MEMPHIS, TN — Democratic candidate for Tennessee governor Jerri Green has released her first campaign ad, “Watch Me,” delivering a message of urgency and determination as she prepares for a challenging race against Republican frontrunner U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn.
The ad introduces Green through her personal story: raised by a single mother in Memphis, becoming the first in her family to go away to college, and building a career as a public defender and Memphis City Council member. It then pivots to her central argument that Tennessee voters are ready for a new kind of leadership.
“They say we can’t win,” Green says in the ad. “Watch me.”
That message is underscored by the campaign’s early strategy. While Blackburn has faced criticism over the years for failing to hold public town halls, Green’s campaign has emphasized direct voter engagement, touting more than 70 stops across urban, suburban, and rural communities statewide, with more planned in the coming weeks.
“Jerri is showing up, listening, and earning support the right way,” said Alex Hensley, Campaign Manager for Green. “Marsha is doing controlled photo-ops. This campaign is literally on the ground in every corner of Tennessee.”
Green’s platform focuses on paid family leave, affordable childcare, a living wage, fully funded public schools, expanded healthcare access, and protections for reproductive freedom.
She has also released a “Day One Plan” aimed at immediate economic relief, including housing support, expanded childcare access, and medical debt elimination. The plan outlines broader structural reforms such as ending private prison contracts and maintaining public control of utilities.
Framing the race as a modern David Vs. Goliath contest, Green positions herself as an underdog challenging one of the state’s most established and well-funded political figures. Her campaign points to recent Democratic wins and impressive gains in states like Virginia, Georgia, and Texas, as well as well as unexpected overperformance in Aftyn Behn’s recent run for Congressional District-7, as signs the 2026 landscape is ripe for change.
“Tennesseans don’t want gilded ballrooms, they want groceries they can afford. They don’t want a renaming of the Kennedy Center, they want a reimagining of public schools. They don’t want warfare abroad, they want healthcare right here at home,” Green said. “Tennesseans are ready for change, and they aren’t afraid of a tough fight. The odds may seem long, but as I always say: hard is not impossible. Watch us.”
The full ad is available on youtube: https://youtu.be/p8uo718P1JE
Jerri Green is a mom of three, Memphis City Councilwoman, and proud Democrat. A lifelong Tennessean, she was raised in Memphis, educated in Knoxville, and began her career in Nashville. Choosing Memphis as home, she’s fought for her community by championing living wages for public employees, securing funding for food at senior centers, advocating for Shelby County’s first free gun lock by mail program, and more. Most recently, she advocated for free bus rides in light of federal cuts hurting low-income and vulnerable communities. Jerri flipped her seat blue for the first time in its history, also helping to secure the Council’s first woman majority.
For more information about Jerri Green visit: greenforgovernor.com.
Contact: press@greenforgovernor.com
