Qualifications

To hold the office of Tennessee Governor, a person must be at least 30 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and have been a citizen of Tennessee for 7 years before the election.

Filing a Petition

Candidates may obtain a nominating petition from a county election commission office or the office of the Coordinator of Elections. 

Each page of the petition should be signed by an election official and may not be photocopied. Additional pages may be obtained as necessary.

Voters' Signatures

The nominating petition must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) voters who are registered anywhere in Tennessee.  The signature of the candidate does not count towards the required twenty-five (25) signatures.  Each voter who signs the petition must also supply his or her residence address as it appears on the voter registration records.

Filing Deadline

All candidates for Governor must file their nominating petitions no later than 12:00 NOON on the first Thursday in April in the year the governor will be elected. This includes candidates who want to run in the August primary and candidates who want to be listed as independent in November.

Where to File

Primary and independent candidates must file their original petition with the State Election Commission, and a certified duplicate must be filed with the Coordinator of Elections. Both must be submitted to 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 7th Floor, William Snodgrass Tower, Nashville, TN 37243. A certified duplicate is a photocopy of the original petition with the words “This is a true copy of the original” signed by the person making the copy along with the copier’s name, title and date. There are no government filing fees. For more information about Republican Party candidate fees, contact the Tennessee Republican Party.


For all primary candidates, a second certified duplicate must be filed by the qualifying deadline with the chairperson of the state executive committee of the candidate's party at the appropriate address below.

 

Tennessee Republican Party
95 White Bridge Rd, Suite 414
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 269-4260

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

 

Campaign Contribution and Disclosure Filings

Candidates should contact the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance for information regarding campaign contribution and disclosure reports and filing requirements.  The Bureau's address and phone number are as follows:  

    
Tennessee Tower, 26th Floor
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
(615) 741-7959