2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2018 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Tennessee, alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Bill Haslam was term-limited, and is prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. Republican candidate Bill Lee was elected with 59.6% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee and former Nashville mayor Karl Dean.

2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election

← 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 →
Turnout	54.46% [1] 20.49 pp
Nominee Bill Lee Karl Dean Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 1,336,106 864,863 Percentage 59.56% 38.55%
County results Congressional district results State Senate districts results State House district results Precinct results Lee:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Dean:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Tie:      40–50%      No data
Governor before election Bill Haslam Republican Elected Governor Bill Lee Republican

The primary elections took place on August 2, 2018, with Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean winning their respective party nominations.^[2]

During the general election, Dean flipped back reliably Democratic Davidson, Haywood, and Shelby Counties, which voted for Republican governor Bill Haslam in 2010.

The results of the election marked the first time since 1982 that a candidate from the incumbent president's party was elected governor of Tennessee. This is also the first time that Republicans won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in the state, and the first time that a Republican was elected to succeed another Republican.

As of 2018, this election had the largest number of candidates (28) in a statewide election in United States history; the previous record was the 2016 United States presidential election in Colorado. This large surge in candidates was mostly due to the Libertarian Party of Tennessee's protest of the state's party affiliation and ballot access laws.^[3]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominated

• Bill Lee, businessman^[4]

Eliminated in primary

• Diane Black, U.S. representative^[5]
• Randy Boyd, former Tennessee cabinet official^[6]
• Beth Harwell, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives^[7]
• Basil Marceaux, perennial candidate^[8]
• Kay White, realtor and Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 1st congressional district in 1996 and 1998^[9]

Withdrawn

• Mae Beavers, former state senator^[10][11] (unsuccessfully ran for Wilson County Mayor)^[12]
• Mark Green, state senator (successfully ran in Tennessee's 7th congressional district)^[13]

Declined

• Marsha Blackburn, U.S. representative (successfully ran for the U.S. Senate)^[14][15]
• Tim Burchett, Mayor of Knox County (successfully ran in Tennessee's 2nd congressional district)^[16][17][18]
• Joe Carr, former state representative, perennial candidate^[19][20]
• Bob Corker, U.S. senator^[21][22][23]
• Stephen Fincher, former U.S. representative^[21][24]
• Alberto Gonzales, dean of the Belmont University School of Law and former U.S. Attorney General
• Bill Hagerty, United States Ambassador to Japan and former Tennessee cabinet official^[20]
• Tre Hargett, Tennessee Secretary of State^[25]
• Rob Mitchell, Rutherford County, Rutherford County Property Assessor^[26][27]
• Mark Norris, Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate, appointed as judge to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee^[28][20][29]
• Andy Ogles, director of Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity^[20] (successfully ran for Mayor of Maury County)^[30]
• Ron Ramsey, former lieutenant governor of Tennessee and candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 2010^[21][31]

Endorsements

Beth Harwell

• Representative Harry Brooks, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Education Administration and Planning Committee Chair
• Representative Dale Carr, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Local Government Subcommittee Chair
• Representative Mike Carter, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Civil Justice Subcommittee Chair
• Representative Jim Coley, Tennessee House of Representatives
• Representative Jeremy Faison, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Government Operations Committee Chair
• Representative Andrew Farmer, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Civil Justice Committee Chair
• Representative John Forgety, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Education Instruction and Programs Committee Chair
• Representative Patsy Hazlewood, Tennessee House of Representatives
• Representative Gary Hicks, Tennessee House of Representatives
• Representative John Holsclaw Jr., Tennessee House of Representatives, House Business and Utilities Subcommittee Chair
• Representative Dan Howell, Tennessee House of Representatives, Joint Judiciary and Government Committee Chair, House Local Government Committee Vice-Chair
• Representative Curtis Johnson, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Speaker Pro Tempore
• Representative Pat Marsh, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Business and Utilities Committee Chair
• Representative Steve McDaniel, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Rules Committee Chair, House Ethics Committee Chair, House Finance, Ways, and Means Study Subcommittee Chair
• Representative Tim Rudd, Tennessee House of Representatives
• Representative Charles Sargent, Tennessee House of Representatives, Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Chair
• Representative Mike Sparks, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Calendar and Rules Committee Vice-Chair
• Representative Rick Tillis, Tennessee House of Representatives
• Representative Tim Wirgau, Tennessee House of Representatives, House Local Government Committee Chair
• Senator Frank Niceley, Tennessee State Senate, Senate Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources 1st Vice-Chair, Senate Transportation and Safety Committee 2nd Vice-Chair
• Tennessee Education Association^[32]
• Tennessee State Employees Association^[32]
• Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters Association^[33]

