--- title: "Bradshaw vs. Hagerty: 2026 Tennessee Senate race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-tn" updated: "2026-08-13" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 Tennessee Senate race: Marquita Bradshaw (D) vs. Bill Hagerty (R) Rating: Safe R · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: August 13, 2026 In Tennessee, Republican incumbent Senator Bill Hagerty faces Democratic challenger Marquita Bradshaw in the November 3, 2026 general election following primary victories on August 6, 2026. The race hinges on sharp policy contrasts between Hagerty's conservative voting record on taxes, border enforcement, and regulatory rollbacks, and Bradshaw's progressive platform advocating for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and systemic reform. ## Candidates - **Marquita Bradshaw** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Marquita_Bradshaw) - **Bill Hagerty** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://teamhagerty.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Bill_Hagerty) ## Issues ### Economy and Taxes Salience: high Bradshaw supports a $15 federal minimum wage and progressive tax restructuring, whereas Hagerty voted for tax policy revisions in H.R.1 and supported tip tax deductions while opposing the Inflation Reduction Act. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports living wage and tax restructuring Bradshaw advocates for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and restructuring the tax code to relieve working families from regressive tax burdens. She proposes transitioning toward a circular economy with green jobs and investments in small and medium-sized businesses. - Demands federal recognition of a living wage starting at $15 per hour - Calls for restructuring the regressive tax system to reduce taxes on working Americans - Supports transitioning to a circular economy with green infrastructure investments > “This means fully and aggressively fighting for the federal recognition & implementation of a living wage beginning at immediately increasing the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) > “Restructure the regressive tax system to fairly tax all working Americans, removing the burden of income, sales & property taxes from the working population.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Marquita_Bradshaw) **Bill Hagerty:** Supports tax relief and spending limits Hagerty supported budget reconciliation and tax policy changes in H.R.1 and backed a federal tax deduction for tips under the No Tax on Tips Act. He voted against major spending and tax bills including the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan Act. - Voted Yea on the 2025 H.R.1 reconciliation bill addressing debt limits and tax policy - Supported S.129 creating a tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips - Voted Nay on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ### Environment and Climate Change Salience: high Bradshaw advocates for the Green New Deal and corporate ESG requirements, while Hagerty voted to block Labor Department ESG rules and opposed the Inflation Reduction Act. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports Green New Deal and climate action Bradshaw advocates for the Green New Deal to transition the economy toward clean renewable energy and net-zero waste. She calls for corporate ESG plans and major investments in green infrastructure and environmental research jobs. - Supports the Green New Deal and a just transition to clean renewable energy - Calls for corporate ESG requirements to remediate waste and achieve net-zero harm - Proposes heavy investments in green infrastructure and environmental science careers > “As a fighter for environmental justice my entire life, I am proud to stand as someone who sees the unending benefits of this deal, not only for our Planet’s health but for the future of our state’s economy.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) **Bill Hagerty:** Opposes federal ESG regulations and climate mandates Hagerty voted to roll back federal Department of Labor rules allowing retirement plans to consider environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors. He also voted against federal climate and infrastructure investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. - Voted Yea on H.J.Res.30 to nullify Labor Department ESG investment rules - Voted Nay on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 - Voted Nay on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 ### Healthcare Salience: high Bradshaw advocates for Medicare for All and Medicaid expansion, while Hagerty voted against extending health insurance premium tax credits and drug price negotiations. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports Medicare for All and Medicaid expansion Bradshaw advocates for healthcare for all to prevent medical bankruptcy and save rural hospitals through Medicaid expansion. She demands comprehensive coverage that includes vision, dental, mental health, reproductive care, and addiction treatment. - Supports Medicare for All and expanding Medicaid to protect rural hospitals - Demands comprehensive healthcare coverage including dental, vision, mental health, and addiction services - Cites personal experience with medical bankruptcy in urging reforms to lower medical costs > “As your Senator, I will fight to ensure Tennesseans going bankrupt from seeking needed Medical Care is a thing of the past.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) > “She believes healthcare legislation must be comprehensive by covering mental, dental, vision, comprehensive reproductive health and addiction wrap-around services” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Marquita_Bradshaw) **Bill Hagerty:** Opposes federal healthcare expansions Hagerty voted against legislation extending expanded Affordable Care Act health insurance premium tax credits and additional Medicaid funding. He also voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which granted Medicare authority to negotiate drug prices. - Voted Nay on S.2882 to extend health insurance premium tax credits and Medicaid funding - Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and its drug price negotiation provisions ### Immigration and Border Security Salience: medium Bradshaw supports protecting DACA recipients and abolishing ICE, whereas Hagerty voted for the Laken Riley Act to mandate federal detention of noncitizens charged with theft. