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Democrat

Jerri Green

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Democrat

Jerri Green

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Tennessee Democratic Governor nominee?

$9.7K

AUG 7, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleCouncil Member

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyProgressive Democrat

GenderFemale

LocationTennessee

BackgroundAttorney

EducationB.A., English and Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Notable personal detailsJerri Green is a Memphis attorney and public interest lawyer who serves on the Memphis City Council (District 2), elected in November 2023. She has worked in criminal defense and public-interest legal work and has held leadership roles in local legal-services organizations. In January 2026, she was appointed interim chief public defender for Shelby County. She is a Democratic candidate for governor of Tennessee in the 2026 election cycle.

SourcesShow

memphistn.gov greenforgovernor.com shelbycountytn.gov en.wikipedia.org tnfirefly.com tnpolitico.com historica.fandom.com ballotready.org maurydems.org tnpoliticsnow.com knoxvilledemocrats.org memphisflyer.com herechattanooga.com tnedreport.com lines.com axios.com apnews.com time.com nashville.gov advocateandy.medium.com archive.vn yahoo.com actionnews5.com civilbeat.org governor.hawaii.gov wdef.com badgerherald.com reprofreedomalliance.org warrendemstn.org cdn.ballotpedia.org nga.org fec.gov govinfo.gov voterguide.ballotpedia.org

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports policies that expand public spending on working families and public services—including paid family leave, higher wages, Medicaid expansion, and fully funding public schools—while proposing targeted tax changes to reduce household costs (notably calling to repeal Tennessee’s grocery tax).

Healthcare

Supports treating health care as a right and expanding access by expanding Medicaid (TennCare), protecting reproductive freedom, investing in maternal health equity, mental health and addiction services, and legalizing medical and recreational marijuana to increase treatment options.

Immigration & Border

The candidate supports limiting state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, including executive orders to end cooperation with ICE and to ban ICE from state buildings, and proposes allocating state funds for legal representation and know-your-rights resources for immigrants and refugees. The platform emphasizes protections for immigrant and refugee communities and guidance to prevent sharing personal identifying or immigration status information with federal agents. These proposals prioritize access to counsel and sanctuary-style state policies over expanded enforcement.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports restoring and protecting reproductive health care access, including repealing Tennessee’s near-total abortion ban, protecting IVF and miscarriage management, and ensuring access to contraception and women’s health services.

Climate & Energy

Supports enforcing clean air and water standards, investing in renewable energy and green jobs, and preparing communities for climate resilience and disaster recovery. Emphasizes protection of rivers, forests, farmland, and public lands from pollution and overdevelopment. Policy language accepts government-led investments and standards rather than explicit calls to immediately phase out fossil fuels or endorse Green New Deal–style legislation.

Public Safety & Guns

Jerri Green’s campaign highlights programs to reduce gun theft (including Tennessee’s first free gun lock-by-mail program), efforts to get guns off the streets, increased funding for first responders, and collaboration with law enforcement on training. Her materials note she fought to keep local gun referendums on the ballot. The campaign site does not state explicit positions on universal background checks, assault weapons bans, or red flag laws.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedMar 14, 2026

There are no specific recent developments reported about Jerri Green in the provided summaries. The coverage focuses on Tennessee’s upcoming May 5, 2026 primary election timeline, including registration, absentee, and early voting deadlines. Separately, a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act is being watched for its potential to reshape 2026 election maps and outcomes.

memphistn.gov+33

Articles

KNKnoxville News-Sentinel3 months ago