Johnson, Bradshaw vie for Democratic US Senate nomination, seek to push party ahead

WOODBURY, Tennessee — Gloria Johnson isn't just running against Democratic primary opponents. She's already running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, seeking to flip a U.S. Senate seat blue. And she's also running against every Republican in the state.

On the campaign trail, Johnson isn't just wooing voters for herself, but for every Democrat on the ballot, seeking to galvanize historic political energy sparked by an expulsion attempt into significant voter turnout for Democrats.

Johnson rocketed to national fame after narrowly surviving an expulsion effort led by Tennessee's Republican House supermajority in 2023, in response to her joining two Democratic colleagues who held a gun control protest on the House floor days after the deadly Covenant School shooting. Johnson survived the expulsion attempt by a single vote.

Following the expulsion efforts, Vice President Kamala Harris — now the likely Democratic presidential nominee — traveled to Nashville to meet with the “Tennessee Three” and comfort residents still reeling from the Covenant loss. Johnson later visited the White House to meet with President Joe Biden for more than an hour inside the Oval Office.

Now, she's seeking to harness that momentum to draw out Democratic voters that have sat out elections in years past.

"This is doable, folks," Johnson said. "In 2018 Marsha Blackburn won by 200,000 votes. We know there are 300,000 Democratic voters who haven't voted in the last few cycles. We get those folks to the polls, we win this race."

"Not only do we win this U.S. Senate race, but we flip down ballot state House and state Senate seats and get out of the super minority," she said.

Tennessee Voter Guide: The key competitive races in the Aug. 1 election

At a recent campaign stop, nearly three dozen Cannon County Democrats braved the rain to visit Johnson during a 90-minute meet-and-greet event at El Monte Mexican Restaurant in Woodbury, a town of 2,800 in Cannon County.

Johnson shared her vision of empowerment and inclusion — and ending the Republican grip on Tennessee politics — as voters munched on chips and salsa, packed around the restaurant's nine tables as mariachi music played softly in the background. Then she took questions for 40 minutes.

"That's more Democrats than I've seen all together around here in a long time," one voter called out after the event concluded.

Johnson has held meet-and greet events in more than 90 counties across the state.

She criticizes Blackburn's voting record, and accuses her of not being available to constituents, or open to handling tough questions.

She also attacks former President Donald Trump and his newly chosen running mate, JD Vance. And more than anything, she criticizes House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Republican leadership with whom she and her Democratic colleagues have been at odds.

Johnson posts strong fundraising numbers

Johnson’s U.S. Senate campaign has brought in more than $5 million in contributions this cycle from donors across the country. She has more than $2 million cash on hand going into the final days of the primary.

On Wednesday, Johnson told voters that she's been in touch with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee organizations, saying they've been on her weekly campaign committee calls.

"I think when we show them what's happening in Tennessee, when they see our numbers, hopefully, after this primary, they're going to come in," Johnson said, adding that compared with larger states like Texas or Florida, Tennessee could take less funding to flip a Senate seat.

"Tennessee has five media markets ― and they're not expensive. $20 million in Tennessee would flip this seat. A friend of mine says we're a cheap date," Johnson said. "We need to flip seats. With Manchin out, there's no path."

Still, for any Democrat to win a statewide campaign in Tennessee is a steep climb.

No Democrat has won a statewide race in Tennessee since former Gov. Phil Bredesen's reelection in 2006, when he won with 68.6% and carried all 95 counties on his way to a second term.

Bredesen lost to Blackburn in 2018, carrying 43.9% of the vote and winning just three counties. No other Democrats in a statewide contest since Bredesen's 2006 gubernatorial campaign and the 2006 U.S. Senate showdown between Bob Corker and Harold Ford Jr. have cracked 40% of the vote.

Will Johnson's Tennessee Three clout turn the tide for Democrats in heavily red Tennessee?

"It made a difference," Johnson said. "I think it's going to really excite Democrats, and that's how we get out of this minority."

Citing a May Vanderbilt poll, Johnson notes that she's already beating Marsha Blackburn by six points with women voters.

"This election is where we're going to make some changes that we never expected," Johnson said.

Bradshaw says she has a plan to win

Johnson’s campaign messaging has focused on opposing incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn – a tactic parallel to candidate James Mackler’s strategy in the 2020 Democratic primary to face now-U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty in 2020. But Mackler ultimately came in third in the primary, struggling to build name recognition and statewide clout needed to clinch the nomination.

Marquita Bradshaw was the Democratic nominee to face Hagerty in 2020, and that statewide familiarity could help her again this time around. Bradshaw has visited with voters in all 95 counties, and said her presence and accessibility sets her apart from other candidates.

“I am the best person to represent all of Tennessee,” Bradshaw said in an interview. “I’ve actually been talking to voters and understanding the issues that they want represented in the U.S. Senate, then collecting that information and making a roadmap of the policies that people want to see in place. That sets me apart from all the candidates in the field.”

Her fundraising has been much less successful than Johnson. This cycle, Bradshaw has raised just over $36,000 so far. She has $364 in the bank going into the final days of the race.

An environmental activist from Memphis, Bradshaw said she would prioritize a policy plan centered around environmental justice principles, including legislation to tackle climate change, and expanding public education opportunities like early learning and career readiness.

“When you see how machines and technology are displacing workers, that means we have to have an educational system to meet the demands of our ever-changing needs,” Bradshaw said.

She says she hopes to see better voter participation among Tennessee democrats this year.

“There’s so many great people who are not participating in the process because they’ve been left out,” Bradshaw said. “This is an invitation for people to come together for common sense policies that we believe in.”

Also in the Democratic primary are Lola Denise Brown and Civil Miller-Watkins.

Brown is chair of the membership committee of the NAACP in Nashville. She is the daughter of Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown, a surgeon who also became the first Black woman to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Miller-Watkins is a middle school teacher and native of Bolivar, Tennessee. A mother of eight and grandmother of 10, Miller-Watkins has served as vice-chair of the Fayette County Board of Education, and is a former chair of the Fayette County Democratic Party. According to her social media and campaign website, if elected, Miller-Watkins would work to lower gas costs, improving public schools, common sense gun safety laws, and expanding affordable housing.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Johnson, Bradshaw vie for Democratic nomination in US Senate race