With a new poll showing U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to dominate the Republican field in the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial primary, The Tennessee Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert said Thursday that Blackburn has become so entrenched in Tennessee politics that only a political collapse by the senator herself could fundamentally alter the race.
Pappert’s comments came as a new Beacon Center of Tennessee poll shows Blackburn holding a commanding lead in the Republican primary field with 63 percent support among GOP voters.
According to the Beacon poll, Blackburn’s perceived nearest competitor, U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), received 10 percent support, while Tennessee State Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston) earned 5 percent. Another 22 percent of respondents said they remain undecided.
Pappert noted Blackburn has consistently led polling in the race since speculation first began over the governor’s contest.
“Since the race started, even a little bit before, when the polling started, Marsha Blackburn has been the dominant candidate,” Pappert said on Thursday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show. “Now with the election really started, it’s heating up, I think it’s safe to say she is the early and ongoing favorite.”
Host Michael Patrick Leahy, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Star, emphasized the size of Blackburn’s advantage, noting the poll carried a Republican primary margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
“It’s pretty clear that a 63 percent vote for Marsha Blackburn versus 10 percent for John Rose and 5 percent for Monty Fritts, it’s a huge margin,” Leahy said.
Pappert also argued Blackburn’s long political track record and recent policy efforts, such as supporting Tennessee’s redistricting efforts and advocating for the federal SAVE Act, continue to strengthen her standing with Republican voters.
While discussing efforts by Blackburn’s opponents to gain traction, Pappert suggested alternative positioning strategies are unlikely to significantly shift the race.
“You’re going to see candidates swing for the fences to try to differentiate themselves from Marsha Blackburn,” Pappert said.
“Marsha Blackburn…is so synonymous with Republican politics in Tennessee at this point, I don’t think there’s anything that could happen short of Marsha herself imploding that would fundamentally change this race,” he added.
Tune in now to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show – your AMERICA FIRST news talk!
– Watch LIVE here on X
– Watch LIVE on YouTube / Rumble / Roku / AppleTV
– Listen on Spotify
– Listen on WENO AM760 in Nashville
– Read more at @TheTNStarhttps://t.co/G1Xi5p6ekA— Michael Patrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) May 7, 2026
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X.
Photo “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
