NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Ever since Congressman Mark Green announced he would resign from his seat, a flurry of politicians have thrown their hats into the ring to replace him.
10 in all have announced their campaigns so far, but more could be coming. Candidates have until August 12th to file their paperwork.
As a political science professor, Marc Schwerdt has his eyes on the race. He says there's a pretty simple explanation for why so many have decided to run — there's no incumbent and no risk for current office holders since they wouldn't have to give up their existing seats.
"That both says to a lot of people -- well, maybe I don’t have a chance, but maybe I’ve also got the same amount of chance of others that have thrown their hat into the ring," said the Lipscomb University professor.
These are the officially declared candidates:
- State Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) — He's a two-term state representative who touts his conservative credentials, but he's often clashed with Republican leaders in the Tennessee House. In 2025, he voted against the Governor's school voucher plan. During the expulsion of the Tennessee Three, he cast one of the critical votes against expelling State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville.)
- Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) — He's a freshman state representative who was elected back in 2024 after getting a rare endorsement from Gov. Bill Lee, due to the fact that he supported school voucher expansion.
- Jason Knight (R-Montgomery County) — He's a current Montgomery County Commissioner and member of the Republican Party. He's also previously served on Clarksville City Council and, for a time, held both a council and commission seat concurrently.
- John Wilt — He's running in the Republican primary and has a campaign website, but other than touting his previous military service, there aren't many more details provided.
- Matt Van Epps — He's running in the Republican primary and most recently served as the General Services Commissioner for the state of Tennessee. Van Epps resigned from the state position so he could run for Congress. He previously served in the 160th Special Operations unit out of Fort Campbell. Van Epps has been endorsed by Congressman Mark Green, who also previously served in the 160th Special Ops unit.
- Stewart Parks — He's running in the Republican primary and works in real estate. He may be better known for his conviction, a five-month prison stay, and was ultimately pardoned by President Donald Trump for his involvement in the January 6th riot.
- Jon Thorp — He's running as an independent and touts himself as a proud Army combat veteran.
- State Rep. Afytn Behn (D-Nashville) — She's running in the Democratic primary, currently finishing her second year in the legislature, and is in the midst of her second term.
- State Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville) — He's running in the Democratic primary and is currently in his fourth term. He was the first African American to serve as the caucus chairman of a Tennessee legislative party. He was replaced by the caucus by current chairman Rep. John Ray Clemmons.
- State Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville) — He's running in the Democratic primary and is currently serving in his sixth term on Tennessee's Capitol Hill.
Professor Schwerdt doesn't see a frontrunner in the race just yet, but notes that the next few weeks could change things quite a bit. "Endorsements make a huge difference, I would think," said Schwerdt.
The primary will be held on October 7.
The general election will be held on December 2.
Are there any official candidates that we failed to list? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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