←All People
Darden Copeland
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Darden Copeland ran in the Democratic primary for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election held on October 7, 2025, to replace retiring Congressman Mark Green. He lost to state Representative Aftyn Behn by approximately 933 votes. He has since filed to run again for the same seat in the 2026 election cycle.
Copeland has emphasized banning stock trading by members of Congress, refusing corporate PAC money, and focusing on accountability over partisanship. He ran as a business-minded outsider distinct from the state legislators in the field.
Background and education
Copeland was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and grew up in Culpeper, Virginia, in a working-class household where his father owned an industrial uniform company. He attended the University of Richmond on student loans and multiple jobs, earning degrees in Political Science and Leadership Studies with a minor in Communications.
Career
After college, Copeland spent his early career working to elect Democrats nationally on congressional and presidential campaigns. In 2005 he moved into public affairs and entrepreneurship, founding Calvert Street Group, a national public affairs firm headquartered in Nashville. The firm has operated campaigns across 46 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, specializing in land use, energy infrastructure, and issue advocacy. He moved to Nashville in 2008. He has also purchased and renovated several historic properties in downtown Nashville.
He serves on the boards of Historic Nashville, Inc. and the Nashville Wine Auction, which supports local cancer charities. He is an Elder at Woodmont Christian Church.
Family
He is married to Natalie Copeland. They have two children and a rescue dog named Kathy. He enjoys live music, stand-up comedy, and coaching youth sports.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
-
State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Copeland”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Copeland”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Copeland”and, if needed, select the applicable position.
Federal offices — campaign finance
- US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), not with state systems — FEC candidate search. Filter by office, state, and cycle to narrow the results. Financial disclosures (personal assets and income) for members of Congress and congressional candidates are filed with the US House Clerk or US Senate Office of Public Records, depending on the office.