15 candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot, from the Tennessee Secretary of State's list (opens in a new tab). The officeholder comes first, then the Republican and Democratic nominees together by last name, then everyone else by last name; in each group a candidate with a statement or vote on the record comes first (how the order works). Each has the same space. The list: Candidate Lists, Tennessee Secretary of State (Governor_Nov2026.pdf, USSenate_Nov2026.pdf, USHouse_Nov2026.pdf at https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/) (no date printed; each PDF is headed 'November 3, 2026 General Election' and the files were generated September 3, 2026 (PDF creation date)).
Checked · How the record reads leaders · Report a change · Corrections
More on Tennessee: the state page · its laws and bills on data centers · its leaders
Republican
Marsha Blackburn said local communities should decide if and where data centers are placed and that the Ratepayer Protection Pledge was important for protecting consumers.
Their newest statement on the record, September 25, 2026, WTVC (opens in a new tab).
1 statement · 0 votes on the record
Photo: United States Senate Photographic Studio, public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), cropped.
Democratic
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Photo: Zach Kinslow, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), cropped.
Independent
Charles Van Morgan stated he supports statewide standards with data centers located only in communities where local voters approve them
Their newest statement on the record, October 2, 2026, Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab).
1 statement · 0 votes on the record
Independent
Lauren Pinkston called for statewide moratorium on new data center construction until legislature puts real siting standards in place covering water use, distance from schools, and mandatory community input
Their newest statement on the record, October 2, 2026, Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab).
2 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
Dave Seeman advocated for statewide moratorium to establish Environmental Justice Division within Department of Environment and Conservation to enforce facility standards and grid regulations
Their newest statement on the record, October 2, 2026, Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab).
2 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
Robert Vick stated data centers should be local decisions with less state government interference
Their newest statement on the record, October 2, 2026, Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab).
2 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 26, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Independent
No sourced statement on the record as of October 20, 2026. No vote on a data center measure either. Silence is not a position.
0 statements · 0 votes on the record
Labels are applied by the record's published rules: two readings of each statement, and a third that reads its source where the two differ. Every label sits beside its statement and its source, and any label can be challenged through Report a change, with the correction logged on the corrections page.
Marsha Blackburn has 1 statement on data centers on the record.
Marsha Blackburn said local communities should decide if and where data centers are placed and that the Ratepayer Protection Pledge was important for protecting consumers.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Jerri Green.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Jerri Green.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Charles Van Morgan has 1 statement on data centers on the record.
Charles Van Morgan stated he supports statewide standards with data centers located only in communities where local voters approve them
Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab) · Full quote, context and sources
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Lauren Pinkston has 2 statements on data centers on the record.
Lauren Pinkston called for statewide moratorium on new data center construction until legislature puts real siting standards in place covering water use, distance from schools, and mandatory community input
Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab) · Full quote, context and sources
Lauren Pinkston said she was the first major candidate calling for a statewide moratorium on new data center construction until the Legislature enacts siting standards.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Dave Seeman has 2 statements on data centers on the record.
Dave Seeman advocated for statewide moratorium to establish Environmental Justice Division within Department of Environment and Conservation to enforce facility standards and grid regulations
Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab) · Full quote, context and sources
Dave Seeman said he released a five policy package on AI and data centers in Tennessee and called for a 24 month moratorium to establish an Environmental Justice Division and regulations.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Robert C. Vick has 2 statements on data centers on the record.
Robert Vick stated data centers should be local decisions with less state government interference
Main Street Media of Tennessee (opens in a new tab) · Full quote, context and sources
Dr. Robert C. Vick said data centers should be a local decision within each county and that AI guardrails should protect children, privacy, and employees.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Misam Abidi.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Misam Abidi.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Dean Brewer.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Dean Brewer.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Ray Brown.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Ray Brown.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for David Hatley.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for David Hatley.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Wendell Jackson.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Wendell Jackson.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Eddie Lee Murphy.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Eddie Lee Murphy.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Victor L. Scoggin.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Victor L. Scoggin.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Karl Knox Smithson.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for Karl Knox Smithson.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for L. Webb Taylor.
No public statement on data centers is on the record yet for L. Webb Taylor.
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Candidates and their order come from the Tennessee Secretary of State's list (opens in a new tab), verified October 9, 2026. Every candidate, by state · How the record reads leaders.
Are you a candidate in this race or on the campaign? Ask for a correction or send a statement, or email corrections@datacenterrecord.org.
Election Day is November 3
You can vote if you are a US citizen, will be 18 by Election Day, and meet your state's rules. Some states' registration deadlines have already passed, and some let you register at the polls. Check yours today.
Both links go to official, nonpartisan sites. The record never tells anyone how to vote.
