The John Rose gubernatorial campaign team held a series of briefings for donors and Republican leaders in Knoxville and Nashville this past Friday. Both meetings were well attended and generated a lot of interest and positive energy for Rose’s candidacy. 
Rose appeared comfortable and confident as he discussed the campaign and the fact that, at this point, he is the only significant candidate in the race on either side of the political aisle.
Although he did not make any specific references to his likely Republican primary opponent, Senator Marsha Blackburn, he did make a couple of veiled references.
“Tennessee needs somebody in the Governor’s office with the experience and skills to roll up their sleeves and get to work from day one,” Rose noted. “This isn’t a job for someone who is simply looking to cap their career with another title.”
Rose later joked that while there are two women in Tennessee who could probably beat him in the race, he is fortunate that both his sister Rhedona (who retired in 2023 after 37 years as Tennessee Farm Bureau Executive Vice President) and wife Chelsea are already firmly committed to supporting him.
Some of the top messages that his pollster and campaign leadership, including former Tennessee, Republican Party, chairman Chris Devaney, shared were:
John Rose’s background and message of being a successful businessman, farmer, and political outsider are resonating with voters.
Rose will have the resources to start strong and go the distance to win the election. His success in the business world has enabled him the ability to already commit a large amount to his campaign war chest ($5-million), and he raised over $1.1 million, which is a strong number for any statewide candidate in Tennessee over one year prior to primary Election Day.
Once voters are familiar with Rose’s background, they are overwhelmingly supportive of his candidacy.
A briefing of recent polling was shared by the Rose campaign’s pollster Jim McCaughlin. McCaughlin is also a pollster for President Donald Trump. Some of the highlights of the polling data provided to those in attendance revealed:
“Marsha Blackburn has been in politics since 1992 and in Washington DC for over 22 years. While I have voted for her in the past and supported her on most of the issues, she should stay in the Senate; and another Republican should run for Governor instead.” Do you agree or disagree:
48% agree (close to 50%)
29% disagree
After being asked informed questions on both Congressman John Rose and Senator Blackburn, the informed ballot showed strong numbers for Rose:
Support Rose: 54%
Support Blackburn: 24%
Undecided: 22%
The polling results were from a McLaughlin & Associates survey of 600 likely August 2026 Republican Primary voters in Tennessee from March 16th -18th, 2025. In order to qualify for this survey, respondents had to indicate that they are likely to vote in the August 2026 Republican Primary elections. This statewide poll of 600 likely Republican Primary voters has an accuracy of +/- 4.0%.
The Rose campaign emphasized that between the funding capabilities that the campaign will enjoy, the demographic make up of likely republican primary voters, and the issues that moved voters in Rose’s direction in the course of the polling, they are confident that the lead enjoyed by Marsha Blackburn at this point, based primarily on greater name recognition, will evaporate during the course of the campaign.
Steve Gill is Publisher of TriStar Daily and is a national and international political and analyst and commentator.
