An East Tennessee Republican is running for governor. And no, it’s not Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
State Rep. Monty Fritts, who represents parts of Loudon and Roane counties, announced Sept. 5 he’s running in the GOP primary against U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood, U.S. Rep. John Rose of Cookeville and Cito Pellegra of Arlington.
“Running for governor will be a life-changing experience, and I believe our political system needs leaders with Godly values and strong grassroots support from our counties,” Fritts, a Kingston resident, said on his website. “The Lord has placed a burden on my heart for Tennessee. I plan to strike the ground with every arrow in my quiver to reclaim our Tennessee values and chart a course toward Liberty & Less Government in Tennessee.”
Fritts, a carpenter and former federal program manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2022.
The Republican primary is Aug. 6.
Monty Fritts
Fritts, 61, said he’s a staunch constitutional conservative and has repeatedly criticized Gov. Bill Lee’s administration as the “elitist class.” He voiced his frustrations with Lee for backing Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti in his appeal of a court decision that abolished two laws imposing gun restrictions in Tennessee.
“Shame on the governor and Nashville establishment political machine for approving the continuing infringement upon Tennesseans 2A rights,” Fritts said in a post to social media.
Blackburn’s supporters are taking Fritts’ foray into the race as a win. He’ll draw from the same base as Rose and clear the path for the senator, Michael Lotfi, the deputy director for Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, told Knox News in a text.
“Probably great news for Marsha Blackburn’s campaign,” Lotfi said. “I have to imagine they likely feel this clears any outlying lingering questions about her path to victory.”
Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, an influential conservative policy group that helped the state’s school choice voucher program across the finish line, is mobilizing to knock on 200,000 doors to “share how Marsha Blackburn led the way in the U.S. Senate to secure major WINS for President Donald Trump & TN taxpayers.”
Though Blackburn has racked up endorsements, Rose’s campaign has been steadfast in its focus on Tennessee issues, rather than Washington politics, Chris Devany, the chair of Rose’s campaign, told Knox News when Blackburn announced. That’ll make the difference for voters, he said.
“We have a lot of respect for anyone who offers themselves for public service,” Devany said. “Our focus is our campaign and John Rose, whose business and conservative leadership is resonating across Tennessee.”
GOP candidates’ finances tell different stories
Fritts as a state elected official has access to money left from his 2022 and 2024 campaigns. He can transfer the money he’s raised as a candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives to his gubernatorial account, according to state campaign finance rules.
Fritts has $11,051 in his account and owes himself $15,000 from a loan he gave his campaign.
Blackburn, 73, and Rose, 60, on the other hand, cannot spend money they’ve raised for their federal campaigns for the gubernatorial race. When candidates make an announcement for a race, they’re required to open a separate fundraising account with the state.
Blackburn and Rose have both opened new accounts for their state campaigns. Rose has $5,863,376 in his account, including a $5 million loan he gave his campaign, as of June 30. That’s the most recent data available.
Rose announced his campaign March 20 and spent $237,658 between then and June 30. He’s raised $1.1 million and in addition to the loan.
Because Blackburn and Pellegra opened their fundraising accounts after June 30, their data won’t be available until after the next submission deadline, Oct. 10.
By delaying her announcement, Blackburn could use up the reserves in her federal campaign account, multicandidate account and joint fundraising committee. These independent expenditures allow political action committees that are not tied to a specific candidate to spend unlimited amounts of money on advertising in support of candidates or against their opponents.
Allie Feinberg is the politics reporter for Knox News. Email: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com; Reddit: u/KnoxNewsAllie
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: State Rep. Monty Fritts running for Tennessee governor in 2026
