Lauren Pinkston, an independent from Columbia, is running for Tennessee governor in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. She is a first-time candidate. She is one of 15 candidates on the ballot, according to BallotReady election data, in a field that includes Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green.

Pinkston said on her campaign website that she first considered running for the state legislature before deciding to seek the governor's office.

The policy positions below are drawn from Pinkston's campaign website and her responses compiled through her campaign issues page. Responses have been condensed for clarity. All policy statements reflect the candidate's own claims unless otherwise noted.

Candidate information

  • Party: Independent
  • Office sought: Tennessee governor
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Residence: Columbia, Tennessee
  • Education: Bachelor's in elementary education, Freed-Hardeman University, 2009; master's certificate in Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, Clemson University, 2015; Ph.D. in international family and community studies, Clemson University, 2019
  • Background: Pinkston said she is a seventh-generation Tennessean who grew up in Selmer and graduated from McNairy County High School in 2005. She said she spent 15 years working on human trafficking issues and creating economic opportunities abroad before returning to Tennessee in 2019.

Experience and public service

Pinkston's campaign materials list the following experience:

  • Research assistant, USC Center for Adolescent Research in Schools, 2012–2013
  • Social enterprise development consultant, 2014–2020
  • Doctoral research intern, UN Office on Drugs and Crime anti-trafficking project in Vientiane, Laos, 2015
  • Founder of three businesses in Southeast Asia employing survivors of trafficking and political imprisonment, 2015–2019
  • Co-owner, Wearthy LLC, 2016–2020
  • Adjunct professor, Lipscomb University College of Business, 2019
  • Assistant professor of business as mission, Lipscomb University College of Business, 2020–2023
  • Research affiliate and board member, Freedom Business Alliance, 2020
  • President, Kindred Exchange, 2020–2024

On the issues

Energy and environment: Pinkston said she would protect the Tennessee Valley Authority from privatization and expand the state's nuclear energy capacity, including small modular reactors. She said she would work to upgrade transmission infrastructure and ensure Tennessee ratepayers do not foot the bill for grid upgrades that primarily serve large data center operators. She also said she would begin a long-term effort to bury power lines in high-risk areas.

Education: Pinkston said she would work to increase teacher salaries while reducing administrative burdens. She said she supports reducing benchmark testing, diversifying public school models in rural counties and licensing adjunct instructors for high school career courses. She also said she supports legislation restricting smartphones before high school and social media before age 16.

Criminal justice: Pinkston said she would conduct a full assessment of Tennessee's prison system and aims to reduce the incarcerated population by 15% in her first term. She said she would expand rehabilitative programs, including GED completion and cognitive behavioral therapy, and invest in behavioral health services for those incarcerated due to substance abuse. She also said she would expand mental health services and trauma-informed training for law enforcement officers.

Firearms: Pinkston said sportsmanship and self-defense must remain constitutionally protected. She also said she supports requirements for safe firearm storage in vehicles, closing the background-check loophole for private sales and gun shows, and creating a legal pathway to transfer gun possession away from someone who presents an imminent risk to themselves or others.

Infrastructure: Pinkston said she would address what she described as an over $82 billion backlog in road repairs by pursuing federal infrastructure funding. She said she supports exploring a statewide passenger rail system connecting Memphis to Bristol and Nashville to Chattanooga. She also said she would work with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to explore flexible lane systems in metro areas.

Endorsements

Pinkston has been endorsed by The Tennessee Report, according to BallotReady profile data.