Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs threw his support behind U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Jan. 14, posting on social media that she would do an “outstanding job as Governor and would have my full support if that’s what she decides.”
Jacobs spent months laying the groundwork for a run for governor in 2026, but endorsed Blackburn just hours after Knox News said he’s not likely to run if the senator does. Blackburn and Jacobs, who are close friends, are both strong allies of President-elect Donald Trump and many of their political views align.
Instead, Jacobs is likely to position himself for an appointment to Blackburn’s would-be vacant Senate seat if she wins. And his endorsement does just that.
Susan Richardson Williams, a former Tennessee Republican Party chair and Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2024, told Knox News she’s heard from several people since Jan. 11 who have been tapped by Blackburn to host campaign fundraisers, though she hasn’t gotten a call herself.
“If (Blackburn running for governor) is a rumor, it’s a very hot rumor,” Richardson Williams told Knox News.
Blackburn became the first woman elected to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate when she won in 2018. If she were elected governor, she would be the first woman to serve in that role, too.
Jacobs created a political action committee that could be the launchpad for a full-fledged gubernatorial campaign. Jacobs at one time used his Big Red PAC, a nod to his World Wrestling Entertainment persona, to “fund a lot of the blocking and tackling of a potential campaign,” including supporting like-minded candidates across the state and paying staff members, according to an email obtained by Knox News that was sent to potential donors.
Now, that money could go toward Blackburn’s campaign, but no more than $14,400 in 2024. That number is adjusted yearly.
But Big Red PAC could become a vehicle for significant fundraising for Blackburn in the future through independent expenditures, or spending on behalf of a candidate or against the opponents.
Big Red PAC donated $3,000 to Blackburn’s Senate fund, Marsha for Senate. And Jacobs has supported Blackburn directly, appearing in her senate campaign advertisements and even traveling to Washington for her Jan. 3 swearing in ceremony.
There is no limit on independent expenditures, and a run for Tennessee governor will cost a candidate millions of dollars.
Blackburn was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1998. She served there until 2003, then was elected to represent part of Middle Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives until her 2018 election to the U.S. Senate. She was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2024 with 89.5% of the Republican primary vote. In the general election, she received 63.8%.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
