A new NBC report says that current U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is having discussions about a potential political run for office in Tennessee in 2026.
NBC cites two sources that have spoken with Hegseth directly over the past several weeks.
Hegseth could face eligibility requirements to run for office in Tennessee.
State law says candidates for governor must have lived in the state for seven years before the election. Hegseth moved to Tennessee around three years ago.
Public records show that his name is linked to a suburban Nashville address last sold in the middle of 2022.
But Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement to NBC that “Hegseth’s focus remains solely on serving under President Trump.”
“Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story… again. Only two options exist: either the ‘sources’ are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked. Secretary Hegseth’s focus remains solely on serving under President Trump and advancing the America First mission at the Department of Defense,” Parnell told NBC News.
Tennessee GOP bylaws have a series of requirements for Republican primary candidates, which include having voted in three of the last four most recent statewide Republican primary elections in which the candidate is eligible to vote. There have been statewide Republican primaries in Tennessee in 2022 and 2024.
Those bylaws have blocked other candidates from seeking office in the past.
But Hegseth could face challengers from inside his own party should he choose to run for governor, such as U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who has said to be considering her own campaign.
Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior senator, has served in public office for more than 25 years and has considerable influence among the state’s GOP.
A source familiar with Blackburn’s plans said she is expected to share her next steps in August.