the subject of likely the most public criticism she’s faced in her 30-year political career.

Cassandra Stephenson unpacks the changed 5th Congressional District race today, which features a slew of candidates — several of whom had to recalibrate after a May special legislative session redrew district lines.

And Adam Friedman looks at the politics of campaign fundraising, examining the different strategies employed by Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose. The bottom line? All money spends the same, whether it’s coming from small dollar donors or deep-pocketed self funding.

In other news:

  • Endorsement alert: Former Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday endorsed Charlie Hatcher, former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, in the latter’s bid to knock U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles out of the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District. Haslam and his wife, Crissy, have donated to Hatcher’s campaign.

  • Believe in Tennessee, the PAC founded and operated by former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger and his wife, Carrie, released a poll Thursday saying Gov. Bill Lee has a 67% approval rating. The poll, however, which surveyed a respectable 600 voters, surveyed no Democratic voters, which could be responsible for Lee’s high approval.

  • Lee wasn’t kidding when he called CoreCivic “important partners.”

THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY

The midterm primary election on August 6 features matchups in many of Tennessee’s congressional races and a hot GOP primary for governor. (Photo illustration by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessee District 5 candidates vie for constituents spread across the state’s extremes

by Cassandra Stephenson

Rural counties at the heart of Tennessee’s agricultural industry, a slice of Memphis’ lowest income neighborhoods and the affluent suburbs of Williamson County have something in common: Come November, they’ll all be represented by the same U.S. House Representative. Five Democrats and one Republican seek the opportunity to replace incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican.

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U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, photographed at Ag Day on the Hill in 2025, is taking friendly fire for her refusal to debate her opponents in the Republican gubernatorial primary. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookut)

by Sam Stockard

“I think ‘iron sharpens iron’ is a tremendous approach,” said state Rep. Monty Fritts, a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, of his desire to debate his two opponents. Alas, that’s not likely to happen. Plus: the district attorney showdown and clawing back money from state incentives to corporations.

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FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT

Rose primarily self-funding as Blackburn leads governors candidates in donations made by Tennesseans

by Adam Friedman

Tennessee’s two leading Republican gubernatorial candidates continue to pursue different campaign funding strategies, with U.S. Rep. John Rose largely self-funding while U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is far outpacing Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts in individual donations from Tennesseans.

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