Diane Black

• Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States^[34]
• Stephen Fincher, former U.S. representative^[24]
• Ron Ramsey, former lieutenant governor of Tennessee^[35]
• Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania^[36]
• Steve Scalise, U.S. representative and House Majority Whip (R-LA)^[37]
• Jordan Sekulow, radio talk show host and executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice^[38]
• Carol M. Swain, former Vanderbilt professor and conservative commentator^[39]
• National Right to Life^[40]
• Susan B. Anthony List^[41]
• NRA Political Victory Fund^[42]
• American Conservative Union^[43]
• Students For Trump^[44]
• Family Research Council^[45]

Randy Boyd

• Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor and Presidential candidate in 2008 and 2016^[46]
• Joe Boyd Liggett, mayor of Marshall County^[47]
• Jake Bynum, mayor of Weakley County^[47]
• Mike Creasy, mayor of Decatur County^[47]
• J. Michael Cross, Fentress County executive^[47]
• Richard Daniel, Pickett County executive^[47]
• Ben Danner, Overton County executive^[47]
• Jim Durrett, mayor of Montgomery County^[48]
• Brent Greer, mayor of Henry County^[47]
• Denny Johnson, mayor of Lake County^[47]
• Shaun Lawson, mayor of Hickman County^[47]
• Mark Luttrell, mayor of Shelby County^[49]
• Kenny McBride, mayor of Carroll County^[47]
• Benny McGuire, mayor of Obion County^[47]
• Bill Newman, mayor of Lincoln County^[47]
• Denny Robinson, White County executive^[47]
• Richard Stewart, mayor of Franklin County^[47]
• Sloan Stewart, Lynchburg/Moore County Metro executive^[47]
• Skip Taylor, mayor of Fayette County^[47]
• Jessie Wallace, Humphreys County executive^[47]
• Bill Webb, mayor of Lewis County^[47]
• T.R. Williams, Lawrence County executive^[47]
• Tom Witherspoon, mayor of Gibson County^[47]
• Chris Young, mayor of Dyer County^[47]

Bill Lee

U.S. representatives

• Zach Wamp, former U.S. representative (R-TN)^[50]

State-level Officials

• Andy Holt, state representative^[51]
• Sheila Butt, state representative^[52]
• Jason Zachary, state representative^[53]
• Mae Beavers, former state senator, former gubernatorial candidate^[54]
• Joe Carr, former State Representative^[55]

Notable Individuals

• Michael W. Smith, Christian Singer^[56][57]
• Steven Curtis Chapman, Christian Singer^[58]
• Darrell Waltrip, American motorsports analyst and former NASCAR driver^[58]
• Mike Fisher, Former center for the Nashville Predators and husband of singer Carrie Underwood^[58]
• Ricky Skaggs, Country Music Singer^[59]
• Scott Hamilton, American Figure Skater and Olympic Gold Medalist^[60]

