Jim Torino

Jim Torino is a Democratic candidate running for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 5th Congressional District in the primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. He has filed with the Federal Election Commission under the name James Torino, PhD, and his principal campaign committee is named "Jim Torino for US Congress" [9]. The FEC lists his seat as Tennessee House District 5, though he is running for the U.S. House seat [9].

Torino’s educational background includes a high school diploma from Uniondale High School, a bachelor's degree from St. John's University earned in 1987, a graduate degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management in 2015, and a Ph.D. from Walden University in 2022 [2]. His professional experience includes working as a healthcare executive [2]. He previously served as an employee at StationMD, where he held a role alongside co-founder Matthew Kaufman, before stepping away to commit to his congressional campaign full-time [20].

In his campaign themes, Torino cites a family legacy of service, noting that his great-grandfather helped build the Brooklyn Bridge and his father served in the Navy [2]. He states that he founded a nonprofit organization aimed at helping struggling families navigate healthcare and economic pressures to restore dignity and stability [2]. On LinkedIn, he describes himself as a "Social Change Agent" and emphasizes a focus on results, accountability, and improving the lives of working families [20].

Financially, Torino’s campaign committee reported raising $117,034.15 in total receipts as of the latest FEC data [10]. This total includes $16,559.60 in contributions, with $850.00 coming from candidate contributions and $100,000.00 in loans made by the candidate [10]. The committee reported total disbursements of $17,349.03 and had ending cash on hand of $99,685.12 [10].

Torino is one of four candidates in the Democratic primary for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, alongside Mike Cortese, Chaz Molder, and Joyce Neal [1]. He completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey for the 2026 election cycle [2].

Sources

• [1] Tennessee's 5th Congressional District - Ballotpedia
• [2] Jim Torino
• [3] United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [4] Chaz Molder - Ballotpedia
• [5] James Torino - Ballotpedia
• [6] Tennessee's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 6 Democratic primary) - Ballotpedia)
• [7] Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [8] Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [9] TORINO, JAMES PHD - Candidate overview - FEC.gov
• [10] JIM TORINO FOR US CONGRESS - committee overview - FEC.gov
• [11] TORINO, JAMES PHD - Candidate overview - FEC.gov
• [12] Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State
• [13] 2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov
• [15] 2026 Election United States Senate - Tennessee - FEC.gov
• [16] 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia
• [17] 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia
• [18] Jim Torino for Congress (@jimtorinoforcongress)
• [20] Jim Torino, Ph.D. MBA - Social Change Agent | UpStander | LinkedIn

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

• State offices (Governor, US Senate, US Rep, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee) — Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Torino”, and submit.
• Shelby County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — Shelby County Public Campaign Finance Portal. Select the election year and search by candidate name (“Torino”).

Tennessee — statement of interest

• Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Torino”and, if needed, select the applicable position.

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