The 1926 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1926. Incumbent Democratic governor Austin Peay defeated Republican nominee Walter White with 64.7% of the vote, improving on his performance from 1924.
Peay narrowly won the Democratic primary against Hill McAlister, defeating him by a little over 4%.
Shortly after beginning his third term, Peay's health began to decline and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at 8:05 p.m. on October 2, 1927.
Primary elections were held on August 5, 1926.
Hill McAlister sought the Democratic Party's nomination against the incumbent, Austin Peay. Peay had radically transformed the state government, and had angered numerous members of his own party in the process, among them political bosses E. H. Crump of Memphis and Hilary Howse of Nashville. With the help of Crump and Howse, McAlister was able to win Shelby and Davidson counties, but Peay won the state's rural areas and East Tennessee, and defeated McAlister for the nomination by 8,057 votes.
Major party candidates