Feature photo courtesy of Sidelines Archive
Story by Marim Abbas
As Tennessee gears up for the 2024 U.S. Senate race, incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces off against Democratic Tennessee Rep. Gloria Johnson. With Tennessee being predominantly Republican, the different campaigning strategies of Blackburn and Johnson offer insights into how candidates approach Tennessee’s political landscape.
Tennessee maintains a supermajority in the state legislature, and no Democrat has won a Senate seat since 2006. Tennessee voters tend to favor conservative values, making it challenging for Democratic candidates to break through. Shifts in voter concerns, however, such as gun violence and rising healthcare costs, opened up discussions about whether they could change voting results or if the red supermajority state would continue to dominate.
Marsha Blackburn’s campaigning style centers around values that resonate with Tennessee’s predominantly Republican electorate. Her platform advocates for pro-life stances, tax cuts, strict immigration policies and strong national security measures. She opposes increased gun control and emphasizes Second Amendment rights.
Blackburn’s campaign mainly targets rural and suburban Republicans, strengthening GOP influence in the state. During the 2018 Senate race, she received over $15 million, and she received over $17 million during the 2024 Senate race. Blackburn received endorsements from high-profile Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.
She uses large rallies, social media, and advertisements to promote her platform to Tennesseans, rarely needing to appeal to independent or democratic voters. Instead, she links her opponents to national democratic figures like U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden, portraying them as out of touch with Tennessee values and Tennesseans alike.
Financially, she holds a significant advantage, raising $7 million by mid-2023. Polling data shows that Blackburn leads Johnson by 18-20 points as of October 2024, with Blackburn’s support typically falling between 50% and 56%. Johnson’s polling ranges from 33% to 40%. Blackburn holds strong support from conservative voters in Tennessee as she holds a substantial lead in polling.
Gloria Johnson’s campaign centers around expanding healthcare, especially Medicaid, and increasing access for underserved populations. She advocates for stricter gun control measures and public safety while also supporting education reform, LGBTQ+ rights and racial equity. A strong supporter of reproductive rights, Johnson prioritizes the protection of abortion access. Johnson was put into the spotlight after she was one of three state representatives who protested gun violence after the Covenant School shooting.
Her campaign takes a grassroots approach, focusing on urban areas, and frequently holds town halls and listening sessions to engage with voters directly. As a democratic candidate in a predominantly red state, Johnson focuses on minority voters, students and suburban voters who don’t traditionally turn out in larger numbers.
She often plays defense when trying to hold onto blue districts while appealing to moderators and independents in swing by focusing on local issues. Johnson tends to avoid direct attacks, instead criticizing the lack of healthcare expansion, weakening of gun safety laws, and underfunding of the education system. She positions her campaign as a challenge to the current system.
In recent polling, Johnson has 33% of voter support against incumbent Marsha Blackburn, who leads with 50.5%. Johnson received 41% support from Democratic voters in her primary, giving her a strong lead among Democrats, but she faces challenges in the suburban areas where her support remains weaker.
The difference in Blackburn and Johnson’s campaigns highlights the political divide for Tennesseans. Blackburn’s incumbency and financial resources hold her at the upper hand as she receives endorsements from national Republican leaders and media outreach.
Johnson localizes her approach and highlights the shortcomings in the current system. She depends on individual donations and smaller contributions.
The outcome of this race will provide insights as to whether voter priorities will shift or if the red supermajority will continue to dominate Tennessee’s political landscape.
Marim Abbas is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
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