Tennessee Midterm Elections

Tennessee
2026.

Compare where Tennessee's 2026 candidates stand on the issues that shape kids' futures — early childhood education, child hunger, and parental support. Find upcoming forums, debates, and town halls so you can meet and hear from candidates directly before you vote.

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Days to Primary
Aug 6
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Days to General
Nov 3
Data last updated: May 11, 2026 · Refreshed weekly · Sources: FEC.gov, public polls, candidate sites, news outlets
Why these three issues

The Issues That Shape TN Kids' Futures

Vote4Kids focuses on three areas that determine how Tennessee children grow up. Each is shaped by federal and state policy — making the 2026 ballot a direct lever for change.

Early Childhood Education

Children who attend high-quality pre-K enter kindergarten with stronger literacy, language, and social-emotional skills — gains that persist for years. But access in Tennessee is uneven.

~1 in 4 eligible 4-year-olds in Tennessee enroll in the state's voluntary pre-K program. TN ranks in the bottom third nationally for access. Source: NIEER State of Preschool Yearbook

Child Hunger

Hungry kids can't learn — and food insecurity in childhood predicts worse health, education, and economic outcomes through adulthood. Federal nutrition programs are the largest defense.

~280,000 Tennessee children live in food-insecure households (about 1 in 6). In 2026, TN declined $84M in federal Summer EBT funds, affecting ~700,000 eligible kids. Source: Feeding America Map the Meal Gap · TN Lookout

Parental Support

Affordable childcare and time off to bond with a new child are basic supports that let parents work. The U.S. is one of the only wealthy nations without paid family leave.

$10,000+ average annual cost of childcare per child in Tennessee — over 12% of median household income. TN has no statewide paid family leave law. Source: Economic Policy Institute
Know Your Ballot

Find My District

Before you compare candidates, find out which districts you vote in. Tennessee has two separate layers: federal congressional districts (U.S. House) and state legislative districts (TN Senate & TN House). Each uses a different map — and Tennessee's congressional map was redrawn in May 2026, so many voters are in a different U.S. House district than they were in 2024.

Federal

U.S. House District

Use the Tennessee Secretary of State's address lookup to find which of the 9 congressional districts you're in. This tool reflects the new 2026 maps.

  1. Click the button below — it opens the TN Secretary of State's district lookup
  2. Enter your home address or zip code
  3. Note your U.S. House district number (e.g. TN-5 or TN-9)
  4. Come back to vote4kids.org and click U.S. House — then open your district to compare candidates
Find my U.S. House district →
↩ After looking up your district, come back to vote4kids.org and scroll to the U.S. House section to see where candidates in your district stand on early childhood education, child hunger, and parental support.
State

TN Legislature

Use the Tennessee General Assembly's legislator finder to look up your state senator and state house representative — the lawmakers who shape TN education and child welfare law directly.

  1. Click the button below — it opens the TN General Assembly's legislator finder
  2. Enter your address
  3. See your TN Senate and TN House representatives by name and district
  4. Come back to vote4kids.org to compare the federal candidates on kids' issues
Find my TN state legislators →
↩ Note: vote4kids.org tracks Governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House candidates — not state legislators. After finding your state reps, come back to vote4kids.org to compare federal and gubernatorial candidates on the issues that affect kids.
Race · Statewide

Governor

Open Seat Bill Lee · term-limited

For the first time since 2018, Tennessee will elect a new governor. Bill Lee is term-limited, drawing a competitive Republican primary and giving Democrats their first open-seat shot in eight years.

View Governor candidates6 candidates · all parties →
Race · Federal

U.S. Senate

Class II Seat Hagerty seeks 2nd term

Senator Bill Hagerty is unopposed in his Republican primary and enters the general election with a strong fundraising lead. Tennessee has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1990.

View Senate candidates4 candidates · all parties →
Race · Federal

U.S. House

9 Districts Current: 8R · 1D

All nine Tennessee congressional seats are on the ballot. The most competitive race is TN-5 (Nashville-area), where the DCCC is targeting incumbent Andy Ogles. The TN-6 seat is open following John Rose's gubernatorial run, and TN-9 features a high-profile Democratic primary. ⚠ Redistricting update (May 7, 2026): Gov. Bill Lee signed a new congressional map into law on May 7, 2026, following a chaotic three-day special session. The new map dismantles the old TN-9 (Memphis) — the state's only Democratic-held seat — splitting Memphis across three districts. The redrawn TN-9 is now a rural south Tennessee district along the Alabama state line. Nashville's metro is now divided into five districts instead of four. All candidates must refile their petitions by May 15. Multiple lawsuits — including from Rep. Cohen and the NAACP — are already filed and may block the map before the August primary. District descriptions below reflect the new signed map; check back as legal challenges develop.

Tool

Compare Candidates

Up to 4 at once Side-by-side on each issue

Pick a race below to see its candidates, then select up to 4 to compare side-by-side on early childhood education, child hunger, and parental support. Selections carry over when you switch races, so you can compare candidates from different races (e.g. Governor vs. a House district).

Statewide
U.S. House
Local
Show
0 of 4 selected
Race · By Request

Local Elections

Curated Suggest a race below

Local races added by reader request after editorial review. Have a race we should cover? Suggest one below.

Knox County Mayor

R Primary May 5 · General Aug 6

Open seat — Mayor Glenn Jacobs (R) is term-limited. Three Republicans compete in the May 5 primary; Democrat Beau Hawk is unopposed and advances to the August 6 general. Knox County has not elected a Democratic mayor since 2002.

View Knox Co. Mayor candidates4 candidates · GOP primary + Dem nominee →
Calendar

Forums & Events

Updated regularly Past + upcoming

Debates, candidate forums, and town halls across Tennessee. Tentative listings reflect events expected based on the election calendar; confirm details with the host before attending.

Know about an upcoming forum, debate, or town hall we haven't listed? Submit a tip →

Reader Submissions

Suggest a Race or Event

Reviewed before posting Races · Forums · Debates

Have something we should add? Submit a tip about an upcoming forum or a local race you think we should cover. Submissions are reviewed before posting.

Forum or Event Tip

Heard about a candidate forum, debate, or town hall we haven't listed?

Tips go to the editor's inbox. Confirmed events are added to the calendar within 24 hours.
Thanks — your tip has been submitted. We'll look into it and add it to the calendar if confirmed.

Suggest an Election

Have a local race — mayor, commission, school board, sheriff — we should cover?

Submissions go to the editor's inbox. Email is optional and used only for clarification — not published or shared.
Thanks — your suggestion has been submitted. The editor will follow up if more info is needed.