Former Astronaut Barry Wilmore Signals Possible Gubernatorial Bid
Tennessee Today

 (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

 

Barry Wilmore, a retired NASA astronaut, has officially pulled a petition to run for governor of Tennessee. 

Wilmore is entering the race as a Republican, putting him in an increasingly crowded primary field with Senator Marsha Blackburn, Congressman John Rose, and State Representative Monty Fritts. Recent polling indicates a strong lead for Blackburn, with her receiving 61% of support when put up against Rose and Fritts who received 8.1% and 5.1% in the poll, respectively. 

A born and raised Tennessean, Wilmore attended Mt. Juliet High School before continuing on to receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee Tech and a master’s in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. While at Tennessee Tech, he played on the football team and, in 2017, Wilmore received the NCAA’s highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award, for being an individual who exemplifies the ideals of college sports.

 

(NASA)

 

Wilmore was an astronaut at NASA for 25 years before retiring in July 2025. During his time at NASA he went on 3 missions, spent 464 days in space, completed 5 spacewalks, and served as the Commander of the International Space Station. Prior to that, Wilmore served as a U.S. Navy captain, completing four deployments and flying 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.

He currently resides in Tennessee with his wife Deanna. They have two daughters, Daryn and Logan. 

In regard to his run for governor, Wilmore told the Tennessean that “this is something I’ve prayed about and even had discussions with like-minded friends for greater than 15 years.” He continued to note, “this is not new.”

In order to be on the ballot, he must collect the necessary signatures and file his petition with the state by March 10 at noon. The gubernatorial primary will take place on August 6th.