Career Timeline of Marsha Blackburn: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Marsha Blackburn made an impact.
Marsha Blackburn is an American politician and businesswoman currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Tennessee, elected in 2018. A Republican, she previously served as a Tennessee State Senator (1999-2003) and represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives (2003-2019). She is known for her conservative political stance.
1964: Blackburn co-signs amicus brief on LGBT employment discrimination
In August 2019, Marsha Blackburn co-signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.
1973: Sales Manager
In 1973, before graduating from college, Marsha Blackburn worked as a sales manager for the Times Mirror Company.
1975: Castner Knott Division
From 1975 to 1978, Marsha Blackburn worked in the Castner Knott Division of Mercantile Stores, Inc.
1978: Marketing Strategies Owner
In 1978, Marsha Blackburn became the owner of Marketing Strategies, a promotion-event management firm.
1989: Chair of Williamson County Republican Party
In 1989, Marsha Blackburn became the chair of the Williamson County Republican Party, a position she held until 1991.
1991: End of Williamson County Republican Party Chairmanship
In 1991, Marsha Blackburn's tenure as the chair of the Williamson County Republican Party concluded.
1992: Congressional Run and Convention Delegate
In 1992, Marsha Blackburn ran for Congress in Tennessee's 6th congressional district, losing to incumbent Bart Gordon. She was also a delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention.
1995: Executive Director Appointment
In 1995, Marsha Blackburn was appointed executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission by Tennessee governor Don Sundquist, a position she held through 1997.
1997: End of Executive Directorship
In 1997, Marsha Blackburn's tenure as executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission came to an end.
1999: Tennessee State Senator
In 1999, Marsha Blackburn became a member of the Tennessee Senate.
2000: State Income Tax Opposition
In 2000, Marsha Blackburn participated in the effort to prevent the passage of a state income tax bill.
2002: Congressional Primary Run
In 2002, Marsha Blackburn ran in the Republican primary for the congressional seat in the 7th district. She won the primary by nearly 20 percentage points, due to the Memphis candidates splitting the vote in that area.
2003: Assistant Whip in Congress
From 2003 to 2005, Marsha Blackburn served as an assistant whip in Congress.
2003: U.S. House of Representatives Service
In 2003, Marsha Blackburn began her service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
2003: U.S. Representative
In 2003, Marsha Blackburn began representing Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
2003: End of Tennessee Senate Membership
In 2003, Marsha Blackburn's membership in the Tennessee Senate concluded.
2004: Blackburn votes for constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage
In 2004, Marsha Blackburn voted for proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.
2005: Deputy Whip in Congress
From 2005, Marsha Blackburn served as a deputy whip in Congress.
2006: Blackburn votes for constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage
In 2006, Marsha Blackburn voted for proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage.
November 2007: Unsuccessful Run for Republican Conference Chair
In November 2007, Marsha Blackburn unsuccessfully ran for Republican conference chair.
2008: Romney Campaign Advisor and Thompson Endorsement
In 2008, Marsha Blackburn was a senior advisor on Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, before resigning her position and endorsing Fred Thompson for president.
2009: Blackburn votes against Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Paycheck Fairness Act
In 2009, Marsha Blackburn voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.
2010: Blackburn votes against repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell
In 2010, Marsha Blackburn voted against repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
October 2013: Blackburn criticizes healthcare.gov for violating privacy rights
In October 2013, during congressional hearings on the ACA, Marsha Blackburn said the website healthcare.gov violated HIPAA and health information privacy rights, even after being questioned about the limited health-related questions asked by the site.
2013: Blackburn votes on Violence Against Women Act
In 2013, Marsha Blackburn voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in the House but voted against the Senate's version, arguing that expanding VAWA to apply to people regardless of sexual orientation would dilute funding for women's shelters and law enforcement against crimes against women.
July 2014: Rannazzisi informs congressional staffers about effects of Blackburn's bill
During a July 2014 conference call, Joe Rannazzisi told congressional staffers that Marsha Blackburn's bill would cause more difficulties for the DEA if it pursued corporations that were illegally distributing such drugs.
August 2015: Rannazzisi removed from DEA position
In August 2015, Joe Rannazzisi said he was removed from his DEA position.
2015: Blackburn comments on Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision
In 2015, regarding the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, Marsha Blackburn stated that "no one can overrule the truth about what marriage actually is—a sacred institution between a man and a woman."
