Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn was one of many Republican elected officials that attended a private lunch event at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort earlier this month.
The event was part of the Republican National Committee’s spring retreat, where Trump was the headliner. In attendance, along with Blackburn, were several GOP members who are considered potential running mates for the former president.
It’s not clear yet who Trump will choose as his vice president. But in audio obtained by Axios, Trump shares his reviews of each of his possible picks.
When it came to Blackburn, the former president likened her campaign skills to the “Energizer bunny,” saying that she would constantly be going from “stop to stop to stop.”
Political science professor John Geer is the co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll, a statewide survey of Tennesseans’ political opinions. He says there are other positives for Trump to have Blackburn alongside him on the ticket.
“She has a strong sense of loyalty — that matters,” said Geer. “Being a female, I think helps provide some balance to the ticket.”
Still, Geer says, there are a few reasons to not choose Blackburn.
“She would not come from a battleground state. Tennessee will be firmly in Trump’s camp come November,” Geer said. “It’s also true that Sen. Blackburn is not going to appeal to moderates and independents, and he does need some of those to be able to win.”
Blackburn is also in the middle of running for reelection. She faces Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson in the race for Senate.
The most recent poll done by Vanderbilt on that race shows Blackburn with an 11-point lead over Johnson.
If Blackburn were to win the race and become VP, the Senate seat would become vacant. Under Tennessee law, that’d require Gov. Bill Lee to fill the vacancy by appointment until a successor is elected at the next regular November election — in 2026.
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