According to The Washington Sun, WWE Hall of Famer Glenn “Kane” Jacobs is being considered the frontrunner to be appointed to the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat that will soon be vacated by Marsha Blackburn.
Blackburn recently won the election for Tennessee governor during the midterms, meaning she will leave the Senate seat she has held since 2019. Blackburn is responsible for appointing someone to fill her seat until the next election, which will be a special election in 2028 to complete the remaining two years of her term.
Jacobs is coming off an eight-year tenure as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Due to term limits, he is unable to run for mayor again. Reports from September indicated that Jacobs was a potential appointee if Blackburn won the governorship, which she did, defeating Democrat Jerri Green by a narrow margin of 2.5%.
Jacobs is not the only potential candidate for the appointment. Other names mentioned include U.S. Representative Tim Burchett, Deputy Governor Stuart McWhorter, and U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann. According to two Republican operatives familiar with Tennessee politics, Jacobs has an advantage due to his close relationship with Blackburn. He is a client of Ward Baker, a top consultant for Blackburn, and has been one of her close allies.
One operative pointed out Jacobs’ ability to connect with both establishment Republicans and working-class voters as a positive sign for his candidacy. There have also been reports that U.S. President Donald Trump hoped to see Pete Hegseth appointed to the Senate seat, allowing him to step down from his role as U.S. Defense Secretary amid rumors of a potential impeachment vote over the Iran war. However, Hegseth is not currently being considered for the position.
