Jerri Green, a Memphis City Council member and attorney, is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee governor in the Nov. 3 general election.

Green won the Aug. 6 Democratic primary with 69.2% of the vote, defeating four other candidates, according to WSMV. She faces Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn and independent candidates Charles Van Morgan, Dave Seeman, David Hatley, Dean Brewer, Eddie Lee Murphy, Karl Knox Smithson, L. Webb Taylor, Lauren Pinkston, Misam Abidi, Ray Brown, Robert C. Vick, Victor L. Scoggin and Wendell Jackson, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Residence: Memphis, Tennessee
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in English and political science, University of Tennessee (1999); juris doctor, Georgetown University (2003)
  • Family: Married to Patrick; three children: Beau, Vivienne and Wilder, according to her campaign website

Experience and public service

Green was elected to the Memphis City Council on Nov. 16, 2023, representing District 2. She serves as chairwoman of the Economic Development, Tourism & Technology Committee and vice-chair of the Transportation Committee, according to the council's website.

Green served as deputy chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, according to the council's website. She served as a senior policy advisor in Shelby County government from 2021 to 2024 and as interim executive director of the Community Legal Center from 2016 to 2021, according to BallotReady.

BallotReady lists her current role as chief public defender at the Shelby County Public Defender's office.

Green served as statewide election lead for the Tennessee Moms Demand Action chapter and as past president of the Democratic Women of Shelby County. She was named a Superwoman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal in 2023.

On the issues

The following positions are from Green's campaign website and her responses collected by BallotReady.

Healthcare: Green said she would expand Medicaid to cover more working families and keep rural hospitals open. She said she would use $10 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to buy up and erase predatory debt for more than 100,000 Tennesseans. She supports legalizing marijuana medicinally and recreationally and investing in mental health services and addiction recovery.

Education: Green said she would raise teacher pay, invest in universal pre-K and special education, and expand access to school counselors and nurses. She said she would create a childcare and early education fund, including afterschool and summer care programming, for households earning less than 75K a year.

Gun safety: Green said she started Shelby County's first free gun lock-by-mail program. She said it was later adopted statewide as part of the Safe Store Tennessee program. She supports universal background checks, red flag laws and closing domestic violence loopholes.

Housing and wages: Green said she would use $10 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to waive security deposits and ensure affordable housing for 100,000 Tennessee families. She said she would use $50 million from the same program to clear the childcare waitlist.

Environment and energy: Green said she would sign an executive order affirming the Tennessee Valley Authority must remain a public utility. She supports renewable energy investment and enforcing clean air and water standards.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are reported by BallotReady:

  • AFL-CIO
  • The Tennessee Report
  • Tennessee Women's Political Caucus

Candidate responses were collected from Green's campaign website and BallotReady. The Hendersonville Register did not interview the candidate for this profile.