Three of the four major Tennessee gubernatorial candidates appeared at a forum one week before the 2026 election and answered questions on a range of topics, including private school vouchers, data centers and toll lanes.  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee and favorite to win the race, declined to participate in the forum, continuing […]

A Tennessee Republican senator says the Senate GOP caucus has “no basis” to expel her for endorsing an independent gubernatorial candidate as a Senate speakership vote approaches. Sen. Janice Bowling, a 14-year lawmaker from Tullahoma, told the Lookout that she is not concerned about a potential vote by the Senate Republican Caucus to remove her […]

​A Tennessee Republican state senator is backing a conservative independent candidate for governor, spurning her party and leading to speculation about her future. ​State Sen. Janice Bowling, a Tullahoma Republican, endorsed independent gubernatorial candidate David Hatley in a social media post Saturday. ​“A lot of the people in my district wanted me to meet [Hatley],” […]