Photo caption: Gubernatorial candidate John Rose visits with a voter at the sold-out Putnam County Republican Party Reagan Day Dinner where he won the straw poll with 75% of the vote.
Cookeville, TN—Momentum for John Rose’s Tennessee Governor’s campaign continues to build, notching a fifth Republican straw poll win — this time in Putnam County.
At the sold-out Putnam County Republican Party’s Reagan Day Dinner on Saturday, March 14, local Republicans once again made their preference clear. Ticketed dinner attendees cast ballots in a secret ballot straw poll conducted by county GOP officers. Rose came out on top by a commanding margin:
John Rose: 75% (201 votes)
Monty Fritts: 14.6% (39 votes)
Marsha Blackburn: 10.4% (28 votes)
Of the eight county Republican Party annual dinner polls conducted during the campaign, Rose has prevailed in five including Lawrence, Lewis, Overton, Pickett, and now, Putnam.
“Listening to everyday Tennesseans has been John’s top priority since day one,” said Campaign Chair Chris Devaney. “Their ideas have helped form his vision for Tennessee, which is centered on conservative values and protecting what makes Tennessee special. John is winning by uniting Republicans around the bright future that lies ahead for this state.”
Rose was the first Republican candidate to enter the race in March 2025 and has become known as the grassroots candidate, visiting small town city squares, livestock arenas, veterans halls, and community gatherings in every county to build a coalition of support.
Rose has a deep well of rural and suburban support, a place where many candidates often struggle to gain the traction it takes to win statewide. That’s thanks to his background as state Commissioner of Agriculture, Chairman of the Tennessee State Fair Association, and Chairman of the Tennessee Future Farmers of America Foundation.
With his rural background and record as a successful entrepreneur of two Nashville-based IT training companies, Rose’s stump speech offers something for Tennesseans from every zip code. The campaign also announced contributions from every county, as well as more than 1,000 signatures of support, including voters from every county, on his petition for office.
Congressman John Rose (TN-6), an eighth generation Tennessean, announced his candidacy for Governor on March 20, 2025, at the site of the Tennessee State Fair in Wilson County. His conservative record in Congress, mutual support with President Trump, and deep roots in agriculture have helped him gain support from voters across the state. Rose is a successful businessman, served as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture, and represents the 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He and his wife Chelsea have two children, and live on their Dekalb and Smith County farm which has been in the Rose family since 1790.
