A straw poll conducted during the Davidson County Republican Party’s annual summer picnic on Saturday found U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to be the favorite candidate among Republicans in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

Blackburn won the straw poll with 345 votes (63.7 percent) over Tennessee U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), who received 195 votes (36 percent). Sen. Marsha Blackburn / Facebook

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) received one vote as a write-in candidate.

A total of 541 votes were cast in the straw poll during Saturday’s event, which hosted more than 600 attendees at Centennial Park. Rep. John Rose / Facebook

Blackburn and Rose both attended the event.

The Davidson County Republican Party congratulated Blackburn for winning the straw po

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