Santiago Asconape

Santiago Asconape (independent) ran for election for Governor of Tennessee. Asconape will not appear on the ballot for the general election on November 3, 2026.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was a complex litigation enthusiast and an interactive technology entrepreneur before decided to run for governor of the Volunteer state. I was always obsessed with comparing and contrasting the different 50 states. And when I met Tennessee, and after reviewing lots of data, I met my match in terms of I thought it was a state that I could comfortably govern over.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Modernization. We have to modernize the state of Tennessee.Defense. We have to defend and protect the state of Tennessee.We can obtain a GDP of between 7-9% in 4 years’ time in the state of Tennessee.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am fascinated by economies as a whole. What drives an economy. What an economy consists of. I intend to run for governor on the platform of modernization and defense as this is what the state of Tennessee needs in terms of how the state could reach its peak potential economically and otherwise.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Santiago Asconapé was the 51st Governor of the state of Tennessee and arguably its most important one because of his bold and calculated focus on Modernization and Defense of the state.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Moving forward the economy. Facilitating the economy as a whole. I would be viewed as an economy-first Governor.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

Aside from the initial conference prior to the State of the Union address, there are other follow-up opportunities where conferences can be scheduled between governor and legislature. I would value these opportunities periodically throughout the year to make the most of these strategic meetings and always make sure to have an agreeable but not intrusive relationship with the legislature. Meaning I would not unduly interfere with the affairs of the legislature, and the legislature need not unduly interfere with the affairs of the executive branch.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

I would seldomly veto because that implies wholesale rejection of a certain policy that is at the very least theoretically important to the legislature, but there are situations were perhaps the line-item veto is necessary and would be utilized. More practical procedural tools that would be used more frequently are addiditur and remitur—where dollar amounts can be added and subtracted from particular legislative proposals.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship is one where the governor listens to the legislature and keeps in mind there suggestions and recommendations, but at the same time the legislature does not encroach on gubernatorial power or does not overly slow down the state executive leadership from being itself and fulfilling its duties and obligations.

What do you love most about your state?

I love most the land of Tennessee. It’s natural resources and it’s natural beauty. I am a big proponent of land preservation, and I believe that the natural beauty of the state should always be protected and defended.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Propelling forward the state economy, and modernizing the state as a whole without running into fiscal affordability challenges. Balancing expansion and economic empowerment of the state with affordability measures. Otherwise, many defense issues keep me up at night. For instance, how many missle defense systems actively protect the Tennessee population at the current moment?

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

The state of Tennessee offers its governors’ broad emergency powers, but they should only be invoked when things basically go wrong. In other words when some kind of disaster or unfortunate human event occurs. It is preferable for emergency powers not to be used, but if necessary, I would be fully prepared to implement Emergency powers if the circumstances necessitate such course of action.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot of responsibility. I would be responsible for the well-being of 7 million people. It also means a lot of power that can be used for good. We should never forget that.