Live results: Jerri Green will win Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Tennessee, CNN projects
Memphis City Councilmember Jerri Green will win Tennessee’s Democratic primary for governor, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Thursday’s primaries will set the general election matchup in a race for governor in the deep-red state as well as House races being run under a new Republican-drawn congressional map aimed at delivering the GOP a clean sweep of the state’s nine districts in November.
The GOP primary for governor features the state’s senior senator, Marsha Blackburn, four-term US Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts — a race where President Donald Trump stayed on the sidelines. The winner of the Republican contest will be a heavy favorite in November given the state’s strong conservative lean.
Republican lawmakers pushed through a new congressional map earlier this year that split the current Memphis-based 9th District into three separate districts that favor the GOP. The move prompted US Rep. Steve Cohen, who has held the seat for nearly 20 years, to announce he would not seek reelection.
In the 5th District, Trump-backed US Rep. Andy Ogles is facing a primary challenge from former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. Democrats are hoping a favorable national political environment along with a strong potential candidate in Chaz Molder, the mayor of Columbia, and a series of controversies swirling around Ogles could potentially put the seat in play.
Green campaigned on ending Tennessee’s grocery tax, increasing funding for public schools and eliminating medical debt for thousands of people.
She began her career as a juvenile public defender and currently serves as Shelby County’s interim chief public defender, a role she took on at the start of 2026. On public safety, Green has emphasized a rehabilitative approach to justice and the importance of ensuring fair courtroom representation.
Seen as the front-runner throughout the primary, Green defeated activist Carnita Atwater and pastor Kevin Lee McCants to secure the party nomination.
In Tennessee, a state that President Donald Trump won by almost 30 points in 2024, Green will likely face a steep uphill battle in her bid to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee.
