# Tennessee GOP governor primary race > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/tennessee-gop-governor-primary-race > Updated: 2026-07-28T20:00:39.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2. In mid‑July, incumbent Senator Marsha Blackburn, the Republican frontrunner for Tennessee’s governor primary, declined to debate fellow GOP contenders John Rose and Monty Fritts as early voting began. At that point, polls showed her holding a double‑digit lead and campaign finance reports indicated she had raised roughly ten times more than Rose, with the bulk of contributions coming from out‑of‑state donors. A fortnight later, a new poll suggested Blackburn’s margin had narrowed to under four percentage points, putting her lead at risk. While she remained the best‑known candidate, her favorability was split almost evenly (47 % favorable, 50 % unfavorable). Blackburn dismissed the poll’s findings but responded to an AI‑generated attack ad aired by the American Exceptionalism Institute PAC, labeling her a “queen pharma mama.” She threatened legal action after the ad was removed under a Tennessee law requiring disclosure of synthetic political content. ## Timeline ### 2026-07-28: Sen. Marsha Blackburn Faces Tightening Tennessee Governor Primary Race A poll shows Marsha Blackburn’s Tennessee governor primary lead shrinking to under 4 points, while she also demands removal of an AI‑generated attack ad by a dark‑money PAC under state disclosure law. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sen-marsha-blackburn-faces-tightening-tennessee-governor-primary-race ### 2026-07-15: Marsha Blackburn Refuses Debate in Tennessee Governor Primary Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s GOP governor frontrunner, refuses to debate rivals and lauds DOJ nominee Todd Blanche, emphasizing her fundraising lead and low crime claims. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/marsha-blackburn-refuses-debate-in-tennessee-governor-primary --- Cite as: Tennessee GOP governor primary race. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/tennessee-gop-governor-primary-race