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Damon Hininger, the former CEO of Tennessee-based private prison operator CoreCivic, is interested in being Tennessee’s next U.S. senator when the seat opens up.
Hininger publicly acknowledged for the first time that he wants to replace U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn if she wins her bid for governor this year, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
Since 2024, when he chaired the state Republican annual dinner, Hininger has fueled speculation about an entry into politics, and his name was floated as a 2026 gubernatorial candidate.
He ultimately decided against running for governor and backed Blackburn. Hininger and his wife have both donated the maximum total amount of $21,200 to Blackburn’s gubernatorial campaign account, and he contributed an additional $50,000 to a PAC linked to the campaign. He’s among her top 10 donors, according to the Lookout’s campaign finance database.
Earlier this year, Hininiger created an organization called Believe in Tennessee with the stated goal of promoting him and Republicans in Tennessee. The organization is 501(c)(4), a U.S. Internal Revenue designation given to groups that promote “social welfare.” A 501(c)(4) can raise unlimited sums of money without disclosing donors, and that group can donate to a political action committee.
The Lookout reached out to Hininger through Believe in Tennessee to request an interview and sent questions about his tenure at CoreCivic and his political donations. Jeremy Harrell, a spokesperson for the group, responded but did not grant the Lookout an interview.
Harrell said in an emailed statement that the Hiningers have long supported Republican candidates “who are committed to keeping Tennessee the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“[They] are no strangers to criticism from the left,” Harrell said. “They will not be intimidated from continuing to support the principles and leaders they believe in.”
Hininger worked at CoreCivic for decades, beginning as a correction officer and serving as CEO from 2009 until he stepped down in 2025. CoreCivic, based in Brentwood, is one of the largest private prison operators in the United States.
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“I don’t trust anything he says,” said Tim Leeper, whose son died of an overdose at a CoreCivic-run prison in Tennessee. “He says he’s for accountability, but then the company he led did everything it could to undermine legislation for it.”
Leeper, who runs an advocacy group for criminal justice reform called Kylan’s Light, named after his son, said he’s tried to convince state lawmakers to pass bills to hold CoreCivic accountable for deaths at its prisons and provide more oversight, but he’s watched lobbyists for the company stop them.
“If he becomes our next senator by appointment, it will just be a continuation of the favor network. He and CoreCivic donate a lot to politicians.”
CoreCivic runs four prisons as part of a contract with the state of Tennessee and a fifth in West Tennessee, now contracted with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. Hininger has previously touted on earnings calls that President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown was financially beneficial to CoreCivic.
The company is also currently under federal investigation for civil rights violations at its state-affiliated prison in Trousdale County, an investigation launched in 2024. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the investigation in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, stating previous audits had “flagged dangerous understaffing and safety concerns” and that the probe would examine how those incarcerated at Trousdale were being protected from “including physical violence and sexual abuse.”
The investigation is ongoing. Harrell referred to CoreCivic’s previous statements to the Lookout about the investigation, in which a company spokesperson said the “safety and dignity of every person in our care is a top priority for our leadership.”
Hininger has become a prominent national Republican fundraiser, co-sponsoring a high-dollar event that Vice President J.D. Vance attended in 2024 before the presidential election. Vance returned to Nashville earlier this year for another fundraiser that Hininger co-hosted.
Hininger and his wife have donated $1.75 million to Republicans or their political action committees, PACs, since the start of 2024, according to Federal Election Commission reports. The couple’s largest contribution is almost $900,000 to the Republican National Committee.
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