Glenn Jacobs, a WWE Hall of Famer known to wrestling fans as Kane, is reportedly a top candidate to fill Marsha Blackburn’s U.S. Senate seat. This potential appointment would occur if Blackburn wins Tennessee’s governor race in November. While her campaign downplays any current shortlist, Jacobs recently finished his term as Knox County mayor.
Axios reports that Jacobs, the WWE Hall of Famer known to wrestling fans as Kane, is viewed as a top candidate to fill Marsha Blackburn’s U.S. Senate seat if she wins Tennessee’s governor race in November. Blackburn, the heavy favorite over Democratic nominee Jerri Green and a handful of independents, has confirmed she plans to serve out her Senate term until she is sworn in as governor, which means the power to appoint her own successor would fall to her rather than current Gov. Bill Lee.
Blackburn’s campaign has downplayed the idea that a shortlist already exists. Campaign manager Abigail Sigler told Axios there will be “no discussions” about a potential replacement until the appropriate time, adding that Blackburn’s focus is solely on winning in November.
How The Appointment Would Work
Whoever gets the nod would serve a partial term until the next statewide election in 2028, with a full six-year term up for grabs in 2030. It wouldn’t be uncharted territory nationally. Governors have filled Senate vacancies by appointment 34 times since 2000, according to the U.S. Senate Historical Office. It would, however, be new ground for Tennessee, and constitutional experts have flagged questions about the timing of Blackburn’s resignation and swearing-in…