Opinion · Editorial endorsement · October 25, 2026
Marsha Blackburn wants to be Tennessee’s governor. Apparently, standing next to an opponent and answering questions is the optional upgrade. Daily Junk Food supports Jerri Green. A governor’s race should be a contest over how to run a state, not a coronation with campaign merchandise.
The empty podium is the point
WPLN reported October 5 that Blackburn had refused debates with her opponents. Green held a September 30 event in Brentwood opposite an empty lectern. Blackburn’s campaign defended its approach by saying voters wanted work rather than gimmicks; Blackburn said she was speaking with Tennesseans daily.
Fine. Conversations matter. But conversations selected by a campaign are no substitute for a public comparison in which another candidate can challenge an answer before the audience has forgotten the question. A politician asking for executive power should manage an evening of unscripted scrutiny. The rest of us survive job interviews without a Senate communications team.
To us, slithering around that obligation is precisely the slippery politics Tennessee should reject. That is our judgment of the campaign’s behavior, not an allegation of a hidden crime. Blackburn’s record and proposals deserve a proper interrogation in daylight.
A favorable poll is not a deed to the house
The freshest wrinkle is the uncertainty around the race. WPLN’s October 21 report described one poll putting Blackburn 12 points ahead of Green and another putting them two points apart. Vanderbilt polling expert John Geer identified concerns with both surveys. Both also showed independent David Hatley attracting a substantial share of support.
Those numbers do not establish that Green is winning. They also do not entitle Blackburn to treat the election as a paperwork exercise. We will not sell readers a comforting prediction dressed as analysis. Elections are decided by ballots, and the uncertainty is a reason to examine the candidates more closely.
Why our choice is Green
Showing up is a beginning, not an entire governing platform. Green should face hard questions about her own plans, costs and practical limits. We support her willingness to make the case in public and believe Tennessee needs a change from Blackburn’s brand of political entitlement. Our endorsement does not come with a promise to stop asking Green questions if she wins.
Voters deserve comparisons on public schools, access to care, wages, housing and what state government can actually deliver. They deserve an opponent’s follow-up when a slogan dodges the bill. Tennessee is a place where people live, not a decorative background for somebody’s national television career.
Tennessee’s Secretary of State lists early voting through October 29; Election Day is November 3, 2026. Check official local locations and hours. Our preference is plain: Jerri Green. Our standard is equally plain: candidates should earn the office in front of the people paying for it.
Keep reading our Politics & Power coverage or explore the complete story archive.
Photo: US Senate Photography / Public domain. Resized and padded for display; photograph content unchanged.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.