Newspapers

• Chattanooga Free Press^[61]
• Johnson City Press^[62]
• Dunlap News^[63]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Diane Black	Randy Boyd	Beth Harwell	Bill Lee	Other	Undecided
JMC Analytics	July 18–21, 2018	500	± 4.4%	19%	20%	16%	26%	1%[64]	17%
Emerson College Archived August 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	July 11–14, 2018	266	± 6.4%	27%	22%	14%	19%	3%	14%
Data Orbital Archived July 3, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	June 27–30, 2018	700	± 3.7%	24%	23%	10%	19%	–	24%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	June 25–28, 2018	1,040	± 3.1%	27%	33%	7%	20%	–	13%
OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)	May 14–17, 2018	600	± 4.0%	41%	28%	8%	9%	–	15%
Grassroots Targeting (R-Black)	May 4–6, 2018	800	–	41%	26%	6%	11%	–	15%
OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)	April 2018	–	–	33%	30%	5%	13%	–	–
OnMessage Inc. (R-Black)	March 2018	–	–	31%	31%	10%	10%	–	–
TargetPoint/GQR	March 7–14, 2018	390	± 5.0%	25%	20%	6%	7%	2%[65]	37%
North Star Onion Research (R-Lee)	February 5–11, 2018	600	± 4.0%	22%	25%	4%	18%	–	30%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	December 12–18, 2017	1,028	± 3.1%	22%	12%	6%	4%	4%[66]	53%

Results

Results by county:

  Lee

•   20–30%
•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%

  Boyd

•   30–40%
•   40–50%
•   50–60%

  Black

•   20–30%
•   30–40%

Republican primary results^[67]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Lee	291,414	36.75
	Republican	Randy Boyd	193,054	24.35
	Republican	Diane Black	182,457	23.01
	Republican	Beth Harwell	121,484	15.32
	Republican	Kay White	3,215	0.41
	Republican	Basil Marceaux	1,264	0.16
Total votes			792,888	100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

• Karl Dean, former Mayor of Nashville, 2007–2015^[68]

Eliminated in primary

• Craig Fitzhugh, Minority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives^[69]
• Mezianne Vale Payne, retiree^[70]

Declined

• Andy Berke, Mayor of Chattanooga and former state senator^[20]
• Bill Freeman, businessman and candidate for Mayor of Nashville in 2015^[71][72]

Endorsements

Karl Dean

Federal officials

• Jim Cooper, U.S. representative (D-TN)^[73]
• Steve Cohen, U.S. representative (D-TN)^[74]
• Bob Clement, former U.S representative (D-TN)
• Lincoln Davis, former U.S. representative (D-TN)

Labor unions

• Memphis AFSCME Local 1733
• Tennessee Pipe Trades; Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council
• Road Sprinkler Fitters U.A. Local Union No. 66
• Local Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Karl Dean	Craig Fitzhugh	Other	Undecided
Emerson College Archived August 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	July 11–14, 2018	206	± 7.3%	44%	14%	9%	33%
TargetPoint/GQR	March 7–14, 2018	288	± 5.8%	41%	11%	–	44%

Results

Results by county:

  Dean

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%
•   90-100%

  Fitzhugh

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%
•   90-100%

Democratic primary results^[75]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Karl Dean	280,553	75.14
	Democratic	Craig Fitzhugh	72,553	23.42
	Democratic	Mezianne Vale Payne	20,284	5.44
Total votes			373,390	100.0

Independents

Candidates

• Mark CoonRippy Brown (Independent)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Sherry L. Clark (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Justin Cornett (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Gabriel Fancher (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Sean Bruce Fleming (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• William Andrew Helmstetter (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Cory King (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Matthew Koch (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Yvonne Neubert (Green)^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• Alfred Shawn Rapoza (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Chad Riden, comedian (Independent)^[76]
• Heather Scott (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• George Blackwell Smith IV (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Jeremy Allen Stephenson (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Tracy Yaste Tisdale (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Mike Toews (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Rick Tyler, candidate for TN-03 in 2016^[8]
• Vinnie Vineyard (Funkmaster V from Wrestling With Ghosts) ^[76] (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• Jaron D. Weidner (Libertarian)^{[lower-alpha 1][76]}
• Joe B. Wilmoth (Independent)^[76]
• Patrick Whitlock (Independent)

Notes

1. Libertarian Party and Green Party do not have ballot access. Appears on ballot as "Independent."^[77]

General election

Debates

• Complete video of debate, October 2, 2018
• Complete video of debate, October 12, 2018

