Tennessee Governor's Race 2018: U.S. Rep. Diane Black Announces Run

U.S. Rep. Diane Black, a Gallatin Republican, made her long-rumored candidacy for governor official Wednesday, posting a 105-second video on her campaign web site.

The chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee, Black, who cut her teeth in state politics as a member of the State House during the fight over an income tax in the late 1990s before her election to the State Senate, is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and is seen as a rock-ribbed conservative. She has links to the state's Republican establishment while also being popular with the tea party set, having fought off a primary challenge from tea-party darling Lou Ann Zelenik in 2010 and crushing Joe Carr, also popular among tea partiers, in last year's GOP primary for her congressional seat. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

Even in a race with wealthy candidates capable of —and already willing to — self-fund like Lee Co. chairman Bill Lee and entrepreneur and former state economic and community development commissioner Randy Boyd, Black is formidable financially, ranking among Congress' wealthiest members. In addition to Black, Boyd and Lee, State House Speaker Beth Harwell, State Sen. Mae Beavers and activist Kay White have also announced their candidacy. Black, Harwell, Beavers and White are looking to be Tennessee's first female governor.

In Vanderbilt's May statewide poll, Black had 49 percent name recognition, a healthy lead over her opponents.

Here's Black's campaign announcement:

Image via U.S House of Representatives