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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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With Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn set to become Tennessee’s governor in January, speculation is already mounting over who could be appointed to her Senate seat.
Blackburn defeated her Democratic challenger Jerri Green with 45.5 percent of the vote to Green’s 43 percent in the Volunteer State’s gubernatorial election. Independent candidate David Hatley received 9.3 percent of the vote.
Blackburn’s victory will leave a soon-vacant seat in the U.S. Senate. Under Tennessee law, a U.S. Senate vacancy is filled by gubernatorial appointment, meaning the decision could fall to either current Governor Bill Lee or Blackburn herself, depending on when she formally resigns her Senate seat. Minnesota is facing a similar situation after U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, won the gubernatorial race there.
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Regardless of who makes the final appointment, several names have been floated as possible replacements.
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Who Could Replace Blackburn in the US Senate?
If Blackburn makes the selection, she will likely look for someone with similar ideology who is loyal to her and the Republican party, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University John Geer told Newsweek on Friday. The candidate’s electability might also be considered, as whoever is appointed to her position will only fill the vacancy until the November 7, 2028, election.
“She’s had a lot of experience in Congress, both in the House and Senate,” Geer said. “She’s been a part of Tennessee politics for a while, so she’s going to have her own preferences. It’ll be interesting to see.”
Some of the names being floated as possible contenders include:
Pete Hegseth
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has a home near Nashville. His consideration comes as his future in the Trump administration has been thrown into question following the midterms, and Blackburn is reportedly no longer considering Hegseth as a possibility as of Thursday.
While he said it was still possible for Hegseth to be appointed to Blackburn’s Senate seat, Geer said Tuesday’s elections lowered that probability.
“I think in general, the Republicans in the state and Marsha Blackburn in particular need to decide what the elections meant for governing,” Geer said, adding that Tennessee had a 10- to 12-point shift toward Democrats, which was “unexpected” and led to several competitive races. “Do you decided whether you’re going to continue a very extreme conservative position because you have the supermajority still in the state legislature—your governor—or do you decide to moderate?”
While Hegseth would align with Blackburn ideologically, he might not be the “most popular choice,” Geer noted.
U.S. Representative Tim Burchett
Burchett won his re-election bid for his U.S. House seat in Tennessee’s second congressional district with 57.7 percent of the vote to his Democratic opponent Michaela Barnett’s 41.2 percent.
As a politically visible figure with congressional experience, a U.S. Senate appointment could be the next step in Burchett’s career and a “totally understandable” decision on Blackburn’s part, Geer said.
However, if Burchett is appointed, his House seat would not be subject to gubernatorial appointment. Instead, a special election would be held, which would be “another test” on the increasing Democratic support in Tennessee, Geer explained. The uncertainty about the outcome of a special election could weaken Burchett’s case for the Senate role.
Damon Hininger
One of the most controversial possibilities is Damon Hininger, the former CEO of CoreCivic, a U.S. corrections and community services company based in Tennessee. Hininger previously floated the possibility of replacing Blackburn after she won the Republican nomination after the primary. If he was appointed, it would certainly play “to the hard right of the party,” Geer said, “without some of the baggage Hegseth has.”
However, given Hininger doesn’t have congressional experience, Geer said it would be hard to know what kind of senator he would be. He is a big donor to the Republican party, including to Blackburn’s gubernatorial campaign.
Hininger’s name is well known across political circles in Tennessee and on Capitol Hill, Mark O’Gorman, a professor of political science and environmental studies at Maryville College in eastern Tennessee, told Newsweek on Friday.
John Rose
An unlikely selection would be John Rose, a Republican who ran against Blackburn in the gubernatorial primary in August. Blackburn won the Republican nomination with 43.4 percent of the vote to Rose’s 32.9 percent. Republican Monty Fritts received 23.4 percent of the vote.
However, according to Geer, it's unlikely that Rose would be appointed to fill Blackburn's seat.
“She’s going to look for someone who’s been a supporter and loyal to her, which is why someone like John Rose, who is certainly able to do the job, is unlikely to be a contender because they competed against each other in the primary,” Geer explained.
Glenn Jacobs
Former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs may be on Blackburn’s shortlist, O’Gorman said, given his mayorship recently ended on August 31.
While Knoxville leans Democrat, Jacobs is a Republican and the county is “fairly red,” O’Gorman noted, adding: “He’s worked across the aisle to be successful, and I think President Trump was appreciative of Jacobs in the past.”
What Happens Next
While the candidate appointed to fill Blackburn’s Senate seat could be seen as a “strategic” move among the Republican party, Geer said Blackburn might simply choose a person who she thinks is best for the role. Should that be the case, it’ll be difficult to anticipate her successor until their name is announced.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Cristina Diciu.
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