The 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006, to elect the
governor of Tennessee.
IncumbentDemocratic Governor
Phil Bredesen was re-elected to a second term with 68.6% of the vote, defeating his
Republican challenger
Jim Bryson. Improving on his performance from
2002, Bredesen also carried every county in the state.
As of 2024, this was the last time a Democrat won a majority of counties in the state, the last time a Democrat won any statewide race in Tennessee, and the most recent statewide election in Tennessee in which 88 of the state's 95 counties, including
Knox County and
Hamilton County, went to the Democratic candidate. Only
Davidson,
Shelby,
Haywood,
Hardeman,
Houston,
Jackson, and
Lake counties have voted for a Democratic candidate in a Presidential, Senate, or gubernatorial race since 2006. Eight years after this, Republican Governor
Bill Haslam would win every county in the state when he won
re-election. This marked a sharp political shift in Tennessee.
The 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006, to elect the
governor of Tennessee.
IncumbentDemocratic Governor
Phil Bredesen was re-elected to a second term with 68.6% of the vote, defeating his
Republican challenger
Jim Bryson. Improving on his performance from
2002, Bredesen also carried every county in the state.
As of 2024, this was the last time a Democrat won a majority of counties in the state, the last time a Democrat won any statewide race in Tennessee, and the most recent statewide election in Tennessee in which 88 of the state's 95 counties, including
Knox County and
Hamilton County, went to the Democratic candidate. Only
Davidson,
Shelby,
Haywood,
Hardeman,
Houston,
Jackson, and
Lake counties have voted for a Democratic candidate in a Presidential, Senate, or gubernatorial race since 2006. Eight years after this, Republican Governor
Bill Haslam would win every county in the state when he won
re-election. This marked a sharp political shift in Tennessee.