Marsha Blackburn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marsha Blackburn
Official portrait, 2019
United States Senator from Tennessee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019 Serving with Bill Hagerty
Preceded by	Bob Corker
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 7th district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Ed Bryant
Succeeded by	Mark Green
Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 23rd district
In office January 12, 1999 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Keith Jordan
Succeeded by	Jim Bryson
Executive Director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission
In office February 1995 – June 1997
Governor	Don Sundquist
Preceded by	Dancy Jones
Succeeded by	Anne Pope
Personal details
Born	Mary Marsha Wedgeworth (1952-06-06) June 6, 1952 (age 73) Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Chuck Blackburn ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	2
Education	Mississippi State University (BS)
Website

Mary Marsha Blackburn (born June 6, 1952) is an American politician and businesswoman. She is the senior United States senator for the state of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Blackburn was elected to the Senate in 2018.

Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Blackburn was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2019. She also served as a state senator in Tennessee from 1999 to 2003. She is known for her conservative political views and is a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump.

In 2018, Blackburn became the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. She won reelection in 2024.

Early Life and Schooling

Marsha Wedgeworth as a junior at Northeast Jones High School in 1969

Marsha Wedgeworth was born in Laurel, Mississippi. Her parents were Mary Jo and Hilman Wedgeworth. In high school, she competed in a beauty pageant and placed fourth.

Blackburn went to Mississippi State University with a scholarship from the 4-H youth organization. She studied home economics and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1974.

Early Career

Before she entered politics, Blackburn worked in sales and marketing. In 1978, she started her own business, a firm that managed promotional events.

Blackburn became involved in politics by joining the Young Republicans group in Williamson County, Tennessee. She later became the leader of the Williamson County Republican Party. In 1992, she ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress but did not win.

From 1995 to 1997, she was the executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission. This job was given to her by Tennessee's governor at the time, Don Sundquist.

Blackburn was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1998 and served there until 2003. During her time as a state senator, she helped stop a bill that would have created a state income tax.

U.S. House of Representatives

Blackburn and Donald Rumsfeld at Fort Campbell in 2004

Blackburn with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 2007

In 2002, Blackburn ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennessee's 7th congressional district. She won the Republican primary election and then won the general election with 70% of the vote. She was the fourth woman from Tennessee to be elected to Congress. She was reelected seven more times, serving in the House from 2003 to 2019.

During her time in the House, she was known as one of the most conservative members. She served on several important committees, including the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Blackburn with Eric Cantor, Mike Pence, and Cynthia Lummis at a press conference in 2010

Rep. Blackburn's official portraits, c. 2011 and c. 2016

U.S. Senate

2018 Election

Final results by county in 2018:

     Marsha Blackburn

     70–80%
     60–70%
     50–60%
     40–50%

     Phil Bredesen

     70–80%
     60–70%
     50–60%

In 2017, Blackburn announced she would run for the U.S. Senate. In her campaign, she called herself a "hardcore, card-carrying Tennessee conservative." She promised to support President Donald Trump's policies, like building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

She ran against the Democratic candidate, former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. For most of the race, the polls were very close. However, Blackburn pulled ahead and won the election with 54.7% of the vote. She became the first woman to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.

Blackburn's congressional campaign logo, used during the 2018 election

Blackburn with President Donald Trump, Susie Wiles, and fellow female Republican senators, January 2025

2024 Election

Final results by county in 2024:

     Marsha Blackburn

     80–90%      70–80%
     60–70%
     50–60%

     Gloria Johnson

     60–70%
     50–60%

Blackburn ran for reelection in 2024 against Democratic state representative Gloria Johnson. This was the first time in Tennessee history that the Senate election was between two women.

Blackburn won the election with 63.8% of the vote.

Senate Work

Blackburn at Turning Point USA 2019

Blackburn was sworn into the Senate on January 3, 2019. As a senator, she serves on several committees, including:

• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on the Judiciary
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Political Views

Blackburn is a member of the Tea Party movement, which is a conservative part of the Republican Party. She has been rated as one of the most conservative members of the Senate.

Donald Trump

Blackburn is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. She was part of his presidential transition team in 2016. She has supported most of his policies.

After the 2020 presidential election, Blackburn supported Trump's claims that the election was unfair. At first, she planned to vote against certifying the election results. However, after a mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, she voted to certify the results.

Health Care

Blackburn opposed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. She supported efforts to repeal it.

In 2017, she was criticized for co-sponsoring a law that changed the rules for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Critics said the law made it harder for the DEA to stop companies from improperly distributing powerful pain medicines called opioids. Blackburn said the law had "unintended consequences."

China

Blackburn meeting with President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei, August 2022

Blackburn has been a strong critic of the Chinese government. In 2020, she made a controversial post on Twitter about China's history. A Chinese official responded with a harsh and insulting tweet.

In August 2022, she visited Taiwan and met with its president. She called Taiwan an "independent nation," which is a statement that the government of China strongly opposes, as it claims Taiwan is part of its territory.

Technology Companies

Blackburn has argued for more government regulation of large technology companies like Google. She has claimed that these companies are biased against conservatives. She co-sponsored the Open App Markets Act, a bill designed to stop companies like Apple and Google from having too much control over their app stores.

LGBT Rights

Blackburn opposes same-sex marriage. In 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal across the country, she stated that she believed marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She has also voted against laws that would protect LGBT people from being fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation.

Personal Life

Marsha married Chuck Blackburn in 1975. They have two children and live in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. She is a member of the Presbyterian church.

Blackburn wrote a book called The Mind of a Conservative Woman: Seeking the Best for Family and Country, which was published in 2020.

Images for kids

• 

  Blackburn speaking at the Republican National Convention in 2016

• 

  Blackburn and President Donald Trump waving at Nashville Rally in 2018

Electoral history

See also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives
• Women in the United States Senate