December 9th, 2024
Over the last two years, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn worked to train up hundreds of aspiring conservative leaders through what she calls “campaign college.”
Why it matters: Blackburn wants part of her legacy to be shepherding the next generation of activists and elected office seekers.
Zoom in: Beginning in early 2023, her campaign says, 703 volunteers attended the campaign colleges hosted at local schools and hotel conference centers all over the state.
- The free one-day training session offered a crash course in modern politics.
- Students came from every corner of the Volunteer State: a 19-year-old fast food worker, a 62-year-old grandparent, a stay-at-home mom, a college kid on the hunt for their first job after graduation.
What she’s saying: “We have looked at this not as Team Marsha, but as Team Tennessee,” Blackburn said last month during her election night victory speech.
- “What we decided to do with this campaign was to invest in the next generation of leaders because we want to make certain that Tennessee remains a conservative state.
- “That means you have got to raise up other leaders.”
Between the lines: Ward Baker, Blackburn’s longtime adviser and a powerbroker in Tennessee politics, says the campaign colleges came about because of the nature of modern, data-driven campaigns.
- “It’s hard to find people who understand the latest technology and analytics. It’s constantly changing. You’ve got to keep up with it. Instead of just complaining, Sen. Blackburn decided we’re going to try to do this ourselves.”
Campaign college attendees learned political strategy, fundraising, polling data, messaging and door-knocking techniques from Blackburn’s own experts. Some of the graduates even earned paying jobs on Blackburn’s campaign.
- “It’s also helpful to find a way to be involved … It helps them learn to fundraise, but it also helps the senator with fundraising,” Abbi Sigler, Blackburn’s campaign manager, tells Axios.
- Blackburn cruised to reelection, defeating Democratic challenger state Rep. Gloria Johnson 64% to 34%.
Zoom out: Advisers say Blackburn hopes the campaign colleges cultivate the next generation of GOP activists, operatives and candidates who can help the GOP maintain its stranglehold on every level of Tennessee politics.
- “Sen. Blackburn wants to train people who can not only help her race, but also help state House races, help state Senate races, help [U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty] in his race,” Baker says. “This is a long-term goal and this is to help other people. She wants to make sure we have the next generation of people not only to run races, but to run for office.”
The intrigue: Blackburn’s expanding activist network coincides with increasing intrigue about her political future. She’s already the first Tennessee woman elected to the U.S. Senate, and there’s buzz she could have her sights set on becoming Tennessee’s first female governor.
Blackburn has reserved television advertising time later this month, fueling speculation of a future a gubernatorial bid.
Inside the room: Carsyn Smiling, a 22-year-old from Union County, attended one of Blackburn’s campaign colleges and parlayed it into her first job after graduating from college.
- She worked as an East Tennessee field rep for Blackburn’s campaign.
Blackburn lavished praise on her field team’s work during her victory speech. “I’ve always described it as you’re the eyes and ears of the campaign,”
- Smiling tells Axios she attended community meetings and spoke with constituents to identify voters’ priorities.
- Smiling says it was rewarding to have Blackburn, Baker and Sigler want to “invest in people like me.”
- “A lot of time people look at the youth and Gen Z and think we don’t care, we’re uninvolved,” Smiling says. “They said, ‘If you want to get involved … we will help you, we want you on our team.'”