By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
Marsha Blackburn, the senior U.S. senator from Tennessee, is on track to become the Volunteer State’s first female governor. Given her nearly 30 years of public service, Business Journal of Tri-Cities Editor A.J. Kaufman sat down with Blackburn to discuss pertinent issues and what’s on the horizon.
Business Journal: You are running to be Tennessee’s next governor. What would that mean to you — not only as the first woman to hold the office, but also as the chief executive of the Volunteer State? What would be your top priorities?
Marsha Blackburn: We are focused on winning that election. We have a goal to keep Tennessee moving in the right direction. Tennesseans want us to focus on issues that are vitally important to them. As we’ve talked and listened to them, they’re concerned about the cost of living, whether it’s gas, groceries, ground beef and those everyday costs to keep your head above water and keep functioning.
They’re also concerned about housing and taxes, and property tax is an issue. Of course, we’re going to have a measure on the ballot that would foreclose the idea of ever having a property tax in our state. I don’t think anyone should ever be taxed out of their home or off of their farm. Some of these tax bills have risen more than incrementally, with huge increases that have interjected some unpredictability for our citizens. So, they want to see a little bit more transparency and accountability around those tax bills. As to the cost of housing and everyday life, as the next governor, I am going to do my very best to ensure that every Tennessean can continue to live and work and prosper in our great state.
BJ: The Tennessee economy is decent, especially in terms of business creation, but nationally, it’s been a struggle for many since COVID, especially with lingering inflation and the effects of tariffs. Tell us why you support the president’s tariff policy — on which countries, perhaps China — and how can families and businesses combat inflation?
MB: It’s taken longer than any of us wanted to see for that inflation to come down and for job growth to pick up. When it comes to the countries that we’re dealing with, Communist China has taken advantage of the U.S. for a very long time. They have had what they call the 100-year marathon going on against us. They plan to be the superior country by 2050. And one of the things that they have done is to practice unfair trade against us. They have practiced intellectual property theft on a regular basis. And all of this hurts American workers. So, dealing with Communist China and their impact on us, the way they have taken jobs, the way they have tried to be the single source provider for items, whether it is component parts or our pharmaceuticals or other things. Recouping that manufacturing and bringing it back is something that we should do.
We should also use our economic strength against countries like Iran, where you have these regimes that threaten our national security. And of course, Iran, if given a dollar, they’re going to use it on enriching uranium because they want a nuclear weapon, and the other would be to support terrorism. They are the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism. The Economic Outcast initiative that (US Treasury) Secretary Bessent has in place right now is effective. We have our allies in the EU and some of our allies in the Mideast have joined us in this effort. We have to make certain that Iran never has access to a nuclear weapon, and we do have to realize they have been at war with us for 47 years. President Trump had said he was going to end that.
On the issue of combating inflation, affordability and cost of living are the number one issue facing Tennesseans. What we have to do is make certain that government is not making that problem worse. One of my first actions as governor is to take a big red marker to our state budget. I am going to be working with Hawkins County Representative Gary Hicks, who is chairman of the budget committee. And we’re going to work together to cut out wasteful spending, review some of the processes and contracting and different components that are in the state budget, to make certain that we are not wasting one dollar.
I think the best way to fight inflation long term is to make certain that Tennessee continues to be the best place in the country to live, to work, rear a family, build a business, to have jobs for our kids to come home to and to be focusing on that next generation, not just thinking about next year but 10, 20, 30 years down the road. That’s why it’s so important that we do a reset with our state government, much like we did after the state income tax battle. We can skinny up this budget and grab some of the authority that President Trump is sending back to the states and approach this in a conservative and sustainable way, so that our children and grandchildren know they too, are going to be able to live their version of the American dream right here in Tennessee.
BJ: Most statistics show Tennessee welcomes about 200 new residents each day; that’s roughly 80,000 annually. What does that mean for affordability concerns, and tell me some of the positives about inbound migration.
MB: It’s always interesting to me to talk with people that have chosen to come to Tennessee. And they’ll talk about the fact that we are a safe community. We have no state income tax. We are a right-to-work state. When I was a state senator, I fought against imposition of a state income tax. I felt like Tennesseans deserve to keep the money in their pocket, and they did not want to send their hard-earned money to the state government and have that tax.
We were successful in doing that. Ron Ramsey was sitting next to me in the state senate when we defeated that state income tax…that really put our state on a different trajectory. And the number of people that you see wanting to come into the state is really a testament to the success of our state. Governor Haslam, Governor Lee, the great work they’ve done, the great work the general assembly has done to make certain that we are a well-governed, well-led state. People will tell you they’re coming for our low taxes, for our strong economy, because we have conservative leadership, our quality of life and just good old freedom. I want Tennessee to be the freest state in the United States…Number one, when it comes to being the state of opportunity where people can build and grow their businesses. And that is what people are looking for.
We have to make sure that our infrastructure and our communities are going to be able to keep up with the people that are choosing to come here. And we need to make certain we’re getting rid of unnecessary regulations that are driving up building and construction costs. We need to simplify our permitting. We need to give communities the tools that they need to really grow responsibly, and I’ve had the opportunity to be in every county in our state, every year, for the last seven years. What a wonderful opportunity to talk with our county mayors and with citizens and employers and education leaders and teachers and hear firsthand how they want to see their communities grow and how you have such great partnerships between local elected officials and individuals that call those communities home. They are working together to build a very strong community, which in return makes a very strong Tennessee.
BJ: Governor Bill Lee’s school voucher program seems successful overall and will be expanded, but while there’s opposition from Democrats, it also comes from some Republicans, especially in rural areas. Do you plan to continue the Education Freedom Scholarship the same way and expand more in years to come?
MB: This is a program that Tennessee parents have gravitated toward. No parent should have to win the lottery to have a say in their child’s education, and we know that one-size-fits-all education does not work. It’s up to parents and teachers to make certain children are in a learning environment that’s right for them. The Education Freedom Scholarships have given parents that choice…it allows those options. We have more than 17,000 Tennessee families on the scholarship waiting list and we are at 35,000 scholarships; that speaks to how popular this program is with families. It will be up to the governor to work with the General Assembly to decide how best to expand the scholarships, so that we can make certain the families seeking this opportunity — children needing a different learning environment — are going to be able to have the opportunity and get that child in the right learning environment for them.
BJ: As the Business Journal covers both urban and rural parts of Northeast Tennessee, let our readers know more about why, in general, you admire this region.
MB: There are a lot of people that think East Tennessee ends at Dollywood. And they don’t realize that when you get into Upper East Tennessee, that this is some of the most beautiful parts of our state, and you can look at areas like Boone Lake, then stand on some of the farms in these communities, and the scenery is so gorgeous. It is truly unmatched.
You all up in Tri-Cities have such tremendous economic potential. I think the region has done a great job holding onto its character, its charm, its heritage, and people really love that. The cooperation in the region is some of the best in the state. What I admire most is how much pride people are taking in their communities and how they’re looking out for their neighbors.
Certainly, we saw this as we all worked together after Hurricane Helene, and I was on the ground up there so many times, and just the way people were loving on their friends and neighbors to say, “Let us help you through this.” Communities that had experienced such tragedy and loss and devastation, then people from the region just showing up and saying, “We’re here. We’re here to help. How can we be most helpful?” And that is something that is kind of a way of life with us as Tennesseans, and certainly with you all there in Upper East Tennessee. I absolutely love it.
