Chuck Fleischmann

Current office and 2026 campaign

Chuck Fleischmann is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District, having assumed office on January 3, 2011 ¹. His current term concludes on January 3, 2027 ¹. In May 2026, he was identified as a candidate for re-election to the U.S. House in Tennessee's 3rd District ¹⁵. He formally declared his candidacy for the Republican primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

The general election for this seat is set for November 3, 2026 ¹⁴. Fleischmann has been endorsed by President Donald Trump for the 2026 race ²². He faces a challenge from Democrat Anna Golladay, who announced her candidacy in February 2026 ¹⁹.

Recent developments include the release of Tennessee's newly proposed congressional map on May 6, 2026, which Fleischmann stated he supported despite having no input in its creation ²⁰. As of early May 2026, no other official candidates had been listed for the general election ².

Background and education

Charles Joseph Fleischmann was born in New York City, New York, on October 11, 1962 ¹³. He describes himself as a fiscal and social conservative who overcame the loss of his mother at a young age and lived on his own by age 16 ¹⁶.

Fleischmann earned his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and received Phi Beta Kappa honors ⁵¹³. He subsequently attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence ⁵¹³.

Career

Charles Fleischmann earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois, where he received Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude honors ¹⁵. He subsequently attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, obtaining his Doctor of Jurisprudence ⁵. Following his graduation, he and his wife operated a small business in Chattanooga for 24 years ⁵. Fleischmann self-describes as having lived on his own at age 16 after overcoming the loss of his mother during his youth ¹⁶.

Fleischmann served in the United States Army Reserve ¹³. His professional background includes work as an attorney and business owner, experiences he cites as informing his perspective that small businesses are primary drivers of job creation rather than government intervention ¹⁷. He has also pursued writing, releasing his first novel, "Once Upon An Empire," in February 2025 ¹⁸.

Office history

Chuck Fleischmann first held elected office in the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, assuming office on January 3, 2011, after succeeding former Representative Zach Wamp ¹¹³. He was elected to this seat in 2010 and has since been re-elected multiple times, including a victory in the 2014 Republican primary where he defeated Weston Wamp by less than 1,500 votes ³. As of May 2026, his current term is scheduled to end on January 3, 2027 ¹. In this role, he serves as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and chairs the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee ⁴¹⁰. He also holds leadership positions in several caucuses, including co-chairing the American Energy Dominance Caucus and the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus ¹⁰.

Prior to his congressional career, Fleischmann did not hold other elected or appointed public offices; he instead spent 24 years running a small business in Chattanooga with his wife after graduating from law school ⁵. He has not lost any general elections for federal office during his tenure. In the upcoming 2026 election cycle, he declared candidacy for re-election to the U.S. House in the Republican primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹. He faces a challenge from Democrat Anna Golladay in the general election on November 3, 2026, following the adoption of new congressional maps by Tennessee state lawmakers in May 2026 ¹⁹²⁰.

Legislative record and accomplishments

As Chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee, Fleischmann has focused heavily on energy policy and infrastructure for East Tennessee ⁴. He co-chairs seven energy-related caucuses, including the American Energy Dominance, Nuclear Cleanup, Fusion Energy, National Labs, Advanced Nuclear, and Nuclear Security Working Group caucuses, as well as the Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus ¹⁰. His committee assignments also include the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee and the Defense Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee ¹⁰.

Fleischmann sponsored H.R. 226, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, which passed the House by a unanimous voice vote after previously passing four times in earlier sessions ⁶. The legislation aims to restore 76.1 acres of sacred land to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that was taken due to past federal policies ¹¹. He has also been recognized for his work on the Chickamauga Lock, receiving a "Friend of the Waterways" award for his leadership on the project ¹².

On fiscal and social issues, Fleischmann states that he voted to cut $1.6 trillion from the federal budget, repeal ObamaCare, defund Planned Parenthood, and rein in the Environmental Protection Agency ¹⁶. He maintains a self-reported 100% pro-life and Second Amendment voting record ¹⁶. In foreign policy, he was one of two Tennessee Republicans to receive an "A" on a report card from the coalition Republicans for Ukraine for his support of aid to Ukraine ²¹.

Fleischmann is noted for his legislative attendance; in 2024, he was one of only 13 House members with perfect voting attendance across all 516 roll call votes that year ⁹. He has also advocated for the Electric Power Board (EPB) Solar Share project and partnerships involving the Tennessee Valley Authority to support smart grid solutions in Chattanooga ⁸.

Documented disputes and controversies

Fleischmann faced two primary challenges from Weston Wamp, the son of his predecessor Zach Wamp, in the 2012 and 2014 Republican primaries for Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. In the 2012 race, Fleischmann defeated Wamp ³. The subsequent 2014 rematch was described as "increasingly heated," with Fleischmann ultimately defeating Wamp by a margin of less than 1,500 votes ³.

In September 2023, a report card from the coalition Republicans for Ukraine gave Fleischmann an "A" grade for his support of Ukraine, distinguishing him as one of only two Tennessee Republicans to receive that rating at the time ²¹. This stance contrasted with other Tennessee Republicans in the delegation who received lower grades, including "F" ratings for Representatives Tim Burchett, Diana Harshbarger, and Andrew Ogles ²¹.

In May 2026, Fleischmann stated he had no input into the newly proposed congressional map released by Tennessee Republicans, which altered district boundaries without his involvement ²⁰. The state became the first to pass new maps following a Supreme Court ruling that removed requirements to consider race when drawing districts, resulting in a map that split the majority Black and only Democrat-held district in three ²⁰.

President Donald Trump endorsed Fleischmann for reelection on November 3, 2025, ahead of the August 6, 2026 Republican primary ²². The endorsement occurred as Fleischmann sought his ninth term in the U.S. House, having assumed office in January 2011 after succeeding Zach Wamp, who had lost the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary ²².

Business interests and wealth source

Chuck Fleischmann and his wife Brenda ran a small business in Chattanooga for 24 years after they both graduated from law school ⁵. He self-describes as having owned this small business in the Tennessee Valley for years, stating that he knows firsthand that small businesses create jobs rather than the government ¹⁷. The couple met while attending the University of Illinois, where Fleischmann earned a bachelor's degree in political science, before both attended the University of Tennessee College of Law ¹³.

Specific details regarding the nature of the business, its revenue, or any sales of ownership stakes are not provided in the available sources. Financial disclosure documents are referenced on his official website but do not contain specific asset values or income breakdowns in the provided text ⁷.

Family

Chuck Fleischmann was born in New York City in 1962 ¹³. He married Brenda Fleischmann in 1986, and the couple has three children ¹³. Together, they ran a small business in Chattanooga for 24 years after graduating from college ⁵.

Sources