Robert C. Vick is running as an independent for Tennessee governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. It is his first run for public office.
Asked why he is seeking the office, Vick said in our candidate questionnaire: "I've spent 40 years in public education and enjoy being a servant leader. I felt God's calling to join the race and run as a Christian Independent."
Other candidates certified for the ballot include Marsha Blackburn (Republican) and Jerri Green (Democratic), according to BallotReady election data. Independents in the race are Charles Van Morgan, Dave Seeman, David Hatley, Dean Brewer, Eddie Lee Murphy, Karl Knox Smithson, L. Webb Taylor, Lauren Pinkston, Misam Abidi, Ray Brown, Victor L. Scoggin and Wendell Jackson.
Candidate information
Hometown: Vick said he was "born and raised in White Pine, Tennessee, in the valley of East Tennessee" and has "always called Jefferson County home," according to his campaign website.
Family: "Married to Stephanie Bishop Vick, we have a blended family of 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren," Vick said in our questionnaire.
Education: Vick listed the following degrees in our questionnaire:
- Bachelor of science in math and science education, University of Tennessee-Knoxville (1986)
- Master of education in administration and supervision, Lincoln Memorial University (1996)
- Educational specialist in administration and supervision, Lincoln Memorial University (1997)
- Doctorate of education in school leadership, East Tennessee State University (2004)
Previous elected or appointed office: "NONE, first attempt for public office," Vick said in our questionnaire.
Experience and public service
Vick said in our questionnaire that he "just retired that past June after 40 great years in public education, started in 1986." His career included teaching and coaching at Morristown West High School for 10 years, then assistant principal at Jefferson Elementary for four years. He went on to serve as principal at Dandridge Elementary, Jefferson Elementary and Parrottsville Elementary, and spent four years as assistant principal and athletic director at Cocke County High School, according to his questionnaire responses.
On the issues
Top priority — public education: Asked for his single most important issue, Vick said in our questionnaire: "I would have to say 'pubic education', I feel it has been the step child of our state's government … I believe more funding should be put into public education. I am 100% against school vouchers."
On K-12 policy, he said in our questionnaire: "The greatest impact I could make as governor would be to lower pupil to teacher ratios … Next, I would work to keep our great teachers in the classroom. We need to make teacher salaries competitive."
Cost of living and taxes: Vick said in our questionnaire: "To help with the daily cost of living I would first look at our sales tax on groceries. In my eyes, that is a very unfair tax to consumers in the lower income bracket, they pay a higher percent of their income."
He told the Nashville Banner he could not say he supports completely eliminating the grocery sales tax but added, "I think we should always be willing to evaluate the way we collect taxes."
Public safety and mental health: Vick said in our questionnaire: "Driving to all 95 Tennessee counties, I saw two common themes across our state, poor mental health issues and homelessness … Our police force and mental health experts need to work as a team."
Data centers and AI: Vick told NewsChannel 9: "I think data centers should be a local decision within each county. Concerning AI, we do need to look at guardrails to protect our children, privacy concerns, and employees while balancing the need for economic innovation."
Candidate responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire and publicly available sources. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words. The Mt. Juliet Journal does not endorse candidates.
