How to Run for Tennessee Governor

To hold the office of Governor, you must:

• Be at least 30 years old,
• Be a United States citizen, and
• Have been a Tennessee citizen for 7 years immediately preceding the November election.

For all candidates (August primary candidates and independent candidates on the November ballot):

• Petition pickup begins Friday, January 9, 2026
• The deadline to file is 12:00 NOON on Tuesday, March 10, 2026

• Get a petition from the Coordinator of Elections (most common) or your county election office.
• Only original petitions are valid. Don’t make copies—ask for more pages if needed.

• You must collect at least 25 signatures from voters who are registered anywhere in Tennessee.
• You must sign the petition yourself, but your signature does not count toward the 25 needed.
• Each voter signing must include their full address as it appears on their voter registration.
• Best practice is to collect 50 or more signatures in case some signatures are not counted as valid.

All candidates:

File an original petition and a certified duplicate (a copy labeled “This is a true copy of the original” with the copier’s signature, title, and date) at the following address by the deadline:

State Election Commission
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 7th Floor
William Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243 

Primary candidates only:

File a second certified duplicate with your party by the deadline:

Tennessee Republican Party
95 White Bridge Road, Suite 414
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 269-4260 | tngop.org

Tennessee Democratic Party
4900 Centennial Blvd., Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 327-9779 | tndp.org

Note: There are no government filing fees. Contact your party about party-specific fees. 

For campaign finance requirements, contact:

Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 2nd Floor
William Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243
(615) 741-7959 | tn.gov/becf