Governor elections in Tennessee
● In officeBill LeeRepublican
Elections won
R 14 · D 63 · Other 986 gubernatorial elections since 1799
Last decided by
32.0 pts2022, Bill Lee over Jason Martin
Closest ever
1.12 pts1894, Peter Turney over Henry Clay Evans
Longest streak
20 in a rowDemocratic, 1922–1966
Next election
2026Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Tennessee's governor is Republican Bill Lee; Lee won the most recent race by 32.0 points in 2022. Lee has held the office since 2018. The 2022 race put Lee ahead of Jason Martin, 32.0 points clear. Across 86 elections since 1799, Republicans have won 14 and Democrats 63, with 9 going to other parties. Of those, the closest was 1894, decided by 1.1 points; the widest 1954, by 74.9 points.
Bill Lee R 1,129,390 · Jason Martin D 572,818
Bill Haslam R 951,796 · Charles Brown D 309,237
Bill Haslam R 1,041,545 · Mike McWherter D 529,851
Phil Bredesen D 1,247,491 · Jim Bryson R 540,853
Phil Bredesen D 837,284 · Van Hilleary R 786,803
Don Sundquist R 669,973 · John Jay Hooker D 287,750
Don Sundquist R 807,104 · Phil Bredesen D 664,252
Ned McWherter D 479,990 · Dwight Henry R 288,904
Ned McWherter D 656,602 · Winfield Dunn R 553,449
Lamar Alexander R 737,693 · Randy Tyree D 500,937
Lamar Alexander R 661,959 · Jake Butcher D 523,495
Ray Blanton D 576,833 · Lamar Alexander R 455,467
Winfield Dunn R 575,777 · John Jay Hooker D 509,521
Frank G. Clement D 281,291 · John Randolph Neal Jr. I 39,574
Frank G. Clement D 640,290 · R. Beecher Witt R 166,377
Gordon Browning D 184,437 · John Randolph Neal Jr. I 51,757
Gordon Browning D 363,903 · Roy Acuff R 179,957
Jim Nance McCord D 149,937 · William O. Lowe R 73,222
Jim Nance McCord D 275,746 · John W. Kilgo R 158,742
Prentice Cooper D 120,148 · C. N. Frazier R 51,120
Prentice Cooper D 323,466 · C. Arthur Bruce R 125,245
Prentice Cooper D 210,567 · Howard Baker Sr. R 83,031
Gordon Browning D 332,523 · Pat H. Thach R 77,392
Hill McAlister D 198,743 · Lewis S. Pope I 122,965
Henry Hollis Horton D 153,341 · C. Arthur Bruce R 85,558
Henry Hollis Horton D 195,546 · Raleigh Hopkins R 124,733
Austin Peay D 84,979 · Walter White R 46,238
Austin Peay D 162,002 · T. F. Peck R 121,228
Austin Peay D 141,012 · Alfred A. Taylor R 102,586
Alfred A. Taylor R 229,133 · Albert H. Roberts D 185,890
Albert H. Roberts D 98,628 · Hugh B. Lindsay R 59,518
Thomas Clarke Rye D 146,759 · John W. Overall R 117,819
Thomas Clarke Rye D 137,636 · Ben W. Hooper R 117,717
Ben W. Hooper R 124,641 · Benton McMillin D 116,610
Ben W. Hooper R 133,076 · Robert Love Taylor D 121,694
Malcolm R. Patterson D 133,176 · George N. Tillman R 113,269
Malcolm R. Patterson D 111,876 · Henry Clay Evans R 92,804
James B. Frazier D 131,503 · Jessie M. Littleton R 103,409
James B. Frazier D 98,902 · Henry Tyler Campbell R 59,007
Benton McMillin D 145,708 · John E. McCall R 119,831
Benton McMillin D 105,640 · James Alexander Fowler R 72,611
Robert Love Taylor D 156,227 · G. N. Tillman R 149,374
Robert Love Taylor D 156,799 · Samuel W. Hawkins R 139,014
Robert Love Taylor D 126,491 · Alfred A. Taylor R 109,842
William B. Bate D 132,201 · Frank T. Reid R 125,246
William B. Bate D 120,637 · Alvin Hawkins R 93,168
Parson Brownlow R 74,484 · Emerson Etheridge C 22,440
Andrew Johnson D 67,499 · Meredith Poindexter Gentry W 65,343
Andrew Johnson D 63,413 · Gustavus Adolphus Henry Sr. W 61,163
William B. Campbell W 63,333 · William Trousdale D 61,673
William Trousdale D 61,740 · Neill S. Brown W 60,350
Neill S. Brown W 61,372 · Aaron V. Brown D 60,004
Aaron V. Brown D 58,269 · Ephraim H. Foster W 56,646
James C. Jones W 58,307 · James K. Polk D 54,470
James C. Jones W 53,586 · James K. Polk D 50,343
James K. Polk D 54,062 · Newton Cannon W 51,387
Newton Cannon W 51,344 · Robert Armstrong D 33,954
William Carroll D 43,313 · Edward Ward 11,079
Joseph McMinn D 36,470 · Enoch Parsons 9,148
Joseph McMinn D 27,901 · Robert Coleman Foster 15,461
Joseph McMinn D 16,354 · Robert Weakley D 7,642 · Jesse Wharton D 7,060 · Robert Coleman Foster 4,225 · +1 more
Willie Blount D 13,686 · William Cocke D 8,435
John Sevier D 18,310 · William Cocke D 3,030
John Sevier D 10,293 · Archibald Roane D 5,855
John Sevier D 6,780 · Archibald Roane D 4,923