Robert C. Vick is running as an independent for Tennessee governor in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Asked why he is seeking office, Vick said in our candidate questionnaire: "I've spent 40 years in public education and enjoy being a servant leader. I felt God's calling to join the race and run as a Christian Independent."
This is his first campaign. Other candidates in the race include Marsha Blackburn (Republican), Jerri Green (Democratic) and independents Charles Van Morgan, Dave Seeman, David Hatley, Dean Brewer, Eddie Lee Murphy, Karl Knox Smithson, L. Webb Taylor, Lauren Pinkston, Misam Abidi, Ray Brown, Victor L. Scoggin and Wendell Jackson.
Candidate information
Hometown: Vick said he was "Born and raised in White Pine, Tennessee, in the valley of East Tennessee" and has "always called Jefferson County home," according to his campaign website.
Family: "Married to Stephanie Bishop Vick, we have a blended family of 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren," Vick said in our questionnaire.
Education: Vick listed in our questionnaire: "Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Math & Science Education University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) 1986," "Masters of Education (M. Ed) Administration & Supervision Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) 1996," "Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Administration & Supervision Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) 1997" and "Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) School Leadership East Tennessee State University (ETSU) 2004."
Previous elected or appointed office: "NONE, first attempt for public office," Vick said in our questionnaire.
Experience and public service
Vick said in our questionnaire that he "just retired that past June after 40 great years in public education, started in 1986." He listed his career as follows, in his own words:
- "Morristown West High School , Hamblen Co, (teacher/coach) 10 years"
- "Jefferson Elementary, Jefferson Co, (assistant princiapl) 4 years"
- "Dandridge Elementary, Jefferson Co, (principal) 2 years"
- "Jefferson Elementary, Jefferson Co, (principal) 7 years"
- "Maury Middle School, Jefferson Co, (teacher/coach) 2 years"
- "Parrottsville Elementary, Cocke Co, (principal) 11 years"
- "Cocke Co High School, Cocke Co, (assistant principal, athletich director) 4 years"
On the issues
Top priority — public education: Vick said in our questionnaire: "I would have to say 'pubic education', I feel it has been the step child of our state's government … I believe more funding should be put into public education. I am 100% against school vouchers."
Education policy: On K-12 changes, Vick said in our questionnaire: "the greatest impact I could make as governor would be to lower pupil to teacher ratios. The greatest impact on a student's edcuation is the teacher in the classroom. Next, I would work to keep our great teachers in the classroom. We need to make teacher salaries competitive."
Economy and cost of living: Vick said in our questionnaire: "To help with the daily cost of living I would first look at our sales tax on groceries. In my eyes, that is a very unfair tax to consumers in the lower income bracket, they pay a higher percent of their income."
Public safety: Vick said in our questionnaire: "Driving to all 95 Tennessee counties, I saw two common themes across our state, poor mental health issues and homelessness … As governor, I would look to get more mental health experts in more areas. Our police force and mental health experts need to work as a team."
Infrastructure: Vick said in a Nashville Banner questionnaire: "The backlog in road maintenance is not going to get fixed quickly … I will use Dave Ramsey-style financial discipline in running the budget for our great state."
Technology and AI: Vick said in response to a NewsChannel 9 questionnaire: "I think data centers should be a local decision within each county. Concerning AI, we do need to look at guardrails to protect our children, privacy concerns, and employees while balancing the need for economic innovation."
Candidate responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire and supplemented with publicly available sources. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words.
