Wed Jan 29 17:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Tennessee GOP’s 2024 Gubernatorial Race: A Web of Backroom Deals and Ambitions

**Nashville, TN** – The upcoming 2024 Tennessee gubernatorial election is shaping up to be a complex affair, marked by intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering within the Republican party. Longtime political observer Keel Hunt reveals a tangled web of potential candidates and strategic alliances, raising questions about the influence of powerful insiders and the role of voters in the process.

The current field of potential Republican gubernatorial candidates is extensive, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, Congressman John Rose, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and several other prominent figures. This flurry of ambition follows a pattern observed in 2020, when the party orchestrated the selection of Bill Hagerty for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Lamar Alexander.

Hunt suggests that political consultant Ward Baker, who has ties to several hopefuls including Blackburn, Hagerty, and Rose, is playing a significant role in shaping the race. Rumors of backroom deals and potential compromises are swirling, particularly surrounding a possible endorsement of Blackburn by Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. While Blackburn’s team denies any promises were made to Jacobs in exchange for his endorsement, speculation persists regarding a potential Senate appointment for Jacobs should Blackburn win the governorship.

The situation is further complicated by Senator Hagerty’s perceived unhappiness in his current role and Senator Blackburn’s ambition to become the first woman elected to Congress, the U.S. Senate, and the governorship in Tennessee. Some within the GOP are reportedly hesitant about Blackburn’s candidacy, leading to efforts to promote Hagerty.

The potential for multiple candidates to enter the race, including a possible challenge from Hagerty to Blackburn, raises the intriguing possibility that Governor Bill Lee could face the appointment of not one, but two U.S. senators before the end of his term. The outcome of this internal power struggle remains uncertain, but it underscores the significant influence of party insiders and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that is already defining the 2024 Tennessee gubernatorial race.

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