GOP Congresswoman Joins Crowded Race for Tennessee's First Female Governor

U.S. Rep. Diane Black, R-Tennessee, is entering the 2018 race for governor of Tennessee, ending months of speculation and adding a deep-pocketed candidate who is widely considered a front-runner to an already-crowded Republican field. 

Black, a staunch conservative from Sumner County who is in her fourth term representing Tennessee's 6th Congressional District, will formally announce her candidacy in an online video to be released Wednesday. 

In the video, Black discusses her rise from humble beginnings while labeling herself as a conservative fighter ready to take on liberals. 

"Most people in politics say the right things, but they never fight for the right things," Black says in the 90-second clip. "They're too meek or maybe even too weak ... I don't back down. Maybe's it's because I grew up in a family where we had nothing or maybe it's because I was a single mom working in the night-shift as a nurse. It's just how I'm wired."