Former Congressman Jimmy Duncan, who represented Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District from 1988 to 2019, endorsed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial race on Tuesday.
Duncan pointed to Blackburn’s work as a Tennessee state senator in the early 2000s leading the fight against then-Governor Don Sundquist’s proposed state income tax as a testament of her leadership.
“Tennessee would be lucky to have Marsha Blackburn lead our state. Marsha has excelled at everything she’s done. She is honest, hardworking, intelligent, compassionate, and strong and tough when she needs to be. She proved this when she led the fight to stop the state income tax,” Duncan said in a statement.
Congressman Jimmy Duncan is a fierce advocate for conservative values in Tennessee. I’m delighted to have his leadership and experience on Team Marsha! pic.twitter.com/0FwtlYNcTt
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) September 16, 2025
Duncan (pictured above, in 2018) said he was “proud” to endorse Blackburn’s campaign in the Republican primary, adding, “There is no one better than Marsha Blackburn to carry out President Trump’s America First Agenda.”
Blackburn said she was “grateful” to have received Duncan’s support, who she described as a “fierce advocate for Tennessee and our conservative values.”
“For as long as I can remember, Congressman Duncan has been a trusted ally. I’m delighted to have his endorsement and leadership by my side,” Blackburn added.
Duncan’s endorsement of Blackburn in the Tennessee gubernatorial race follows her support from the powerful Club for Growth PAC, which reported a 79 percent success rate for its endorsed candidates in 2024.
In just over a month since launching her gubernatorial bid, Blackburn has been endorsed by many influential Republicans, including U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), Outkick founder Clay Travis, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, and other state and local officials across Tennessee.
Blackburn’s opponents in the 2026 primary election, as of now, include U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) and State Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston).
The race’s Republican primary will take place on August 6, 2026.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn and “Rep Jimmy Duncan in 2018” by House of Representatives.
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