Tennessee’s 7th District heads into a high-stakes special election as voters choose between grassroots conviction and establishment ambition. Who will represent Tennessee values in Washington? The future of conservative leadership hangs in the balance.
By TruthWire News
The race is on to fill the soon-to-be-vacant Congressional seat in Tennessee’s 7th District, as Rep. Mark Green abruptly exits the stage, marred by a personal scandal that effectively torched his once-anticipated bid for governor in 2026. While Green claims he’s stepping down to pursue opportunities in the private sector, sources suggest the move is less about career ambition and more about damage control.
His departure sets the stage for a high-stakes special election in one of the state’s most reliably Republican districts—now drawing a long line of GOP contenders and a few delusional Democratic hopefuls who think they’ve got a shot. But let’s cut to the chase: this race could come down to two Republican candidates, both claiming to carry the conservative torch.
One of them actually does.
The other? Well, let’s just say there’s only so much MAGA lipstick you can smear on an establishment pig before voters smell the truth.
Jody Barrett: The Conservative Fighter the Establishment Couldn’t Control
On July 8, State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) officially announced his candidacy for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, seeking to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Mark Green. A lifelong Tennessean, attorney, small business owner, and homeschool Dad, Barrett enters the race with a legislative record that has earned him recognition as one of the most consistently conservative voices in the General Assembly.
Barrett has distinguished himself not by political connections or donor support, but through his policy work and principled voting record. He earned the first-ever perfect 100% conservative rating from the Tennessee Legislative Report Card, along with an “A” in leadership—accolades unmatched by any other member of the legislature. The report card also notes that a high percentage of Barrett’s campaign contributions come from individuals and small businesses, while his likely opponent’s fundraising is heavily reliant on PAC money.
His campaign emphasizes a Tennessee-first, America-first approach and aligns closely with President Donald Trump’s policy agenda. Barrett contrasts his candidacy with others in the field backed by large political networks and well-funded donor groups, instead pointing to his legislative actions as the foundation of his campaign.
During his time in the Tennessee House, Barrett:
· Championed legislation to protect unborn life and defend Second Amendment rights.
· Authored and passed Tennessee’s Anti–Red Flag Law, protecting gun owners from unconstitutional overreach.
· Filed legislation to restrict the governor’s ability to suspend constitutional rights under emergency declarations — a bill ultimately passed by Rep. Rusty Grills.
· Authored Tennessee’s Human Smuggling Bill, later carried and passed by Rep. Chris Todd.
· Authored the Women’s Safety Protection Act, ultimately passed by Rep. Gino Bulso.
· Led efforts to end sanctuary policies and enforce immigration law.
· Opposed statewide COVID mandates and supported medical freedom.
· Was one of only four Republican legislators to vote against convening Governor Lee’s Red Flag special session.
· Was one of only 22 lawmakers who voted against Governor Lee’s controversial school voucher plan—and the only one to face a month-long barrage of attack ads in his district from American Federation For Children.
· Called out excessive government spending and resisted progressive political messaging in state agencies.
· Supported President Trump’s policies consistently, even when unpopular among state leadership.
Barrett’s decision to vote against Governor Lee’s voucher legislation—breaking with Republican leadership to represent the interests of his constituents—led to political retaliation, with party leaders signaling that any bills he carried would be killed in committee; recognizing the value of the legislation to Tennesseans, Barrett chose to hand off several of his bills to colleagues who were not being targeted, ensuring the policy could still move forward even if he wouldn’t receive the credit.
Now running for Congress, Barrett is offering voters a proven record of action over rhetoric—a campaign rooted in conviction, not ambition. He’s running to bring that same principled leadership to Washington, representing Tennessee’s 7th District with clarity, courage, and consistency.
Lee Reeves: When Campaign Branding Collides With a Voting Record
Then there’s Lee Reeves—a man who seems to believe that saying “Trump” and “border” enough times will keep people from noticing what he’s actually done in office.
Reeves, backed by Americans For Prosperity, the Koch-funded operation that propped up Nikki Haley’s failed presidential bid, is expected to receive full support from that very same machine in the D7 special election, although no formal announcement has been made. AFP already funded door-knockers across Tennessee during the primary season—just not for the most conservative candidates. And now, it seems they’ve got their sights set on installing one of their own in Congress.
But if voters want to know where Reeves’ priorities really lie, they only have to look back a year. He didn’t run for the District 65 seat in the Tennessee House because he had a passion for serving his local community or enacting real change—it now looks as though he ran because it was a stepping stone. And now, barely a year into his first term, he’s already abandoning the seat to chase greener pastures in D.C.
That’s not service. That’s self-promotion.
Reeves is touting his sponsorship of HB749, a bill that encourages local law enforcement to partner with ICE in addressing illegal immigration. On the surface, it sounds great. But voters shouldn’t forget that this sudden urgency to “fix the problem” comes after years of legislative silence that in large part, helped to create the problem to begin with.
The Tennessee General Assembly, Reeves included, knew full well that illegal immigrants were being bussed into the state by the thousands. For four years, they did nothing. And now, they’re all too happy to wave the “border crisis” banner while peddling legislation dripping in MAGA nomenclature.
But it gets worse.
Reeves owns rental properties in Houston, Texas, where—based on reports—he rents units to illegal immigrants. His defense? Federal law doesn’t allow him to ask about immigration status. That might be technically true, but state-level screening tools—like background checks and documentation verification—do exist. Reeves allegedly chooses not to use them.
And then there’s HB0855, the bill Reeves sponsored and championed that forces open primaries all the way down to county-level GOP races. The bill was a slap in the face to Tennessee’s grassroots base—stripping away the power of local Republican parties to vet their own candidates and exposing the process to crossover manipulation. Even the Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee opposed it. Reeves pushed for it anyway.
The Tennessee Legislative Report Card gave him a 77% score—a C-minus at best. His Leadership grade? F. A failing mark in the one area he claims to lead.
A Choice Between Conviction and Calculation
Let’s be blunt: this race isn’t about which man “says” the right things—it’s about who actually lives them. It’s a contest between conviction and calculation, between a conservative who stood alone when it mattered and one who sided with donor interests, leadership pressure, and his own ambitions.
Jody Barrett didn’t need Americans For Prosperity to tell him what matters to Tennessee voters. He already knew.
Lee Reeves needed a polling memo.
Jody Barrett took arrows for standing against the machine.
Lee Reeves is the machine’s next investment.
If conservatives want someone who’ll go to Washington and fight the Swamp, they better make sure they’re not sending someone who’s already been trained to survive in it.
Because at the end of the day, a vote for Jody Barrett is a vote for integrity.
A vote for Reeves? That’s just the Establishment in a red hat.
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