October 2016: FCC adopts online privacy rule
In October 2016, the FCC adopted an Obama-administration online privacy rule that Marsha Blackburn later sought to dismantle.
November 2016: Trump Transition Team
In November 2016, Marsha Blackburn joined Donald Trump's presidential transition team as vice chair.
2016: Continued Business Ownership
As of 2016, Marsha Blackburn continued to run her business, Marketing Strategies.
2016: Effects of 2016 law co-sponsored by Blackburn
In 2016, Joe Rannazzisi said he informed Blackburn's staffers what the effects of a 2016 law she co-sponsored would be.
March 2017: Blackburn's measure repealing online privacy rule passes House
In March 2017, Marsha Blackburn introduced to the House a measure to dismantle an Obama-administration online privacy rule that the FCC adopted in October 2016. Her measure, which was supported by broadband providers but criticized by privacy advocates, repealed the rule that required broadband providers to obtain consumers' permission before sharing their online data, including browsing histories. The measure passed the House in a party-line vote in March 2017, after a similar measure passed the Senate the same week.
October 2017: Senate Candidacy Announcement
In October 2017, Marsha Blackburn announced her candidacy for the Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker. In her announcement, she positioned herself as a "hardcore, card-carrying Tennessee conservative" and dismissed compromise.
2017: NYT reports on Blackburn's legislation affecting DEA enforcement
According to The New York Times in 2017, Marsha Blackburn's best-known legislation was her co-sponsorship of a bill that revised the legal standard the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had used to establish a risk before suspending opioid drug shipments, which was criticized as hampering DEA enforcement actions.
2017: Blackburn supports Trump's travel ban
In 2017, Marsha Blackburn supported Trump's executive order imposing a temporary travel and immigration ban barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
2017: Blackburn argues for ACA repeal
In 2017, while arguing for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Marsha Blackburn falsely said that two of its popular provisions (protections for people with preexisting conditions and allowing adult children to be on their parents' health plans until they're 26) "were two Republican provisions which made it into the bill."
June 2018: Blackburn publishes op-ed advocating for tech regulation
In June 2018, Marsha Blackburn published an op-ed arguing for greater oversight and restrictions on tech companies, which sparked backlash among Google employees.
November 6, 2018: Elected to U.S. Senate
On November 6, 2018, Marsha Blackburn became the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, defeating Phil Bredesen.
November 7, 2018: Blackburn responds to Thousand Oaks shooting
On November 7, 2018, following the Thousand Oaks shooting, Marsha Blackburn responded to a question about the shooting in a Fox News interview by saying that mental health issues needed to be addressed and that we need to protect the Second Amendment and our citizens.
2018: Elected to Senate
In 2018, Marsha Blackburn was first elected to the Senate.
2018: Blackburn criticizes failure to repeal ACA
In 2018, in her declaration that she would run for the Senate, Marsha Blackburn said that the failure to repeal the ACA was "a disgrace".
January 3, 2019: Sworn in as U.S. Senator
On January 3, 2019, Marsha Blackburn was sworn in as a U.S. senator, becoming the first woman in history to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
August 2019: Blackburn co-signs amicus brief on LGBT employment discrimination
In August 2019, Marsha Blackburn co-signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.
2019: End of U.S. House of Representatives Service
In 2019, Marsha Blackburn's service in the U.S. House of Representatives concluded.
September 1, 2020: Blackburn's book "The Mind of a Conservative Woman" is published
On September 1, 2020, Marsha Blackburn's book, "The Mind of a Conservative Woman: Seeking the Best for Family and Country", was published by Worthy Books.
October 26, 2020: Blackburn votes to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
On October 26, 2020, Marsha Blackburn voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States. Blackburn wore a mask that read "Grin and Barrett" to the Senate vote.
2020: Blackburn claims tech companies stifle free speech
During a 2020 Commerce Committee hearing, Marsha Blackburn claimed that tech companies stifle free speech and questioned Google chief Sundar Pichai about an employee who criticized her.
2020: Blackburn supports Trump's claims of victory
In 2020, after Biden won the presidential election, Marsha Blackburn supported Trump's false claims of victory and raised funds to support the Trump campaign's effort to overturn the election results in court.
January 2, 2021: Blackburn announces opposition to election certification
On January 2, 2021, Marsha Blackburn, along with 10 other Republican senators, announced their intention to vote against the certification of the 2020 United States presidential election results, alleging widespread election fraud and unconstitutional changes to voting laws.
