NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For the first time, we're hearing from former NASA Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who was mulling a run for Tennessee Governor as a Republican.
A few weeks ago, Wilmore requested a petition to run for Governor from the Tennessee Secretary of State's office, but declined to return the petitions when he found out he couldn't qualify to appear on the ballot. Tennessee's Constitution requires someone lives in Tennessee for seven consecutive years before they run for office. For the last few years, Wilmore has been living in Texas for NASA's astronaut program.
Wilmore appeared on NewsChannel 5's OpenLine Wednesday night, and answered a few questions about his political aspirations. "I was well aware of it, but honestly Chris, I didn’t see it applied to me because I’m a seventh generation Tennessean," said Wilmore. “I could have lied and said hey I’m still a resident, I’ve still got a residence here. I could have done that but I’m not going to do that. But if I wanted to exercise my right to vote, I had to register in Texas to do that, because that’s where NASA’s located.”
Wilmore expressed his disappointment in learning that he couldn't run. “I’m very very disappointed. I was really looking, hoping to give back to this state that had given me such a wonderful foundation for the life that ensured for the last 40 years," said Wilmore. "Maybe one day we’ll have that opportunity.”
When asked what he would prioritize if ever elected Governor of Tennessee, Wilmore talked about cutting back on crime in Memphis and widening interstates in and around Nashville.
Wilmore is best known for being one of two astronauts stuck for more than nine months on the International Space Station after the Boeing Starliner that took them up into space experienced a malfunction. He was born in Murfreesboro, was raised in Mt. Juliet and attended Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. He later served in the Navy and NASA until his retirement in 2025.
Wilmore promoted his new memoir on OpenLine, "Stuck in Space." It hits book shelves on March 17th.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@newschannel5.com.
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