{"age":51,"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDavid Weatherspoon is a Democratic candidate running for election to the Tennessee State Senate to represent District 31 in the 2026 cycle [1]. He qualified for the ballot by submitting petitions, joining retired law professor Lawrence Pivnick as one of two Democrats seeking the party's nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Brent Taylor [7]. Weatherspoon officially launched his campaign on April 9 in Germantown, where he faced off against Taylor in a \"November challenge\" before approximately 50 supporters [6].\n\nWeatherspoon self-describes as a husband, father, and former chaplain who grew up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee [3]. His campaign platform emphasizes common ground, stating that public service should begin with care for others and reflect values of hospitality and decency [4]. Regarding policy, he advocates for increased and more wise investment in public schools while opposing education vouchers, which he characterizes as a \"scam\" that diverts funding from public institutions to wealthy families [5]. He also asserts that the government must ensure ready access to healthcare for all residents and work to reduce costs for individuals [5].\n\n## Background and education\n\nDavid Weatherspoon self-describes as having grown up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee, located near the Bucksnort exit [3]. He states that his parents were blue-collar bi-vocational farmers who also worked factory jobs until the company closed [3]. The family relied on their garden to provide food during this period of economic hardship [3].\n\nWeatherspoon earned a bachelor's degree from Belmont University in 1998 and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Mercer University in 2003 [1]. He is an ordained Baptist minister [1].\n\n## Career\n\nWeatherspoon grew up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee, where his parents worked as blue-collar bi-vocational farmers and factory employees [3]. He earned a bachelor's degree from Belmont University in 1998 and a Master of Divinity from Mercer University in 2003 [1]. Weatherspoon is an ordained Baptist minister who has served as a chaplain and minister for several organizations, including Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Franklin College, Grady Hospital, Peachtree Baptist Church, and Emory University [1]. He also participated in the White House Chaplaincy program [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nDavid Weatherspoon has not previously held elected or appointed public office [1]. He is currently running for election to the Tennessee State Senate to represent District 31 as a Democrat [1]. The Democratic primary for this seat is scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\nWeatherspoon launched his campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Brent Taylor on April 9, prior to the filing deadline for primary challengers in March 2026 [6][7]. He qualified for the ballot through a petition drive that ran concurrently with a similar effort by retired law professor Lawrence Pivnick, who also sought the Democratic nomination for District 31 [7].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nDavid Weatherspoon initiated a legal challenge against Dr. Gayle Minard, which was heard by the Tennessee Court of Appeals on November 18, 2015, under case number W2015-01099-COA-R3-CV [2].\n\nIn April 2026, Weatherspoon launched his campaign for Tennessee Senate District 31 with the stated goal of challenging incumbent Republican Senator Brent Taylor in the upcoming Democratic primary [6]. His qualification for the August 6, 2026 ballot required gathering support through qualifying petitions, a process shared by other candidates such as retired law professor Lawrence Pivnick who also sought to challenge Senator Taylor [7].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nDavid Weatherspoon self-describes as having grown up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee, where his parents were blue-collar bi-vocational farmers [3]. He states that the family's small farm did not generate significant income but provided much of their food, and that both parents worked factory jobs until one company closed its doors [3]. Weatherspoon notes that while the family did not have much money, his parents remained generous with the produce from their gardens [3].\n\nProfessional sources identify Weatherspoon's career background as primarily within healthcare chaplaincy and ministry rather than private business ownership. He has worked for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Franklin College, Grady Hospital, Peachtree Baptist Church, and Emory University in roles as a chaplain and minister [1]. Additionally, he served as a chaplain participant in a White House program [1].\n\nPublic financial disclosure records or detailed reports of specific business sales, ownership stakes, or significant personal wealth sources are not present in the provided source material. The available information focuses on his professional history as a chaplain and his educational background, which includes a bachelor's degree from Belmont University (1998) and an M.Div. from Mercer University (2003) [1]. No specific details regarding family wealth sources beyond the general description of his parents' farming and factory work are provided in the cited texts [3].\n\n## Family\n\nWeatherspoon self-describes as a husband and father [4]. He grew up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee, where his parents were blue-collar bi-vocational farmers who also worked factory jobs before the company closed [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [David Weatherspoon - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/David_Weatherspoon)\n[2] [David Weatherspoon v. Gayle Minard, MD | Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts](https://tncourts.gov/courts/court-appeals/arguments/2015/11/18/david-weatherspoon-v-gayle-minard-md)\n[3] [About | David Weatherspoon for TN Senate D-31](https://www.davidweatherspoonfortn.com/about)\n[4] [Elect David Weatherspoon for TN State Senate District 31](https://www.davidweatherspoonfortn.com)\n[5] [Platform | David Weatherspoon for TN Senate D-31](https://www.davidweatherspoonfortn.com/platform)\n[6] [Memphis area political roundup: David Weatherspoon kicks off campaign - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/subscriber/article/61795)\n[7] [Brent Taylor reacts to retired law professor Lawrence Pivnick's petition for his state Senate seat. Hospital Chaplain David Weatherspoon also has a petition out](https://dailymemphian.com/article/60496)","birthdate":"Mon, 09 Jun 1975 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_31","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"Tennessee Senate District 31"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"David","fullname":"David Weatherspoon","lastname":"Weatherspoon","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_31","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 31","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_31","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_31","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 31","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_31","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate_31","office_title":"Tennessee Senate District 31","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"David Weatherspoon is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee State Senate District 31, formerly a hospital chaplain and Baptist minister.","terms":[],"token":"ImETAGb84L"}