JG
Jerri Green
Democratic · Governor, Tennessee
2026 General Election
Jerri Green is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee after winning the party's primary. She serves on the Memphis City Council and has been a community advocate focused on economic equity, education, and public safety in Tennessee's largest city. She faces significant headwinds in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades, but has positioned herself as a practical voice for working-class Tennesseans across both urban and rural communities.
Views on the Issues
Gov. Green’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Jerri Green
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Jerri Green
Green supports economic investment in Tennessee's working families and underserved communities, including raising the state's minimum wage and expanding workforce development programs. She backs policies that support Tennessee's small businesses and rural communities and argues that broad-based economic growth requires investing in education and healthcare alongside attracting business investment.Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Jerri Green
Green supports Medicaid expansion in Tennessee, which has not expanded under the ACA and has among the highest rates of uninsured residents in the South. She supports protecting the Affordable Care Act, reproductive healthcare access, and expanding mental health and substance abuse treatment services, particularly in rural Tennessee communities facing healthcare deserts.Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Jerri Green
Green supports comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to legal status for long-term undocumented residents and DACA recipients. She takes a pragmatic approach acknowledging the contributions of immigrant communities to Tennessee's agricultural, construction, and meatpacking industries.Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Jerri Green
Green supports robust investment in Tennessee's public school system, increasing teacher pay, and expanding pre-K access. She has been critical of school voucher programs that divert funding from public schools and backs ensuring that all Tennessee students — in Memphis, Nashville, and rural districts alike — have access to quality public education.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Jerri Green
Green supports gun safety measures including expanded background checks and red flag laws. Drawing on her experience in Memphis, one of America's most violent cities by per-capita metrics, she views gun violence as a public safety emergency requiring both policy change and community investment. She backs measures to reduce gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Tennesseans.Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Jerri Green
Green supports clean energy investment and views Tennessee's potential in solar energy and electric vehicle manufacturing as economic opportunities. She backs protecting Tennessee's natural resources and waterways and supports climate adaptation measures that prepare Tennessee's communities and agricultural sector for changing conditions.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Jerri Green
Green supports U.S. alliances and engagement-based foreign policy. As a governor candidate she engages foreign policy through Tennessee's significant manufacturing and logistics economy, including its important role in automotive and defense supply chains that are affected by international trade policy.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Jerri Green
Green opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare and supports protecting both programs. She argues these programs are essential to Tennessee's working families and retirees and backs ensuring their long-term solvency without reducing earned benefits.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Jerri Green
Green supports both public safety and criminal justice reform, approaching the issue from her experience in Memphis. She backs community violence intervention programs, reentry services, and addressing the root causes of crime alongside adequate law enforcement resources. She supports reforms to address racial disparities in policing and sentencing while maintaining accountability for violent crime.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.