Image Credit: Marsha Blackburn / Facebook & Canva.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn has already begun facilitating the shift to her new administration as the January 16 swearing-in approaches, appointing her transition team and outlining her top priorities as she prepares to assume leadership over the Volunteer State.
One day after her electoral win on Nov. 3 Blackburn announced her selection of current Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the TN Department of Economic Development Stuart McWhorter as the Transition Committee Chairman, calling him “an outstanding, brilliant leader.”
McWhorter’s role will be to “help ensure a smooth transition between gubernatorial administrations” as Blackburn’s team “[wastes] no time getting to work for the people of this great state.”
The remaining members were revealed on Friday, Nov. 6, and include some of Blackburn’s campaign managers and staffers alongside other professionals who have worked in various roles in the political sphere and at institutions like the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Tennessee Republican Senate Caucus.
“Tennesseans expect results, and our focus will be on building on our state’s success, making government work more efficiently, and delivering on the priorities that matter most to Tennessee families starting the very first day of our administration,” Blackburn said of her team.
Regarding a legislative wish list she hopes to see accomplished during the first session under her leadership, Blackburn emphasized affordable housing, including examining property-tax relief for seniors and first-time homebuyers, reducing costs for new housing, and bringing up a possibility of public-private partnerships with government land not currently in use.
“Tennesseans have been very specific that the cost of living is going to be a top issue for them and getting that cost of living down. So, as we begin our transition, we’re going to already be focusing on some things that we can do there and working on that agenda with the legislators,” Blackburn said. “You’re going to see us talk about this workforce development and jobs retraining and workforce housing and childcare. Those components in those building blocks to having that good economy.”
She has also floated the idea of creating a Tennessee-style Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to review “state spending, programs, contracts, and unfilled positions,” specifically with an eye on transportation funding.
“We think that’s a good starting point,” the Gov.-elect said. “Choice lanes are something that have been put in place. We’ll see where that gets us, but getting creative on this, working with Chairman Massey in the Senate, Chairman Howell in the House, taking that TACIR report, looking at it, going through the priority list, and beginning to look at these pockets of where the transportation funding come from with our interstate miles.”
She added, “Look, I mean, it is good to periodically kind of get inside of your numbers to look at positions that maybe are not being fully utilized. When I was in the state Senate, I proposed we do a 5 percent across-the-board cut every year just to make certain we are not building or getting lax with how programs are being administered. So the legislators are excited about doing this. I am excited about working with them, and it’ll be good for the people of Tennessee.”
Turning to education, Blackburn continues to support a pro-school choice stance without outright committing to the expansion of Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship program, or vouchers, though she has maintained that the state needs to “expand educational opportunities for every child so parents don’t have to win the lottery in order to have a say in their child’s education.”
Should she choose to push for voucher expansion, Blackburn and her allies in the capitol may face an uphill battle as several reliable pro-voucher Republicans lost their seats in the Nov. 3 election. The margins were already razor thin in getting the program created and expanded, so continued expansion, or continuation of the program itself, may ultimately not be feasible.
Blackburn also mentioned tough-on-crime policies, including those to protect Tennessee’s children. “We’re going to hunt down and we are going to prosecute these child predators, and if they molest and rape our babies, they need the death penalty,” she declared, saying her administration would make that a priority.
Notably, the Tennessee legislature already passed a law authorizing the death penalty for aggravated child rape, amongst other grievous offenses, in 2024 which took effect beginning July 1, 2026.
The Governor-elect has not offered any specific policy directives or legislative initiatives as this juncture, but as bills are already being filed ahead of the 115th General Assembly in 2027, her transition team will be proactively working to advocate for and implement her agenda which will be reflected in the legislation lawmakers craft for consideration.
Sources:
X.
X.
WSMV.
WBIR.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
