Tennessee 2026 elections

Political landscape in Tennessee

Overview

Tennessee is a landlocked Southeastern state bordered by Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri. It ranks 36th in area and 15th in population. The state is split into three Grand Divisions, East, Middle and West Tennessee, and Nashville is the capital, largest city and center of the biggest metro area. Its terrain runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains and Cumberland Plateau in the east to fertile plains in the west, where the Mississippi River marks the border, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws more visitors than any other national park. Once part of North Carolina and then the Southwest Territory, Tennessee gained statehood on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. It seceded later than any other state and, after the war, was the first Confederate state readmitted. Federal investment through the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge helped diversify the economy, which includes health care, music, finance, automotive manufacturing and tourism.

Officeholders

As of October 2026, Governor Bill Lee and US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are all Republicans.

2026 elections

Tennessee's November 3, 2026 ballot includes a US Senate race and the governor's race, elections in all nine US House districts, and Amendments 1, 2 and 3.