Tennessee Rep. John Rose launches bid for governor

Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) announced Thursday that he’s running for Tennessee governor to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Lee (R).

“Today, as the grateful descendent of fearless Tennessee pioneers and as an eighth generation Tennessee farmer, I humbly announce my candidacy for Governor of the State of Tennessee,” Rose wrote in a post on social platform X, including a link to his campaign website.

Rose is the first Republican to formally announce a bid for the seat. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is also expected to announce a run, while Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) announced last month he would be running for another term in the Senate.

Rose represents the state’s 6th Congressional District and is in his fourth term. He previously served as agriculture commissioner. The Tennessee Republican is also a farmer who grew up on a centuries-old family farm and is the president and owner of Boson Software.

Blackburn has served in the Senate since 2019 and previously represented Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District from 2003 to 2019.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Lee’s seat as “solid Republican,” making whoever wins the GOP primary the heavy favorite to win in November 2026.

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