Bradshaw To Face GOP’s Bill Hagerty For Tennessee’s U.S. Senate Seat

Tennessee voters made two major decisions Thursday that will shape the state’s political landscape heading into the November general election.

One race featured a familiar rematch for the U.S. Senate, while the other officially launched the campaign to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee.

The primary results set the stage for two statewide contests that Republicans enter as favorites in a state that has consistently voted GOP in recent election cycles.

Still, Democratic candidates are preparing to challenge well-known Republican incumbents and nominees in hopes of winning upset victories.

Memphis environmental advocate Marquita Bradshaw won Tennessee’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, earning the nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty in the November general election.

Bradshaw secured more than 50 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic opponents Maria Brewer, Kevin Lee McCants, Civil Miller-Watkins and Diana Onyejiaka.

The victory sets up a rematch of Tennessee’s 2020 Senate race, when Hagerty defeated Bradshaw by approximately 27 percentage points to win the seat.

Hagerty advanced to the general election without opposition after running unopposed in the Republican primary.

Campaign finance reports highlighted the significant financial gap between the candidates heading into the fall campaign.

As of July 17, Bradshaw had reported raising $2,257.07 and had slightly more than $1,000 in cash on hand, while Hagerty reported having more than $5 million available for his reelection effort.

Bradshaw first gained statewide attention during her 2020 Senate campaign when she won the Democratic nomination before losing to Hagerty in the general election.

Following that race, Bradshaw declined to formally concede, later describing the practice of concession speeches as “an antiquated tradition.”

She also sought the Democratic Senate nomination in 2024 but was defeated in the primary by state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who went on to lose the general election to Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

If Hagerty wins reelection in November, he would become Tennessee’s senior U.S. senator because Blackburn is leaving the Senate to run for governor, The Nashville Banner reported.

In the state’s other marquee race, The Associated Press projected Thursday night that Blackburn had won the Republican nomination for governor.

The AP called the race at approximately 8:31 p.m. CDT, projecting Blackburn defeated U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts to secure the GOP nomination.

Blackburn, who is serving her second term in the U.S. Senate after previously representing Tennessee in the House of Representatives, centered her gubernatorial campaign on economic growth, border security, support for law enforcement, opposition to illegal immigration, protecting women’s sports and advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda.

She will face Democratic nominee Jerri Green, a Memphis City Council member who won her party’s gubernatorial primary earlier Thursday.

The governor’s race is Tennessee’s first open contest for the office since 2018 because Gov. Bill Lee is barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term.

Thank you, #Tennessee!
Because of your support, Marquita Bradshaw has secured the Democratic nomination for United States Senate. This victory belongs to every voter, volunteer, donor, organizer, and supporter who helped power this campaign.

Now the work continues. Help us build… pic.twitter.com/OTZdOshg1T

— Marquita Bradshaw (@BradshawforTN) August 7, 2026

DDHQ: Marquita Bradshaw has won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Tennessee.

Bradshaw will face incumbent Republican Senator Bill Hagerty in November. pic.twitter.com/nNrKLc4Ao5

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) August 7, 2026

Sen. Marsha Blackburn will win the Tennessee Republican gubernatorial primary, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, positioning her to become the first female governor of the reliably red state. https://t.co/DcZF6ojuDI pic.twitter.com/Zv1hwbZXPK

— CNN (@CNN) August 7, 2026

Thursday’s primary elections also included contests for congressional seats, the Tennessee General Assembly and numerous local offices, but the statewide races for governor and the U.S. Senate drew the greatest attention, Fox 17 reported.

With the primaries now complete, Tennessee’s general election campaign officially begins, with Republicans seeking to maintain their dominance in statewide races while Democrats hope to make inroads in a state that has remained reliably Republican in recent election cycles.

This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.

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