January 2021: Senior Senator
In January 2021, Marsha Blackburn became the senior senator from Tennessee upon the retirement of Senator Lamar Alexander.
March 2021: Blackburn visits southern border and criticizes Biden
In March 2021, Marsha Blackburn visited the southern border of the United States and accused President Biden of encouraging a surge of illegal immigration.
May 2021: Blackburn abstains from voting on January 6 commission creation
In May 2021, Marsha Blackburn abstained from voting on the creation of the January 6 commission.
2021: Blackburn likens Biden's pre-K proposal to communist policies
In 2021, Marsha Blackburn likened President Biden's proposal for universal pre-K and subsidized child care to the communist policies of the Soviet Union and falsely claimed that the Biden administration proposed to put children in pre-K even if their parents did not want to send them there.
2021: Senior U.S. Senator
In 2021, upon Lamar Alexander's retirement, Marsha Blackburn became the senior U.S. senator from Tennessee.
March 22, 2022: Blackburn questions Jackson on definition of "woman"
On March 22, 2022, during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, Marsha Blackburn asked Jackson to define the word "woman", leading to a discussion about biology and the clarity of the word's meaning.
April 7, 2022: Blackburn votes against Jackson's confirmation to Supreme Court
On April 7, 2022, Marsha Blackburn voted against Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court.
2022: Blackburn votes against gun control measures
In 2022, Marsha Blackburn voted against gun control measures, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in 2022.
March 2023: Newsom Criticizes Blackburn's NRA Donations and Gun Control Votes
In March 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized Marsha Blackburn for accepting over $1 million in campaign donations from the National Rifle Association of America and voting against gun control measures, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed in 2022.
2023: Dean of Tennessee's Congressional Delegation
In 2023, Marsha Blackburn became the dean of Tennessee's congressional delegation upon the retirement of Congressman Jim Cooper.
2023: Blackburn votes against Fiscal Responsibility Act
In 2023, Marsha Blackburn was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raised the U.S. debt ceiling.
August 1, 2024: Party Nominations
On August 1, 2024, Marsha Blackburn and Democratic state representative Gloria Johnson won their respective party nominations. This was the first all-woman general election for a Tennessee Senate seat.
2024: Chairperson for Republican National Committee Platform
In 2024, Marsha Blackburn served as chairperson for the Republican National Committee's official party platform.
2024: Re-election to Senate
In 2024, Marsha Blackburn won reelection to a second Senate term against Democratic nominee Gloria Johnson.
2024: Speculation as Trump's Running Mate
In 2024, there was speculation that Marsha Blackburn could be Donald Trump's running mate in his 2024 presidential campaign, but Trump instead chose JD Vance.
August 6, 2025: Gubernatorial Campaign Announcement
On August 6, 2025, Marsha Blackburn announced that she would run for governor of Tennessee in 2026.
August 2025: Announced Candidacy for Governor
In August 2025, Marsha Blackburn announced her candidacy for Governor of Tennessee in 2026.
2026: Run for Governor
In 2026, Marsha Blackburn plans to run for governor of Tennessee.
2026: Gubernatorial Run
In 2026, Marsha Blackburn will be campaigning to become governor of Tennessee.
Mentioned in this timeline
Home economics also known as domestic science or family and...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Fox News Channel FNC is a conservative American news and...
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman currently serving...
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
The Affordable Care Act ACA also known as Obamacare is...
Trending
28 days ago James Gunn Plans Superman Sequel Shooting Soon; Teases 'Peacemaker' Role in DCU.
28 days ago Motorcycle crash in Beloit on Cranston Road: Police investigate single-vehicle incident.
28 days ago Zion: Influencers' Storm, Hidden Trail & East Mesa Hike, Views and Fewer Crowds
28 days ago Qatar Airways and Accenture partner for AI-driven aviation excellence, creating 'AI Skyways'.
28 days ago Ketel Marte's Absence and Day Off Requests Cause Frustration Among Diamondbacks Teammates
28 days ago Jamie Lee Curtis Celebrates 'Freakier Friday' with Fan Event and Lookalike Screening
Popular
Charlie Kirk is a prominent American conservative activist author and...
Turning Point USA TPUSA is a conservative nonprofit organization founded...
Carlo Acutis was a British-born teenager of Italian ancestry deeply...
Kash Patel is an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
Bernard Sanders is a prominent American politician serving as the...