Tennessee's race for governor won't include a debate anytime soon, after Republican Marsha Blackburn flatly turned down four proposed matchup dates from Democratic challenger Jerri Green. Blackburn told reporters she has no interest in sharing a stage with someone she labeled a socialist, leaving voters without a head-to-head forum just weeks before the November election.
Green, a Memphis city councilwoman, issued her formal challenge on September 8, proposing four statewide debates, according to lebanondemocrat.com. She said at the time that she had spent 327 days calling for a debate before making the request formal. Blackburn's response, delivered to reporters, was blunt: “No. I'm not going to give air to someone who is a socialist.”
Blackburn's campaign echoed that framing in a separate statement, saying she would not give air to a candidate the campaign described as running to destroy Tennessee's agenda, the United States and to defund the police. Green's campaign, led by campaign manager Alex Hensley, has argued that debates let voters hear candidates' ideas directly and hold them accountable, and it invited the press to attend the proposed events whether or not Blackburn shows up, as WZTV reported.
Four Cities, Four Dates, No Response
Green's camp proposed debates in Brentwood on September 30, Nashville on October 3, Memphis on October 9 and Knoxville on October 16, per WZTV's reporting. The campaign also said it agreed to a debate proposed by David Hatley if $1 million were directed to charity, and separately agreed to a Tennessee Press Association debate set for October 27 if Blackburn would attend. Green's team maintains it remains ready to debate on any of the four original dates and that Green will show up whether or not Blackburn does.
Green's campaign has also said the Tennessee Press Association provided no pre-established debate standards, even though debate criteria have historically included polling thresholds and significant grassroots fundraising, according to the campaign. Beyond the proposed debates, Green has participated in other public candidate forums and joined events alongside multiple independent candidates, including Lauren Pinkston. Her campaign says it has hosted more than 200 unscripted public town halls across every part of Tennessee.
Pinkston, an independent in the race, told the Lebanon Democrat she is willing to debate either partisan candidate and renewed her invitation for Blackburn and Green to join a “Disagree Better” campaign. Blackburn faces not just Green but more than a dozen independent candidates in the governor's race, and it remains unclear whether any debate will occur before the November 3 general election, the outlet reported.
Polls Disagree on the Size of Blackburn's Lead
How much cushion Blackburn has heading into the fall is itself contested. A Progress Fund poll released September 17 showed her lead over Green shrinking to single digits, 45% to 36%, a nine-point margin, according to the Lebanon Democrat's reporting. A separate Beacon Poll released earlier in the month, conducted by the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee, put Blackburn ahead by 21 points among likely voters, 55% to 34%.
That same Beacon Poll found President Donald Trump's approval rating underwater in Tennessee for the first time since the organization began polling the state in 2023, with 48% approving of his job performance and 51% disapproving. Multiple outlets, including Tennessee Lookout and Memphis's Action News 5, have separately reported polling showing Green leading the broader Democratic field, according to electiondesk.org.
Who's Running
Blackburn, currently a U.S. senator, is the Republican nominee for governor. Green has represented Memphis City Council District 2 since January 2024 and was appointed interim Shelby County chief public defender by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris in January 2026, per electiondesk.org's reporting. Tennessee voters must register or update their address by October 5 ahead of the November 3 election, which the National Governors Association confirms is the scheduled date for the statewide vote.
With no debate on the calendar and the size of Blackburn's lead still in dispute depending on which poll one believes, the race is likely to draw continued attention as voters look for any opportunity to hear both candidates lay out their plans before ballots are cast.
