Jerri Green seeks governor's office as Democratic nominee

Memphis City Council member Jerri Green will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as the Democratic nominee for Tennessee governor.

Green won the Democratic primary on Aug. 6 with 69.2% of the vote, defeating four other candidates, WSMV reported. She faces Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn and multiple independent candidates in the general election, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee (born and raised; graduated from White Station High School)
Family: Married to Patrick; three children: Beau, Vivienne and Wilder, according to her campaign website
Education: Bachelor's degree in English and political science from the University of Tennessee (1999); juris doctor from Georgetown University (2003), according to BallotReady

Experience and public service

Green was elected to the Memphis City Council on Nov. 16, 2023, according to the council's website. She serves as chairwoman of the Economic Development, Tourism and Technology Committee and vice-chair of the Transportation Committee.

Green served as deputy chief of staff for Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, according to the council website. She also served as a senior policy advisor for Shelby County government from 2021 to 2024, according to BallotReady. Before that, she was interim executive director of the Community Legal Center from 2016 to 2021.

Her legal career began as an assistant public defender at the Metropolitan Public Defender's office from 2003 to 2006. She is listed as chief public defender at the Shelby County Public Defender's office starting in 2026, according to BallotReady.

Green served as statewide election lead for the Tennessee Moms Demand Action chapter and as past president of the Democratic Women of Shelby County, according to the council website. She was selected as a fellow for the Aspen Institute's Memphis Workforce Leadership Academy and was named a Superwoman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal in 2023.

Green said on her campaign site that she held board positions with Habitat for Humanity of Memphis, Girls Inc. of Memphis, the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County, and the Overton Shell.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Green's campaign website and her responses compiled by BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Healthcare and reproductive rights: Green said she would expand Medicaid to cover more working families and keep rural hospitals open. She said she would sign an executive order to ensure doctors can practice women's healthcare without fear of prosecution. She also said she would legalize marijuana medicinally and recreationally, use $10 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to buy up and erase predatory debt for more than 100,000 Tennesseans, and invest in mental health services and addiction recovery.

Education: Green said she would raise teacher pay, invest in universal pre-K and special education, and expand access to school counselors and nurses. She said she would create a childcare and early education fund for households making less than 75K a year, with investments in afterschool and summer care programming. She said she would appoint a commissioner of education with classroom experience. Green also proposed waiving GED testing fees statewide and setting up a special education equity fund.

Gun safety: Green said she started Shelby County's first free gun lock-by-mail program, which was later adopted by the state and included in the Safe Store Tennessee program. She said she supports universal background checks, red flag laws, free gun locks and safe storage education, and closing domestic violence loopholes.

Economy and housing: Green said she would use $50 million in federal family-assistance funding to clear the childcare waitlist and $10 million to waive security deposits for 100,000 Tennessee families. She supports paid family leave and a living wage.

Environment and energy: Green said she would sign an executive order affirming that the Tennessee Valley Authority must remain a public utility. She said she supports investing in renewable energy, enforcing clean air and water standards, and protecting farmland and public lands.