U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) marked the opening of Tennessee’s early voting period Friday by casting her ballot in Brentwood, where she said she was encouraged by strong voter turnout and used the occasion to urge Tennesseans to vote while expressing confidence in her gubernatorial campaign.
Speaking on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show shortly after voting, Blackburn said she saw a steady flow of voters at her polling location.
“We had a big crowd in Brentwood. Loved seeing a lot of people coming in, a steady stream that was voting. That is where I chose to vote, and we’re thrilled with that,” she said.
“I know we’re going to have a great turnout. We’re going to win this race. I’m going to be a great governor for the state. We are focusing on uniting people, bringing everybody together, and making certain that in November we defeat the Democrats,” Blackburn added.
She said her campaign has focused heavily on direct voter outreach.
“We have been knocking on thousands and thousands of doors of Tennesseans and taking our message directly to them where they live, where they work, and hearing from them about their hopes and dreams and their expectations, what they want to see for the future of our great state,” she said.
Blackburn said those conversations have centered on several policy priorities.
“We know that they want better jobs and higher wages, and jobs that are focused on the future so that their kids and grandkids know that Tennessee is the state of opportunity where they can make their dreams come true,” she explained.
“We know that people want safe communities, and they want better education for their children, and they want to make certain that we protect our children, whether it’s the virtual or the physical space,” she added.
Blackburn also cited healthcare and infrastructure as recurring topics.
“We know that they want to see greater access to healthcare, and they want to see improved infrastructure,” she said. “And it’s been such a joy to listen to people and to talk with elected officials at the local and state level and say, ‘Okay, how do we roll our sleeves up and get to work on this and make it happen?'”
After voting, Blackburn said her schedule would remain focused on campaigning and encouraging voter participation.
“We’re going to be working late. We will be out and about, and of course, talking to media, great people like you and your audience,” she said. “We’re going to be shaking some hands. We are encouraging people to go vote. We’re encouraging them to vote for me. We encourage them to go to our website, marshablackburn.com, keep up with what we’re doing.”
Blackburn also described the demands of campaigning while serving in the U.S. Senate, noting, “We work about 18 hours a day right now, and the days are long. They start early, they go late.”
Amid the long days, she said public service remains her primary motivation.
“But you know what? Being able to represent the people of this great state, that is such an honor. Being able to solve problems for them every single day, working on legislation that is important to Tennesseans, that is something that I treasure, and that is why, as governor, we’re going to work every day, every day to make the lives of Tennesseans better,” she said.
Blackburn also said maintaining communication with state and local officials is essential to effective governance.
“I stay in regular touch with our elected officials, with citizens that are working on certain areas. They’ll send me a text or an email, and then as soon as I can get back to them, I do that,” she added.
Blackburn concluded by stressing collaboration across levels of government.
“With our state legislature, I spend a lot of time getting back in touch with them, answering their questions, because serving the people well requires that you work together as a team at your local, state, and federal level,” she said.
Early voting for the August 6 election runs through August 1. The last day to request an absentee ballot is July 27.
— Michael Patrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) July 17, 2026
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