Endorsements

Bill Lee (R)

U.S. Executive Branch officials

• Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States^[78]
• Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States^[79]

U.S. senators

• Lamar Alexander, U.S. senator (R-TN)^[80]

U.S. representatives

• Diane Black, U.S. representative (R-TN) and Republican candidate for governor in 2018^[81]
• Marsha Blackburn, U.S. representative (R-TN) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018^[82]
• Zach Wamp, former U.S. representative (R-TN)^[50]

State-level Officials

• Bill Haslam, Governor of Tennessee^[83]
• Andy Holt, state representative^[51]
• Sheila Butt, state representative^[52]
• Jay Reedy, state representative^[84]
• Jason Zachary, state representative^[53]
• Mae Beavers, former state senator, former gubernatorial candidate^[54]
• Joe Carr, former State Representative^[55]

Notable Individuals

• Michael W. Smith, Christian Singer^[56][57]
• Steven Curtis Chapman, Christian singer^[58]
• Darrell Waltrip, American motorsports analyst and former NASCAR driver^[58]
• Mike Fisher, former center for the Nashville Predators and husband of singer Carrie Underwood^[58]
• Ricky Skaggs, country music singer^[59]
• Scott Hamilton, American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist^[60]
• Randy Boyd, Businessman and Republican candidate for governor in 2018^[85]

Organizations

• Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters Association^[86]
• NRA Political Victory Fund^[87]
• Tennessee Police Benevolent Association^[88]

Newspapers

• Dunlap News^[63]
• Chattanooga Free Press^[89]
• Knoxville News Sentinel^[90]

Karl Dean (D)

U.S. representatives

• Jim Cooper, U.S. representative (D-TN)^[73]
• Steve Cohen, U.S. representative (D-TN)^[74]
• Bob Clement, former U.S representative (D-TN)
• Lincoln Davis, former U.S. representative (D-TN)

State officials

• Terry McAuliffe, 72nd governor of Virginia^[91]
• Martin O'Malley, 61st governor of Maryland^[92]

Local officials

• Craig Fitzhugh, state representative and former candidate^[93]

Labor unions

• Memphis AFSCME Local 1733
• Tennessee Pipe Trades; Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council
• Road Sprinkler Fitters U.A. Local Union No. 66
• Local Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[94]	Likely R	October 26, 2018
The Washington Post[95]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
FiveThirtyEight[96]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
Rothenberg Political Report[97]	Safe R	November 1, 2018
Sabato's Crystal Ball[98]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
RealClearPolitics[99]	Likely R	November 4, 2018
Daily Kos[100]	Safe R	November 5, 2018
Fox News[101][lower-alpha 1]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
Politico[102]	Likely R	November 5, 2018
Governing[103]	Likely R	November 5, 2018