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports DACA and abolishing ICE Bradshaw supports protections for DACA recipients and humanitarian refuge for immigrants fleeing tyranny and violence. She explicitly supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). - Supports protecting DACA recipients and offering refuge to immigrant families - Explicitly calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) > “We should always be the beacon for families looking for better opportunities to find refuge from oppression, tyranny, violence, and prosecution.Abolish I.C.E.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) **Bill Hagerty:** Supports strict border enforcement Hagerty voted for the Laken Riley Act to require federal detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for theft crimes and allow states to sue over border enforcement. He also voted against dismissing impeachment charges against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. - Voted Yea on S.5 (Laken Riley Act) to detain noncitizens arrested for burglary or theft - Voted against dismissing impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ### Abortion and Reproductive Rights Salience: medium Bradshaw supports federal protections for reproductive freedom, while Hagerty voted against the Women's Health Protection Act and the Right to IVF Act. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports federal reproductive freedom Bradshaw includes reproductive freedom as a core pillar of her campaign platform and supports incorporating reproductive healthcare into expanded federal health programs. - Supports codifying federal protections for reproductive freedom - Advocates for comprehensive reproductive healthcare coverage > “The campaign will mobilize working families across Tennessee—urban, suburban, and rural—around a practical agenda: good-paying jobs, clean air and water, strong public schools, affordable healthcare (including saving rural hospitals), reproductive freedom, bold environmental and climate action, and voting rights.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Marquita_Bradshaw) **Bill Hagerty:** Opposes federal abortion and IVF protections Hagerty voted against federal legislation that sought to codify abortion access nationwide and voted against cloture on the Right to IVF Act. - Voted Nay on H.R.3755 (Women's Health Protection Act of 2021) - Voted Nay on S.4445 (Right to IVF Act) in 2024 ### Gun Policy Salience: low Bradshaw supports universal background checks for all gun purchases, while Hagerty voted to block ATF rules regulating firearm stabilizing braces. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports universal background checks Bradshaw supports enacting universal background checks on all firearm purchases to prevent mass shootings, domestic violence, and gun-related deaths. - Advocates for universal background checks for all gun purchases > “Every day, more than 300 Americans are shot or killed–whether from mass shootings that are occurring with alarming regularity to more frequent acts of domestic violence and suicide.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) **Bill Hagerty:** Opposes firearm regulations Hagerty voted to disapprove an ATF rule regulating firearms equipped with stabilizing braces. - Voted Yea on H.J.Res.44 to overturn ATF regulations on stabilizing braces ### Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Salience: low Bradshaw advocates for restorative justice and system overhaul to eliminate racial bias, while Hagerty has supported federal law enforcement funding. **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports community policing and restorative justice Bradshaw advocates for restorative justice programs and community policing to reform the justice system and eliminate racial and income bias. - Promotes restorative justice and community policing models - Calls for an overhaul of the criminal justice system to remove racial and income bias > “In Tennessee, we need a fundamental overhaul of our justice system to ensure that we all are being held to an equal interpretation of the law, not one rooted in racial and income bias.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) **Bill Hagerty:** Supports funding law enforcement Hagerty supported federal appropriations measures providing funding for the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement activities. - Voted for appropriations bills funding the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement ### Education Salience: medium **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports tuition-free public college and pre-K Bradshaw proposes funding public education at equal levels to the military, providing universal pre-K, and making technical, community, public, and HBCU colleges tuition-free. She also advocates for student debt relief and protections against predatory lenders. - Proposes funding federal public education at equal levels to the military - Calls for free tuition at public colleges, universities, community colleges, and HBCUs - Supports universal pre-K education and federal student debt relief > “I am a lifelong proponent of funding our education system the same as we do our military in order to promote generations of meaningful success regardless of background or location in Tennessee.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) > “Expand public education to include free technical, community, HBCU, and public college. Fund education the same as our military.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Marquita_Bradshaw) **Bill Hagerty:** No documented position in our sources ### Democracy and Campaign Finance Salience: low **Marquita Bradshaw:** Supports overturning Citizens United Bradshaw supports protecting voting rights and overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision to eliminate corporate money in election campaigns. - Supports overturning Citizens United to restrict corporate spending in elections - Advocates for federal voting rights protections and fair elections > “Some have argued tthat he single most influential Supreme Court decision in our lifetimes has been the overturning of the Citizens United case. This ushered in an era of untold amounts of money being funneled into campaigns from billion-dollar corporations to buy elections.” > — Marquita Bradshaw, via [Campaign site](https://www.MarquitaBradshaw.com) **Bill Hagerty:** No documented position in our sources ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/tennessee-senate-election-winner) — Tennessee Senate Election Winner: Republicans 97.6%, Democrats 2.6% - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/tennessee-democratic-senate-primary-winner) — Tennessee Democratic Senate Primary Winner: Democrats 100.0% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/SENATETN-26) — Tennessee Senate winner?: Bill Hagerty 97.0%, Marquita Bradshaw 3.0% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-tn)