Jerri Green, a Memphis City Council member and attorney, is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee governor in the Nov. 3 general election.

Green won the Democratic primary on Aug. 6 with 69.2% of the vote, defeating four other candidates, according to WSMV. She faces Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn and multiple independent candidates, according to BallotReady election data. The independents on the ballot are Charles Van Morgan, Dave Seeman, David Hatley, Dean Brewer, Eddie Lee Murphy, Karl Knox Smithson, L. Webb Taylor, Lauren Pinkston, Misam Abidi, Ray Brown, Robert C. Vick, Victor L. Scoggin and Wendell Jackson.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Tennessee Governor
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in English and political science, University of Tennessee (1999); juris doctor, Georgetown University (2003)
  • Family: Married to Patrick; three children: Beau, Vivienne and Wilder, according to Green's campaign website

Experience and public service

Green was elected to the Memphis City Council on Nov. 16, 2023. She serves as chairwoman of the Economic Development, Tourism and Technology Committee and vice chair of the Transportation Committee, according to the council's website. She also serves as the council's liaison for Memphis River Parks Partnership and the Urban Art Commission.

Her legal career spans two decades. Green serves as chief public defender at the Shelby County Public Defender's office, according to BallotReady. She previously served as senior policy advisor at Shelby County Government and deputy chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. She also served as interim executive director at the Community Legal Center and assistant public defender at the Metropolitan Public Defender.

Green served as statewide election lead for the Tennessee Moms Demand Action chapter and past president of the Democratic Women of Shelby County, according to the Memphis City Council website. She was selected as a fellow for the Aspen Institute's Memphis Workforce Leadership Academy and named a Superwoman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal in 2023.

Green said on her campaign website that she started Shelby County's first free gun lock-by-mail program, which was later adopted by the state and included in the Safe Store Tennessee program.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Green's campaign website and her BallotReady questionnaire responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Healthcare: Green said she would expand Medicaid to cover more working families and keep rural hospitals open. She said she would use $10 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, funding to buy and erase predatory debt for more than 100,000 Tennesseans. She said she supports legalizing marijuana medicinally and recreationally.

Education: Green said she would raise teacher pay, invest in universal pre-K and special education, and expand access to school counselors and nurses. She said she would create a childcare and early education fund for households making less than 75K a year. She said she would set up a Special Education Equity Fund and waive GED testing fees statewide.

Gun safety: Green said she supports universal background checks, red flag laws and free gun locks statewide. She said she would close domestic violence loopholes and re-implement training and testing for concealed carry permits.

Housing and wages: Green said she would use $10 million in TANF funding to waive security deposits and ensure affordable housing for 100,000 Tennessee families. She said she supports paid family leave and affordable child care, and would use $50 million in TANF funding to clear the childcare waitlist.

Environment and energy: Green said she would sign an executive order affirming that the Tennessee Valley Authority must remain a public utility. She said she supports investing in renewable energy, enforcing clean air and water standards, and protecting farmland from overdevelopment.

Endorsements

BallotReady reports the following endorsements:

  • AFL-CIO
  • The Tennessee Report
  • Tennessee Women's Political Caucus

Candidate positions were drawn from Green's campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire responses. The Duck River Sentinel did not interview the candidate for this profile.