Marsha Blackburn Wins Tennessee Governor Race
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Right 100%
0 left · 0 center · 3 right
What happened
Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn defeated Democrat Jerri Green in Tennessee’s gubernatorial election on Tuesday. With more than 95 percent of the expected vote counted, Blackburn led about 45 percent to 43 percent, while independent David Hatley received nearly 10 percent. The Associated Press called the race for Blackburn early Wednesday. She will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Lee and is the first woman elected governor of Tennessee. The result vacates her U.S. Senate seat, which she is expected to fill with an interim appointment.
Sourcing check · Partly on the record · 3 articles
1 of 3 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.
What these terms mean and how they're counted
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- How it developed
- When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Nov 3, 22:30 UTC by Washington Examiner, naming its source. First document in the first report, from Washington Examiner (poll).
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This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
ONE-SIDED THIS WEEK.
Only right-leaning outlets have covered this story in the last two days;
The Hill reported it on 2026-10-31.
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Left-leaning coverage has not reported the Tennessee governor's race at all, so those readers would not know Marsha Blackburn won. Right-leaning coverage reports she defeated Democrat Jerri Green and will succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. Daily Wire has Blackburn at 45 percent with most ballots in. That same outlet reports independent David Hatley took nearly 10 percent. Breitbart never mentions that share and still calls her the favorite in a state without a Democratic statewide win since 2006.
Right-leaning coverage splits on what to put first. Breitbart leads with Blackburn as the first woman elected governor and with President Trump's charge that Green is a "Radical Left Democrat." Daily Wire instead foregrounds Green's pledges on ICE and guns and does not mention the first-woman milestone.
Who fills the Senate seat she is vacating, and what produced so close a race in a deep-red state?
Bottom line
Tennessee elected Marsha Blackburn governor, Daily Wire had her at 45 percent with an independent in the field, and left-leaning coverage has not mentioned the race.
The receipts — 4 facts one side's coverage lacks
- With 95% of the expected vote counted, Blackburn led Green 45% to 43%
- Blackburn will appoint an interim replacement for her Senate seat
- A Quantus poll from early August showed Blackburn leading Green 49% to 28%
- The Associated Press called the race for Blackburn early Wednesday morning
The Right View
The Daily Wire and Breitbart reported Blackburn’s win, the AP call, vote shares with 95 percent counted, her status as Tennessee’s first elected woman governor, Trump’s endorsement, and her Senate vacancy. They described Tennessee as a deep-red state that has not elected a Democrat statewide since 2006, summarized Blackburn’s record on immigration, China, election security, and women’s sports, and contrasted Green’s platform on affordability, guns, data centers, and ICE. Breitbart reprinted Trump’s statement attacking Green on taxes, borders, and transgender policy. The Washington Examiner, writing around the same contest, cited an UpOne Insights poll giving War Secretary Pete Hegseth 72 percent favorability in Tennessee as a possible Senate replacement.
Our Take (balanced)
The story is substantive: it cites named candidates, reported vote totals, an AP race call, and a first-woman-governor fact that can be checked against official returns. Established from the available reporting are Blackburn’s reported plurality, the independent’s roughly 10 percent share, Lee’s succession, and the open Senate seat. Not yet established in these accounts are certified county-by-county results or who will be appointed to the Senate. No left-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for the secretary of state’s canvass, certification, Blackburn’s Senate appointment, and whether other outlets publish matching results.
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