Memphis City Council member and attorney Jerri Green has announced her candidacy for Tennessee governor, the Commercial Appeal reports. Green currently is serving her first term on the council and works as deputy chief of staff for Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. According to the paper, Green will run as a Democrat with a platform to prioritize working families, affordable health care and women's rights. Before joining the mayor’s office as legal counsel, Green worked as a public defender. Green joins U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, who announced his candidacy for the office in March.

The Republican primary contest to succeed U.S. Rep. John Rose in Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District is taking shape, The Tennessee Journal reports. Three candidates have announced their intentions to run. They are: Van Hilleary, Rose’s chief of staff and former U.S. representative from Chattanooga, state House Republican Whip Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, and Dale Braden. On the Democratic side, Mike Croley is the first to announce, according to Tennessee Lookout. Rose, from Cookeville, is leaving Congress to run for governor. The district includes the eastern part of Nashville, parts of Wilson County and about a dozen counties in Middle and East Tennessee.

The list of candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green continues to grow, the Nashville Banner reports. State Rep. Bo Mitchell of Nashville became the first Democrat to say he’s running for the 7th Congressional District seat, which encompasses parts of Davidson, Montgomery and Williamson counties., which spans parts of Nashville to Clarksville near the Kentucky border. State Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, announced a run today acccording to the Nashville Post. The Republican side of the race is more crowded. State Reps. Jody Barrett of Dickson, Jay Reedy of Erin and Lee Reeves of Franklin have filed paperwork to run. Other contenders include Matthew Van Epps, who resigned his role as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services to run; Jason Knight, a Montgomery County commissioner and former Clarksville City Council member; and U.S. Army veteran John Thorp. The Tennessean reports on Thorp's candidacy.

Tennessee Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the 7th Congressional District seat, which encompasses parts of Davidson, Montgomery and Williamson counties. The seat currently is held by U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who announced last month that he would take a job in the private sector. The Tennessee Lookout reports that Reedy has said he has been bothered by the federal government’s slow reaction to flood damage in Waverly in August 2021, and that he supports eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. Other Republican candidates for the post are former Tennessee General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps, Springfield resident Jon Thorpe and Jason Knight of Clarksville. No Democrats have entered the race yet according to the paper.

U.S. Rep. John Rose, a Republican from Cookeville in his fourth term, announced his plans to run for governor an event in Williamson County, WSMV reports. According to sources, Rose said at a Republican women’s function, “I am convinced my best days are ahead and that the best opportunity I have to serve Tennessee is in a different role. So, I’m going to come home at the end of this period and I’m going to offer myself … as a candidate for governor.” Before being elected to Congress, Rose served as Tennessee’s agriculture commissioner. He is also a farmer, attorney and owner of an IT training enterprise.

Scott Golden, chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, has been reelected to a fifth term as leader of the party. Golden was challenged by Nashvillian Lulu Elam, a party executive committee member, but received 49 votes to Elam’s 10 votes. Golden will be the first person in more than 80 years to serve a fifth term in the role. "It's just amazing how intertwined I've been with this organization throughout my life," Golden told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "It's really been my life calling, and it's a great honor to serve as chairman."

Current state Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus has decided not to seek a third term, leading to three candidates vying for the post, the Tennessee Journal reports. Those seeking the position are state Reps. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and party vice chair Rachel Campbell of Chattanooga. Party chairs lead the state party on strategy, oversee staffers and are involved in their party’s national committee. The 66-member state Democratic Executive Committee will choose Remus’ successor on Jan. 25.

The 2026 election for Knox County mayor has narrowed with Knox County Criminal Court Clerk Mike Hammond withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination. Knox News reports that he instead will seek reelection as court clerk. That decision leaves Knox County Commissioner Larsen Jay, a Republican, as the only mayoral candidate so far. Hammond said he wants to focus be on his present role, where he says his team has “made wide-ranging improvements to benefit the court system and [the] citizens." Hammond, who served as a Knox County Commissioner from 2004-2014, was diagnosed in August with early-stage prostate cancer, which he says is treatable.

One of the most important responsibilities of the TBA is to advocate for the legal profession and our system of justice with Tennessee policymakers. TBA’s Government Affairs team is committed to affecting positive change on behalf of Tennessee attorneys and we want your help! Through our Grassroots Advocacy Initiative, the TBA is building a network of lawyers who are informed and engaged about issues relevant to the practice of law in our state. Please complete this form if you are interested in learning more, including opportunities to advocate. Learn more about TBA's ongoing advocacy efforts related to indigent representation.

Tennessee's early voting period for the Nov. 5 general election begins today and runs through Oct. 31. In addition to voting in the presidential, congressional and state legislative races, some local seats and referendums are on the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State has more election information, including for early and absentee voting, at GoVoteTN.gov. Specific times and polling place details vary by county. USA Today has more on early voting across the country.