State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) is officially exploring a bid for U.S. Senate next year, having last week filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission establishing an exploratory committee.
That move allows Johnson to fundraise for the potential effort, which, if successful, would pit her against Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
Johnson told Scene sister publication the Nashville Post in May she was considering running.
Added Johnson on Tuesday: "I am still looking at this race and having great conversations about our future, rebuilding the middle class and lowering costs so every family can build a good life."
Johnson, a former educator, avoided expulsion from the state House by a single vote earlier this year as Republicans in the legislature sought to punish members, including Johnson, who led a protest from the House floor in the wake of a mass murder at a Nashville school.
Marquita Bradshaw, the Memphis environmental activist who won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2020, is running again in 2024. Bradshaw, Johnson or whoever wins the Democratic primary would face long odds next year.
In her first election for Senate, Blackburn beat Democrat Phil Bredesen, the well-funded and well-known former governor, by nearly 12 percentage points. Two years later, Republican Bill Hagerty beat Bradshaw by 27 percentage points.
"At the urging of Washington liberals, Gloria Johnson has taken another critical step towards joining liberal Democrat Marquita Bradshaw in the Tennessee Senate Democratic Primary," Blackburn campaign spokesperson Abigail Sigler said. "Both of them are radical socialists who are aligned with Joe Biden's failed policies that are making Tennesseans' lives tougher every day. Tennesseans know that Senator Blackburn will continue championing conservative values and fighting for their families."Â
Johnson responded to Blackburn's statement after press time: "Her prepared statement sounds like she's running scared. I guess when you're as corrupt as Marsha Blackburn, all you have left is name calling. It's pathetic and it's exactly why folks are telling me they're so hungry for better leadership in Washington."
This story first appeared via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
