Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Southern Roots & Sunday Traditions
Interview by Caroline Downey
Photography by Andrea Hanks
Styling by Isabelle Redfield
Makeup by Colleen Moroney
Production by Christie Luellen
Senator Marsha Blackburn invites The Conservateur into her Nashville home in a leather patch plaid blazer.
It’s a chilly morning on the outskirts of Nashville when Senator Marsha Blackburn welcomes us into her stately southern farmhouse, which used to belong to country comedian Minnie Pearl.
The fireplace is crackling. Antiques and heirlooms, from impressionist paintings to vintage wood furniture to old sepia-toned family photographs, adorn every room. Around every corner are needlepoint canvases, bearing adages like, “Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them,” and “A true friend is the rarest of all blessings.” Others mark milestones, such as the birth of Blackburn’s son. The living room windows are bordered by bespoke cornices engraved with the letter “B,” for “Blackburn.”
Senator Blackburn in her traditional Tennessee farmhouse wearing a tweed blazer and midi knit dress.
“My mother used to say I was an old soul because I used to enjoy, even when I was a child, things that had a memory or a story,” she says. “I loved learning more about my family history.”
It's just before noon as sunlight cuts through the clouds. Blackburn wears a striking navy suit, trimmed in the front with lace patches. It’s designed by Zang Toi, whose fall/winter 2019 season was a tribute to “the country that I love” featuring denim, western, and the stars and stripes. Toi is a Malaysian immigrant to America and a local favorite.
“He does trunk shows regularly in Nashville so I’ve gotten to know Zang,” the senator says. “I really appreciate his story, his sense of style, the fabrics that he chooses.”
In her early 20s, Blackburn was a petite model in Dallas. She then channeled her talents into entrepreneurship, becoming Director of Retail Fashion for a Nashville-based department store.
In a Zang Toi suit, the senator reflects on her time in the fashion industry before entering politics.
After a quick change, the senator emerges in patriotic cowboy ankle boots by Redneck Riviera, the brand of country singer and her friend John Rich, and a plaid blazer, tied together with gold earrings. She wears her American values in and out of the Senate.
Over the years, Blackburn has demonstrated her principled conservatism. She recently spearheaded the Kids Online Safety Act, which requires social media platforms to set access guardrails for minors. She also led the fight against the military Covid vaccine mandate, succeeding in December when the Biden administration repealed the requirement.
Despite their pandering, progressive politicians like Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton don’t command all women. Blackburn is Tennessee’s first female senator. In 2020, Blackburn and her daughter, Mary Morgan Ketchel, marked the centennial of the 19th amendment by releasing, “Camilla Can Vote,” a children’s book about the suffrage movement.
The senator’s daughter, Mary Morgan Ketchel, inspired by her mother’s leadership, is actively involved in the Nashville community.
Last year during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Blackburn asked Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson the provocative but pertinent question: “Can you define the word ‘woman’?”
The flabbergasted nominee responded, “I can’t... I’m not a biologist.”
Blackburn, a crusader against gender ideology in children’s classrooms and sports, warned that the judge’s comments could be regressive for young women.
“I think it tells our girls that their voices don’t matter,” she said at the time. “I think it tells them that they’re second-class citizens. And parents want to have a Supreme Court justice who is committed to preserving parental autonomy and protecting our nation’s children.”
A principled conservative and Tennessee’s first female U.S. senator, Blackburn wears her American values in and out of the Senate.
Today, Blackburn puts on The Conservateur apron and heads to the kitchen. The grandkids are here, waiting to bake with “Marshie.” Red velvet cupcakes, blueberry muffins, and “Amoebas”— the senator’s fun spin on the chocolate chip cookie — are on the menu.
Senator Blackburn cooks her favorite southern comfort food in an apron and puff-sleeve plaid blouse.
“This is what she does,” Mary Morgan says, wearing a purple fur coat and bell bottom jeans.
Notably Nashville, a cookbook featuring comfort food twists like Mexican Roll-ups, Bacon and Cheddar Pinwheels, and Not Your Mother's Ham Biscuits, sits on the counter. The senator often cooks with spices in Cajun and Creole style, inspired by her southern Mississippi roots, Mary Morgan says. She makes a mean gumbo, we’re told.
Every Sunday, the senator cooks lunch for the whole family after early church service.
“It’s a special time because it’s a touchpoint of the week to catch up on what people are doing,” Blackburn says. “It’s good for the kids.”
The senator bakes with her grandchildren, an after-church tradition for their family.
Caroline Downey is editor in chief of The Conservateur and education reporter at National Review. She can be found on Twitter @carolinedowney_.
Andrea Hanks is a former model and Fashion Week-turned-Trump White House photographer best known for capturing First Lady Melania Trump’s exquisite style. She can be found on Instagram @ahanksphoto.
Isabelle Redfield is the co-founder & creative director of The Conservateur. She previously worked for the Trump White House and United States Senate. She can be found on Instagram @isabelleredfieldtc.
