Blackburn Dominates Williamson County GOP Straw Poll for Tennessee Governor
Tennessee Star
A straw poll conducted during Friday night’s 2026 Reagan Day Gala put on by the Williamson County Republican Party (WCRP) shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to be the overwhelmingly favorite Republican candidate running in the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election among Republicans in the county.
Out of those who participated in the poll, Blackburn garnered 70.6 percent of the vote while State Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston) came in second, earning 15.8 percent of the total vote.
U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) came in third place in the poll, earning 13.6 percent.
Blackburn, who was a founding member of the Williamson County Young Republicans and former chair of WCRP from 1989 to 1991, celebrated her victory in Friday night’s straw poll, writing on social media, “To everyone who came out to support us tonight – THANK YOU!”
“As a former chair of the [Williamson County Republican Party], this event will always hold a special place in my heart. And yes, working together, we will make Tennessee America’s conservative leader,” Blackburn added in a separate post.
Friday’s event was held at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs. The program was headlined by investigative journalist Lara Logan, who served as its keynote speaker.
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), a staunch supporter of Blackburn’s gubernatorial campaign, was one of the attendees at the event who voted for her in the straw poll.
“As you know, when [Blackburn] was elected to Congress, I was one of her opponents. And all I can say is to those people running against her for governor, you ain’t had an ass whoopin til you get one of them Marsha Blackburn ass whoopins. From Memphis to Mountain City and from Turtletown to Tiptonville, it’s all Blackburn territory,” Taylor said in a social media video while at the event.
Blackburn is one of five Republican candidates – alongside Fritts, Rose, Carlton Boleyjack, and Rebecca Lynn Inman – who have qualified for the August 6 primary ballot.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.