A Former Pro Wrestler Could Be Tennessee’s Next Senator

As Republicans brace for a new round of political brawling in the minority on Capitol Hill, they may turn to somebody who knows his way around the ring.

Glenn Jacobs, the former Knox County, Tennessee, mayor better known to wrestling fans as Kane, has emerged as the favorite to fill the Senate seat Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) will vacate to become governor after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was ruled out of contention, according to multiple people familiar with the jockeying.

Jacobs and Rep. Tim Burchett have spent months strengthening ties to Blackburn, campaigning across Tennessee on her behalf, positioning themselves for a possible appointment to her Senate seat.

A person close to Blackburn said the field also includes Deputy Gov. Stuart McWhorter, whom Blackburn tapped to lead her transition team, and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, who has served in the House since 2011. Blackburn will be sworn in as the state’s chief executive on Jan. 16.

Two Republican operatives familiar with Tennessee politics and a person who has spoken with Jacobs suggested that he has an advantage, citing his longstanding relationship with Blackburn and her advisers.

“Based on [what happened], it’s even more likely for Glenn,” one of the operatives told The Washington Sun, pointing to Hegseth’s official ouster from consideration.

Jacobs, the ex-WWE star turned two-term mayor, is a client of Ward Baker, the top consultant for Blackburn. He has also become an increasingly close ally of the governor-elect.

“Every time I saw Marsha, Glenn wasn’t very far behind,” said Kim Perry, the president of Perry Strategies, a Tennessee-based political consulting firm.

Jacobs also brings something most politicians can’t buy: instant name recognition.

“Here in Shelby County and the Memphis metro area, where we live, we love our wrestling here, so people know him,” Perry said.

The Republican operative said Jacobs, who is libertarian-leaning and hails from East Tennessee rather than the greater Nashville area, has a unique ability to connect with establishment Republicans and working-class voters alike.

The operative recalled a visit to a Nashville law firm where Jacobs impressed a group of skeptical lawyers, then was recognized by a security guard who knew him from his wrestling days.

“He can talk to both the kind of ‘establishment’ type people but then also the regular voters too,” they said. “He kind of has that appeal.”

Burchett, who has made no secret that he wants the appointment, spelled it out again Friday.

“I’d be honored to be considered,” he told The Sun. “I would love, love that opportunity.”

Burchett also pointed to his political organization and a poll he said showed him with a double-digit lead over the other contenders. He said he raised $1 million in the last quarter and visited more than 60 counties over roughly the past year.

Tennessee insiders say it’s clear Burchett has been working to earn the job.

“Burchett wants it really bad,” the operative said, noting that the congressman was among the foremost backers of Blackburn’s gubernatorial bid and has attended scores of campaign events.

“Everything Burchett has done over the last year and a half … has been to try and position himself for this appointment,” the operative said.

Burchett, who joined the House in 2019 and is also a Baker client, has largely voted to pass the president’s agenda but has repeatedly frustrated Republican leaders.

He was one of eight House Republicans who voted to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023, setting off a three-week struggle to find a replacement.

That independent streak could complicate his prospects. Two Republican operatives suggested Senate Majority Leader John Thune would probably prefer Blackburn look elsewhere, given Burchett’s penchant for mischief.

“I don’t know if John Thune would rather have Pete Hegseth or Tim Burchett in his conference, frankly,” the Republican operative familiar with Tennessee politics mused, likening him to another upstart, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin).

Asked about the assessment that he might buck party leadership, Burchett himself agreed — and framed it as an asset.

“He’s correct. I represent my folks in Tennessee, not Washington big shots,” he said. “Gov.-elect Blackburn has made it clear Washington is not making the decision.”

The jockeying comes after speculation that President Donald Trump might seek to install Hegseth in Blackburn’s seat, potentially offering the embattled defense secretary a new role as he faces a looming impeachment vote and as Democrats prepare to scrutinize his leadership of the Pentagon.

But Trump indicated during a recent conversation with reporters that he wants Hegseth to stay at the Pentagon. A senior administration official said separately that Hegseth isn’t looking for an escape plan: “He’s not going anywhere.”

A second person close to Blackburn confirmed that “anywhere” includes her soon-to-be vacant seat.

Hegseth “is not being considered [for Senate]. This is nothing more than Washington, D.C., spin from a bunch of consultants with nothing better to do,” the source told The Sun. “The Blackburn team is focused on the transition, not entertaining baseless speculation. DC won’t pick the next senator.”

The White House also pushed back against claims that Hegseth is on the chopping block. “POTUS seems dead set on him staying,” one White House official said, pointing to the president’s comments Thursday.

“I have every intention to keep him,” Trump told reporters, adding that Hegseth would be “very popular” if he became the junior senator of Tennessee.

The decision ultimately rests with Blackburn, who will have the power to appoint a successor after resigning from the Senate to become governor.

In Tennessee political circles, Hegseth wasn’t seen as a serious candidate, in large part because of the obstacles he’d face if he accepted an appointment and tried to run in 2028, when there would be a special election.

The Tennessee Republican Party’s rules generally require candidates to have voted in three of the previous four Republican primaries — a requirement Hegseth would not meet. The party could grant him a waiver, but that outcome isn’t guaranteed.

“Nationally, this is a fun talking point, but there are several other names we’ve been hearing pretty consistently here in Tennessee,” Perry said.

Even in the unlikely event Hegseth received a waiver from the state GOP, his divisiveness and Blackburn’s narrow victory in the governor’s race suggest he would face an uphill fight if he ever ran for the Senate seat.

“Amongst Republicans, he’s fairly well liked,” Perry said. “But what you have to remember is, we’re a red state, but we have some pretty blue dots.”

To those who know Blackburn, it’s unlikely she would be swayed by pressure from Trump, Hegseth or other national Republicans.

“She certainly has her close advisers that she does trust,” Perry said, “but she certainly also is her own woman.”