Notes

1. The Fox News Midterm Power Rankings uniquely does not contain a category for Safe/Solid races

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Bill Lee (R)	Karl Dean (D)	Other	Undecided
Targoz Market Research	October 28–31, 2018	480	–	53%	44%	–	2%
Emerson College	October 28–30, 2018	621	± 4.0%	54%	41%	2%	3%
Fox News	October 27–30, 2018	718 LV	± 3.5%	54%	37%	2%	7%
		850 RV	± 3.0%	52%	36%	2%	9%
Vox Populi Polling	October 27–29, 2018	780	± 3.5%	56%	44%	–	–
CNN/SSRS	October 24–29, 2018	764 LV	± 4.3%	52%	42%	0%	4%
		871 RV	± 4.0%	52%	41%	0%	5%
East Tennessee State University Archived November 5, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	October 22–29, 2018	495	± 4.4%	48%	36%	5%	9%
Cygnal (R)	October 26–27, 2018	497	± 4.4%	59%	36%	3%	2%
Marist College	October 23–27, 2018	471 LV	± 5.7%	57%	40%	1%	3%
		764 RV	± 4.4%	56%	39%	1%	4%
Vanderbilt University/SSRS	October 8–13, 2018	800	± 4.9%	48%	37%	0%	12%
Targoz Market Research	October 9–12, 2018	558 LV	–	56%	44%	–	–
		801 RV	–	49%	39%	–	12%
NYT Upshot/Siena College	October 8–11, 2018	593	± 4.2%	59%	33%	–	8%
Fox News	September 29 – October 2, 2018	666 LV	± 3.5%	53%	36%	1%	10%
		806 RV	± 3.5%	52%	35%	1%	10%
SurveyMonkey	September 9–24, 2018	1,609	± 3.3%	46%	35%	–	19%
Vox Populi Polling	September 16–18, 2018	567	± 4.1%	55%	45%	–	–
CNN/SSRS	September 11–15, 2018	723 LV	± 4.3%	52%	43%	0%	3%
		852 RV	± 3.9%	49%	43%	0%	5%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	September 10–12, 2018	1,038	± 3.0%	54%	37%	–	9%
Fox News	September 8–11, 2018	686 LV	± 3.5%	55%	35%	1%	10%
		809 RV	± 3.5%	52%	34%	2%	12%
Marist College	August 25–28, 2018	538 LV	± 5.1%	53%	40%	1%	7%
		730 RV	± 4.5%	51%	39%	1%	9%
Gravis Marketing	August 9–11, 2018	620	± 3.9%	51%	40%	–	9%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	January 21–24, 2018	1,003	± 3.1%	38%	34%	–	28%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Diane Black (R)	Karl Dean (D)	Undecided
Emerson College Archived August 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	July 11–14, 2018	657	± 4.1%	35%	39%	27%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	January 21–24, 2018	1,003	± 3.1%	46%	35%	19%
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	40%	31%	28%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Randy Boyd (R)	Karl Dean (D)	Undecided
Emerson College Archived August 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine	July 11–14, 2018	657	± 4.1%	34%	36%	30%
Triton Polling & Research (R)	January 21–24, 2018	1,003	± 3.1%	43%	34%	23%
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	38%	35%	28%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Beth Harwell (R)	Karl Dean (D)	Undecided
Triton Polling & Research (R)	January 21–24, 2018	1,003	± 3.1%	43%	33%	25%
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	38%	33%	29%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Diane Black (R)	Craig Fitzhugh (D)	Undecided
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	42%	27%	31%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Randy Boyd (R)	Craig Fitzhugh (D)	Undecided
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	39%	30%	31%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Beth Harwell (R)	Craig Fitzhugh (D)	Undecided
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	44%	24%	32%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mae Beavers (R)	Karl Dean (D)	Undecided
Triton Polling & Research (R)	January 21–24, 2018	1,003	± 3.1%	36%	36%	28%
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	32%	37%	32%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Mae Beavers (R)	Craig Fitzhugh (D)	Undecided
Gravis Marketing	December 11–12, 2017	563	± 4.1%	36%	29%	34%

Hypothetical polling

with Karl Dean

with Craig Fitzhugh

Results

County flips

Legend

• Republican

    Hold

  Democratic

    Gain from Republican

2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election^[104]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Bill Lee	1,336,106	59.56%	−10.75%
	Democratic	Karl Dean	864,863	38.55%	+15.71%
	Other	Other candidates	42,314	1.89%	N/A
	Write-in		11	0.00%	0.00%
Total votes			2,243,294	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold

Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Lee	1,336,106	59.6
	Democratic	Karl Dean	864,863	38.6
	Independent	Sherry L. Clark	5,198	0.2
	Independent	Mark Wright	4,687	0.2
	Independent	Patrick Whitlock	3,631	0.2
	Independent	Yvonne Neubert	3,070	0.1
	Independent	Heather Scott	2,969	0.1
	Independent	Mark CoonRippy Brown	2,841	0.1
	Independent	Joe B. Wilmoth	2,444	0.1
	Independent	George Blackwell Smith IV	1,550	0.1
	Independent	Cory King	1,502	0.1
	Independent	Tracy C. Yaste Tisdale	1,396	0.1
	Independent	Justin Cornett	1,217	0.1
	Independent	Chad Riden	1,096	0.0
	Independent	Robert Sawyers Sr.	1,059	0.0
	Independent	Vinnie Vineyard	1,012	0.0
	Independent	Rick Tyler	981	0.0
	Independent	Gabriel Fancher	869	0.0
	Independent	Sean Bruce Fleming	814	0.0
	Independent	Alfred Shawn Rapoza	800	0.0
	Independent	Jessie D. McDonald	755	0.0
	Independent	Toney Randall Mitchell	739	0.0
	Independent	Mike Toews	726	0.0
	Independent	Matthew Koch	652	0.0
	Independent	Jeremy Allen Stephenson	613	0.0
	Independent	Tommy Ray McAnally	609	0.0
	Independent	Jaron D. Weidner	588	0.0
	Independent	William Andrew Helmstetter	496	0.0
	Independent	Eddie Murphy (write-in)	11	0.0
Total votes			2,243,294	100.0
	Republican hold

Full results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Davidson (largest city: Nashville)
• Haywood (largest city: Brownsville)
• Shelby (largest city: Memphis)

By congressional district

Lee won 7 of 9 congressional districts.^[105]

District	Lee	Dean	Representative
1st	76.2%	22.7%	Phil Roe
2nd	63.5%	35.4%	Jimmy Duncan (115th Congress)
			Tim Burchett (116th Congress)
3rd	64.0%	35.0%	Chuck Fleischmann
4th	66.0%	33.0%	Scott DesJarlais
5th	35.6%	59.3%	Jim Cooper
6th	69.7%	29.3%	Diane Black (115th Congress)
			John Rose (116th Congress)
7th	65.4%	32.6%	Marsha Blackburn (115th Congress)
			Mark Green (116th Congress)
8th	66.5%	32.2%	David Kustoff
9th	21.5%	74.9%	Steve Cohen

