The 1978 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Although the Tennessee State Constitution had been amended in early 1978 to allow a governor to succeed himself, Incumbent Democratic governor Ray Blanton chose not to seek re-election. Republican Lamar Alexander once again ran for governor. In the general election, Alexander defeated Democratic nominee Jake Butcher with 55.8% of the vote.

Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. is an American politician and attorney who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 and the 5th United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993, where he helped with the implementation of Education 2000.