History of Marsha Blackburn in Timeline

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.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

June 6, 1952: Marsha Blackburn Born

On June 6, 1952, Mary Marsha Blackburn (née Wedgeworth) was born. She later became a prominent American politician and businesswoman.

Others born on this day/year

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.

1974: Graduation from Mississippi State University

In 1974, Marsha Blackburn graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in home economics, supported by a 4-H scholarship. She was also elected as secretary and president of the Associated Women Students at the university.

1974: Marsha marries Chuck Blackburn

In 1974, Marsha married Chuck Blackburn.

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: Redistricting

After the 2000 census, redistricting moved Marsha Blackburn's home from the 6th district into the 7th district, creating a gerrymandered district.

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: Birth Certificate Legislation

In 2009, Marsha Blackburn sponsored legislation requiring presidential candidates to show their birth certificates, in response to "birther" theories about Barack Obama.

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.

2013: Abortion Bill Debate Management

In 2013, Marsha Blackburn was chosen to manage debate on a bill promoted by House Republicans that would have prohibited abortions after 22 weeks' gestation, with limited exceptions.

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.

2014: Climate Change Views

In 2014, Marsha Blackburn rejected the scientific consensus on climate change during a debate with Bill Nye, claiming there is "no consensus" in the scientific community about the causes of climate change.

August 2015: Rannazzisi removed from DEA position

In August 2015, Joe Rannazzisi said he was removed from his DEA position.

2015: Planned Parenthood Investigation

In 2015, Marsha Blackburn led a panel that investigated the Planned Parenthood undercover video controversy, in which anti-abortion activists published a video purporting to show that Planned Parenthood illicitly sold fetal tissue.

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."

March 2016: Select Investigative Panel Chair

In March 2016, Marsha Blackburn chaired the Republican-led Select Investigative Panel, a committee convened to "explore the ethical implications of using fetal tissue in biomedical research".

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: Senate Campaign Ad Controversy

In 2017, when Marsha Blackburn announced that she was running for Senate, she ran a controversial advertisement saying that she "fought Planned Parenthood and we stopped the sale of baby body parts".

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

November 2019: Tweets During Impeachment Trial

In November 2019, during Trump's first Senate impeachment trial, Marsha Blackburn tweeted allegations against Alexander Vindman, leading to the #MoscowMarcia trend on Twitter.

2019: End of U.S. House of Representatives Service

In 2019, Marsha Blackburn's service in the U.S. House of Representatives concluded.

2019: Most Conservative Senator

In the 2019 legislative year, GovTrack estimated Marsha Blackburn to be the most ideologically conservative member of the Senate.

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.

The Mind of a Conservative Woman: Seeking the Best for Family and Country

Check it on Amazon

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.

December 2020: Controversial Tweet on China

In December 2020, Marsha Blackburn posted a controversial tweet about China, leading to a heated exchange with a Chinese state media official and protests from the Chinese American community.

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 2022: Criticism of Griswold v. Connecticut

In March 2022, Marsha Blackburn called Griswold v. Connecticut "constitutionally unsound", criticizing the Supreme Court decision protecting the right of married couples to use contraceptives.

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.

August 2022: Taiwan Visit

In August 2022, Marsha Blackburn led a congressional delegation to Taiwan, where she met with President Tsai Ing-wen and voiced support for Taiwan's independence, drawing criticism from China.

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.

July 2023: Criticism of 'Barbie' Movie

In July 2023, Marsha Blackburn criticized the movie Barbie for allegedly containing a map displaying China's disputed nine-dash line claim.

Loading Video...

October 2023: Support for Israel During Gaza War

In October 2023, Marsha Blackburn voiced support for Israel during the Gaza war, emphasizing the United States' moral obligation to defend Israel.

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: Targeted by Spamouflage Influence Operation

In 2024, Marsha Blackburn was targeted by the Chinese government's Spamouflage influence operation.

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.