See also

• 2018 United States Senate election in Tennessee
• 2018 Tennessee elections

References

1. "Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2018". Tennessee Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
2. Almukhtar, Sarah (August 2, 2018). "Tennessee Primary Election Results". The New York Times.
3. "Tennessee Gubernatorial Election Has Greatest Number of Candidates for a Regularly-Scheduled Statewide Election in U.S. History - Ballot Access News". ballot-access.org. September 8, 2018.
4. "Republican Bill Lee announces run for governor of Tennessee". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
5. Garrison, Joey (August 2, 2017). "Diane Black enters race for governor of Tennessee". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
6. Reinke, Kelly (March 6, 2017). "Randy Boyd announces plans to run for Tennessee governor". WATE.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
7. "Beth Harwell enters 2018 governor's race touting experience and leadership". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
8. Sher, Andy (April 6, 2018). "Well-known unconventional hopefuls running for Tennessee governor". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
9. "Kay White officially enters 2018 governor's race, makes announcement in Jonesborough". WATE 6 On Your Side. July 23, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
10. "Mae Beavers says she's running for governor of Tennessee". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
11. "Tennessee 2018 General Election". www.thegreenpapers.com.
12. Humbles, Andy. "Wilson County 'engaged' in Aug. 2 election, deadline reveals numerous contested races". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
13. "Sen. Mark Green will not re-enter 2018 governor's race". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
14. "Lee Co.'s Bill Lee exploring Republican run for governor". The Tennessean. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
15. Ebert, Joel (June 6, 2017). "Marsha Blackburn won't challenge Sen. Corker, will seek re-election". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
16. Whetstone, Tyler (May 8, 2017). "Tim Burchett will run for office, which one is anyone's guess". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
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18. Whetstone, Tyler (August 2, 2017). "Tim Burchett to run for Congress". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
19. Ebert, Joel (February 20, 2017). "Joe Carr leaves door open to possible 2018 gubernatorial bid". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
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24. Yusuf, Omer (August 14, 2017). "Stephen Fincher endorses Diane Black for governor". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
25. "Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett won't seek governorship in '18". Times Free Press. November 22, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
26. Stockard, Sam (June 6, 2017). "Rob Mitchell considers run for governor". The Murfreesboro Post. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
27. "Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell not running for Governor". WGNS. July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
28. Ebert, Joel (January 11, 2017). "Mark Norris says he's moving toward gubernatorial bid". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
29. "Trump nominates Senate Leader Mark Norris, three others as federal judges in Tennessee". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
30. "State of Tennessee: Maury County Republican Primary". Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
31. Erik Schelzig (November 9, 2014). "Possible Tennessee governor candidates for 2018". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
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33. "2018 TPFFA Primary Election Candidate Endorsements".
34. Mike Pence. ".@DianeBlackTN is running for Governor of TN & a strong supporter of #MAGA agenda of tax cuts, military $$ & a champion of right to life policies. There are great candidates running but Diane has been my friend for years, we served together in the House, & she has my support!". Twitter.
35. Hayes, Hank (August 14, 2017). "Ramsey gets behind Black's gubernatorial bid". Kingsport Times-News. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
36. Diane Black. "Honored to receive the endorsement of @RickSantorum, a leader who is not afraid to fight for conservative values. Tennessee stood behind Rick in his 2012 race for President, and I'm proud to have him behind me in my race for Governor. #TeamBlack". Twitter.
37. Conradis, Brandon (June 10, 2018). "Scalise throws support behind Black, Blackburn ahead of Tennessee primary". Archived from the original on June 14, 2018.
38. "Jordan Sekulow endorses Diane Black for Governor". Diane Black for Governor. May 24, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
39. Diane Black. "Honored to have the endorsement of Dr. Swain, and don't forget to vote early starting tomorrow!". Twitter.
40. "National Right to Life Endorses Diane Black for Governor". Diane Black for Governor. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
41. "SBA List Endorses Pro-life Champion Diane Black for Governor of Tennessee". Susan B. Anthony List. April 11, 2018. Archived from the original on September 11, 2020.
42. "NRA Endorses Representative Diane Black for Governor". NRA. June 21, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today endorsed Rep. Diane Black for governor in the Tennessee Republican Primary Election.
43. "ACU Endorses Diane Black". ACU.^{[permanent dead link]}
44. Students For Trump. "We fully endorse @DianeBlackTN to be the next Governor of Tennessee!". Twitter.
45. Sher, Andy (June 27, 2018). "Family Research Council endorses Diane Black bid for Tennessee governor". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018.
46. Buie, Jordan (June 22, 2018). "Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee endorses Randy Boyd". The Tennessean.
47. Whetstone, Tyler (July 31, 2017). "Randy Boyd announces 21 more county mayors endorse campaign". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
48. "Durrett endorses Boyd for governor". The Leaf-Chronicle. June 28, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
