The 2024 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Tennessee. Incumbent one-term Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn defeated state representative Gloria Johnson with 63.8% of the vote. Blackburn improved vastly from her 2018 performance by nearly 19 points.
The primaries took place on August 1, 2024, with Blackburn and Johnson winning their respective party nominations. This was the first general election for a Tennessee senate seat in which the two major party candidates were women.
Blackburn performed comparably to Donald Trump in the general election overall but notably outperformed him in some key counties. Specifically, she outperformed him in Hamilton, Madison, and Shelby. She also outperformed Trump in Haywood County—a county he lost and where she had also previously lost—but this time, she managed to flip it. Johnson lost her home county, Knox County, by a wide margin.
Although Johnson campaigned for the Senate seat, she simultaneously sought and won re-election unopposed to the State House in the 90th district. On August 6, 2025—just nine months after the election—Blackburn announced her candidacy for the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election.
Background At the federal and state levels, Tennessee is considered to be a strongly red state, having gone to Donald Trump by 23 points in the 2020 presidential election. In Tennessee, Republicans occupied both Senate seats, 8 out of 9 U.S. House seats, supermajorities in both state legislative chambers, and the governor's office.
Due to Tennessee's strong conservative bent, this race was considered a "Safe" Republican hold.
Campaign After defeating Former Governor Phil Bredesen by a surprisingly wide margin in 2018, Blackburn sought re-election. She was easily re-nominated as the Republican nominee.
Initially, 2020 Democratic nominee for senate, Marquita Bradshaw was seen as the early favorite but months after her announcement, State Representative Gloria Johnson entered the race. Johnson had gained prominence for her protest on the Tennessee house floor over the 2023 Covenant School shooting. Of the three representatives involved in the protest, two were expelled from the legislature, while Johnson narrowly avoided expulsion by just one vote. Johnson would go on to easily win the nomination.
Throughout the campaign, Blackburn consistently led Johnson in the polls and enjoyed a significant financial edge, with a $9 million fundraising advantage. On October 16, the two candidates were scheduled to debate, but Blackburn declined to attend, leaving Johnson to face an empty chair.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Marsha Blackburn, incumbent U.S. Senator (2019–present)
Eliminated in primary Tres Wittum, legislative policy analyst and candidate for in 2022
Endorsements
Fundraising +Campaign finance reports as of July 12, 2024 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on handMarsha Blackburn (R)$14,501,964$6,339,437$8,776,627Source: Federal Election Commission
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Gloria Johnson, state representative from the 90th district (2013–2015, 2019–present)
Eliminated in primary Marquita Bradshaw, staffing consultant and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020 Lola Brown, minister Civil Miller-Watkins, former Fayette County school board member
Declined Joanne Sowell, attorney
Endorsements
Fundraising +Campaign finance reports as of July 12, 2024 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on handMarquita Bradshaw (D)$36,054$35,691$364Gloria Johnson (D)$5,046,183$3,009,194$2,048,985Source: Federal Election Commission
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MarquitaBradshaw GloriaJohnson CivilMiller-Watkins Other UndecidedTargoz Market ResearchTargoz Market ResearchMarch 15 – April 2, 2024282 (LV)± 2.77%7%38%2%1%52%Targoz Market ResearchTargoz Market ResearchDecember 14–28, 2023251 (LV)± 2.66%11%41%2%1%45%
Results
Independents Candidates Declared Tharon Chandler, farmer and Democratic nominee for in 2016 Pamela Moses, community activist and convicted felon Hastina Robinson, firefighter
General election
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 9, 2023 Inside Elections November 9, 2023 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 9, 2023 Decision Desk HQ/The Hill June 8, 2024 Elections Daily May 4, 2023 CNalysis November 21, 2023 RealClearPolitics August 5, 2024 Split Ticket October 23, 2024 538 October 23, 2024
Post-primary endorsements
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of July 12, 2024CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handMarsha Blackburn (R)$14,501,964$6,339,437$8,776,627Gloria Johnson (D)$5,069,008$3,009,194$2,048,985Source: Federal Election Commission
Polling Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdatedMarshaBlackburn (R)GloriaJohnson (D)UndecidedMargin538538through October 28, 2024October 29, 202455.0%35.7%9.3%Blackburn +19.3RCPRCPOctober 1, 2023 - May 9, 2024September 9, 202450.5%33.0%16.5%Blackburn +17.5TheHill/DDHQTheHill/DDHQthrough October 28, 2024October 29, 202459.4%36.5%4.1%Blackburn +22.9%Average55.0%35.1%9.9%Blackburn +19.9% Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MarshaBlackburn (R) GloriaJohnson (D) UndecidedActiVoteActiVoteOctober 7–28, 2024400 (LV)± 4.9%61%39%–ActiVoteActiVoteSeptember 14 – October 18, 2024400 (LV)± 4.9%61%39%–Targoz Market ResearchTargoz Market ResearchSeptember 27 – October 8, 20241,159 (RV)± 2.77%52%29%18%971 (LV)± 2.77%54%31%15%ActiVoteActiVoteJuly 25 – September 2, 2024400 (LV)± 4.9%60%40%–Targoz Market ResearchTargoz Market ResearchJune 20 – July 1, 20241,124 (RV)± 2.77%49%32%19%944 (LV)± 2.77%52%32%16%SSRS/Vanderbilt UniversitySSRS/Vanderbilt UniversityApril 26 – May 9, 20241,003 (RV)± 3.4%51%40%9%Targoz Market ResearchMarch 15 – April 2, 2024955 (LV)± 2.77%45%29%26%Targoz Market ResearchTargoz Market ResearchOctober 5–16, 2023850 (LV)± 2.79%49%29%23%
Marsha Blackburn vs. Marquita Bradshaw Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MarshaBlackburn (R) MarquitaBradshaw (D) UndecidedTargoz Market ResearchJune 20 – July 1, 20241,124 (RV)± 2.77%51%33%17%942 (LV)± 2.77%54%33%14%Targoz Market ResearchMarch 15 – April 2, 2024947 (LV)± 2.77%46%22%32%Targoz Market ResearchOctober 5–16, 2023824 (LV)± 2.79%48%36%17%
Results
By county