Tennessee is poised to have its first female governor in its history after the primary elections. Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green took the Tennessee Democratic primary for governor, while U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn won the Republican primary.

Primary Election Results

Blackburn defeated U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts. Green led candidates Carnita Atwater, Tim Cyr, Adam Kurtz, and Kevin Lee McCants with more than 70% of votes as early returns were reported by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.

Blackburn greeted her supporters in Knoxville to Dolly Parton’s ‘My Tennessee Mountain Home.’ She invited supporters of other candidates to join her team, emphasizing the need to unite as a party and defeat the Democrats in November.

Before serving as a member of the Memphis City Council, Green was Shelby County’s chief public defender, according to her campaign website. She thanked her opponents on social media and stated that she is proud to be the Democratic nominee for governor, making history as the first woman ever nominated by the party to be the next governor of Tennessee.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.