Congressman John Rose reported this week that he has raised over $6.1 million through June 30 for his campaign for Tennessee Governor. Rose launched his campaign on March 20. 

Rose noted that donations came from every corner of the state, with funds from Tennesseans in all 95 counties.

As an eighth-generation Tennessee farmer and business owner, Congressman Rose is thus far the only Republican candidate in the race to replace term-limited Governor Bill Lee. Senator Marsha Blackburn is expected to enter the race “soon” as she told TriStar Daily this week. 

Rose is a former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture with deep ties across rural Tennessee. He has earned widespread grassroots support since beginning the campaign. With this dominant initial report, the Rose campaign is poised for a robust, statewide effort in the coming year leading up to the August 2026 primary.

“I am a conservative outsider who made a living in the real world—not politics. To receive this level of support in just a few short months from my fellow Tennesseans is huge for our campaign and my mission to protect our shared values,” said Congressman John Rose. “This is more than just a fundraising number—it’s a clear signal that voters want to defend this state and our freedoms just as badly as I do.”

The funds include $1.1 million raised from hundreds of donors from across every county in the state, and also include an initial candidate loan of $5 million.

Campaign Chair Chris Devaney emphasized the significance of the milestone:

“Beginning the race with a $6 million war chest puts the Rose campaign in a commanding position in the race for Governor—it’s an unprecedented start. Having been through this before, this is the most money any gubernatorial candidate in recent history has reported in their initial filing. Voters and donors alike know that John Rose is the candidate with the conservative credentials, integrity, and statewide base to get the job done.”

Rose announced his candidacy for Governor on March 20, 2025, at the site of the Tennessee State Fair in Wilson County. His conservative record in Congress, mutual support with President Trump, and deep roots in Tennessee agriculture have helped him gain strong support from voters across the state.

Rose has already been actively campaigning across the state despite maintaining a busy schedule in Washington DC throughout the efforts to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. Neither he nor Blackburn can directly use their federal warchests in their state level campaigns.

Rose is giving up his seat in Congress in order to make this run while Blackburn, who was reelected to a six year term last year, will remain as a US senator even if she loses the governor’s race in 2026. If she is victorious she would appoint her successor to serve pending a special election that would occur in 2028.Whoever she might appoint as Governor would also have to run again in 2030 for a full six year term in the US Senate.

At this point, no significant Democrat has announced plans to run in 2026.

Steve Gill is Publisher of the TriStar Dailyand a state and national political analyst and commentator.