Marquita Bradshaw

Marquita Bradshaw is a Memphis-born environmental-justice advocate and community organizer, and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Tennessee. She was the Democratic nominee for this seat in 2020, losing to Bill Hagerty, lost the 2024 Democratic Senate primary to Gloria Johnson, and won the 2026 primary. She is the founder and executive director of Sowing Justice.[1][2][3]

Bradshaw was born on January 12, 1974, in Memphis, grew up in South Memphis, and earned a high school diploma from Central High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis, a Bachelor of Liberal Studies in journalism and communication studies according to Wikipedia. Her parents helped organize residents around contamination at the Memphis Defense Depot Superfund site.[2][4][6] She is a volunteer project director for the Defense Depot Memphis, Tennessee - Concerned Citizens Committee, which raises awareness of contamination from the Memphis Defense Depot Superfund site.[4] She has worked as an organizer at local, state and national levels, including with the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, Sierra Club, Stand for Children, Tennesseans for Fair Taxation, AFGE and the AFL-CIO.[4] Wikipedia reports that she chairs the environmental justice committee of the Sierra Club's Tennessee chapter.[6] In her 2026 Ballotpedia survey she says she has worked as a caretaker for a differently abled adult and experienced medical bankruptcy.[1]

Bradshaw won the 2020 Democratic Senate primary with 35.5% in a five-candidate field, becoming the first Black woman nominated for statewide office by a major party in Tennessee, according to Wikipedia. She then lost the general election to Bill Hagerty, about 35% to 62%.[2][5][6] She founded Sowing Justice after the 2020 race and serves as its executive director; she describes it as a nonpartisan organization focused on civic engagement beyond voting.[1][6] In 2024 she lost the Democratic Senate primary to Gloria Johnson, 21.8% to 70.2%, and on August 6, 2026 she won the Democratic primary with 54.7% of the vote over four opponents.[2][3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.