NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee will elect a new governor next year.
Current Governor Bill Lee is term-limited and is not running again.
The race to find his successor came into sharper focus last week when United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R), announced she is running.
Her opponent in the Republican primary is Representative John Rose (R) from Tennessee's 6th Congressional District.
Rose came on Inside Politics on NewsChannel 5+ and touted his business experience as a reason he would be a better governor.
"My opponent is a career legislator. That's the experience she has," Rose said.
Early polls show Blackburn with a commanding lead, but Rose said those numbers are based on name recognition.
He said he will have the resources to get his message out.
Rose said he hoped Senator Blackburn would agree to one or more debates, but so far, she has been non-committal.
"The people of Tennessee deserve to know what she would do as governor. Why does she want to be governor? And I think a debate or debates would be the way to get at that," Rose said.
Rose is attempting to win GOP votes by saying he is the stronger supporter of President Trump, and he cited January 6, 2021, when violence erupted and protesters shut down the Capitol.
"I supported the President on January 6th, in what I would say is maybe the darkest hour for President Trump," Rose said.
He was in Congress on January 6th, despite the violence and breach of the Capitol, he did not vote to certify the results of the 2020 election, which showed President Biden won.
Senator Blackburn tweeted after the violence that she would change her position and vote to certify the election results.
I asked on Inside Politics "How would you characterize the events of that day?"
Rose responded, "Well, I think January 6th in total, was mostly a peaceful protest."
He added, "Those folks who ended up entering building should not have. It was against the law."
I added, "They broke through windows."
Rose said, "Absolutely, and they have been resoundingly punished for that, I would tell you by the standards of the past."
In response, Senator Blackburn's campaign sent a video from Inside Politics 3 years ago, with Pat Nolan, in which Rose said Vice President Pence did the right thing on January 6th - which is different from what President Trump has said.
Rose said in 2022, "The Vice President's job that day was to preside over the session. He didn't have a vote. His job was to open the ballots."
Nolan said, "President Trump thought otherwise."
Rose responded, "The President did. I disagree with him on that. I think the Vice President's job was the job he did, and I think he did it well and nobly and support him in the way he approached that."
Senator Blackburn's campaign did not say whether she would debate Rose.
But they did tell us she would come on Inside Politics - which she has declined in the past.
The republican primary is in August of next year.
The general election is next November.
You can watch the full interview with Congressman John Rose tonight at 7pm on NewsChannel 5+.
It is also available as a podcast. Just go to your favorite podcast app and search Inside Politics.
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