49. Poe, Ryan (July 26, 2017). "Shelby County Mayor Luttrell endorses Randy Boyd for governor". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
50. Sher, Andy (July 16, 2018). "Wamp backs Lee in GOP governor primary". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
51. "Andy Holt on Twitter".
52. Herald, The Daily. "State Representative Sheila Butt endorses Bill Lee". Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
53. "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com.
54. "Republican Mae Beavers endorses Bill Lee for governor". The Tennessean.
55. "Carr Endorses Lee". Facebook Post.
56. "RELEASE: Lee Announces Community and Faith-Based Advisory Council - Bill Lee". February 27, 2018. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
57. "Press Release: Businessman Bill Lee Raises $1.3 Million In First Major Fundraiser - Bill Lee". June 6, 2017.
58. "Mike Fisher, Darrell Waltrip join 'faith, community' council in Bill Lee campaign". The Tennessean.
59. "Ricky Skaggs To Headline Bill Lee For Governor Event On Monday In Chattanooga". July 23, 2018.
60. "Honored to Have the endorsement of Scott Hamilton".
61. "Cooper: Republican Lee the Choice for Republicans". Chattanooga Times Free Press.
62. "Johnson City Press". Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
63. "Dunlap News Opinion: Endorsement for Governor". Dunlap News. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
64. Basil Marceaux 1%, Kay White <1%
65. Kay White 2%
66. Mae Beavers 4%
67. "August 2, 2018 Republican Primary Governor" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
68. Garrison, Joey (February 26, 2017). "Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean to run for governor of Tennessee". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
69. Garrison, Joey (August 6, 2017). "Craig Fitzhugh to run for governor of Tennessee, setting up contested Democratic primary". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
70. "Mezianne Payne announces candidacy for governorship". Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
71. Sher, Andy (November 9, 2015). "New names dropped in 2016 Tennessee governor's race". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
72. Garrison, Joey (February 27, 2017). "Fitzhugh leaning toward run against Dean for governor; Freeman out". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
73. Tennessean. "Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper endorses Karl Dean for Tennessee governor". Twitter.
74. "Turned It Around". YouTube. July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
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76. "Filed petitions" (PDF). sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com.
77. "Let's turn TN into OK! - Libertarian Party". November 13, 2017.
78. Donald J. Trump. "Congratulations to Bill Lee of Tennessee on his big primary win for Governor last night. He ran a great campaign and now will finish off the job in November. Bill has my total and enthusiastic Endorsement!". Twitter.
79. Mike Pence. "Congratulations on a big primary win to @BillLeeTN! The people of Tennessee are fortunate to have a man like you step up to serve as their Governor. @realDonaldTrump and I strongly support you & look forward to campaigning with you to victory in November!". Twitter.
80. Lamar Alexander. "Congratulations to Bill Lee on tonight's victory. As I've often said, there is no better job than being governor of your home state, especially if that state is Tennessee. I look forward to working with Bill to continue Governor Haslam's excellent leadership of our state". Twitter.
81. Bundgaard, Chris (August 3, 2018). "Diane Black throws support behind Bill Lee after GOP governor primary loss".
82. Marsha Blackburn. "Congratulations, @BillLeeTN! I look forward to uniting the party and working together for Tennessee". Twitter.
83. Bill Haslam. "Congrats to @BillLeeTN on winning the Republican nomination for TN governor". Twitter.
84. Staff, Tennessee Star (June 18, 2018). "State Rep. Jay Reedy Endorses Bill Lee for Governor".
85. "How negative ads sank Randy Boyd's gubernatorial race". Archived from the original on August 3, 2018.
86. "TN Professional Firefighters Association endorses Bill Lee for governor". ClarksvilleNow.com. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018.
87. "NRA Endorses Bill Lee for Governor of Tennessee". NRA-ILA. September 20, 2018. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. ...the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today endorsed Bill Lee for governor of Tennessee.
88. "The Tennessee Police Benevolent Association Endorses Bill Lee for Governor". Southern States PBA. October 11, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018.
89. Cooper, Clint (October 17, 2018). "Cooper: Lee best choice for Tennessee governor". Retrieved October 18, 2018.
90. "Bill Lee has potential to be an inspiring Tennessee governor". Knoxville News Sentinel. October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
91. Terry McAuliffe. "Phone banking for @KarlFDean #TeamDean". Twitter.
92. Martin O'Malley. "It's great to be in Nashville with @PhilBredesen and @KarlFDean! Tennessee is fired up and feeling that blue wave!". Twitter.
93. Rep. Craig Fitzhugh. "I'm all in for @KarlFDean and you should be, too. For more #jobs, higher wages, for #educators & #MedicaidExpansion—there's only one choice. #TeamDean". Twitter.
94. "2018 Governor Race Ratings for October 26, 2018". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
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98. "Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball » 2018 Governor". www.centerforpolitics.org. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
99. "2018 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. October 9, 2018.
100. "2018 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 5, 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
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104. State General
105. "Dra 2020".

External links

• Candidates at Vote Smart
• Candidates at Ballotpedia

Official campaign websites

• Karl Dean (D) for Governor
• Bill Lee (R) for Governor
• Chad Riden (I) for Governor
• Vinnie Vineyard (L) for Governor