Van Hilleary

William Vanderpool "Van" Hilleary was born on June 20, 1959, in Dayton, Tennessee [6]. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he participated in the Air Force ROTC program and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 [6]. Hilleary served on active duty in the United States Air Force from 1982 to 1984 and has been a member of the Air Force Reserve since then [6]. During Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, he flew 24 missions as a navigator on C-130 aircraft, earning two Air Medals and other decorations [6][8]. He later graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1990 [6].

Hilleary began his political career by running for the Tennessee State Senate in 1992, though he was defeated in that race [6]. In 1994, he won the Republican primary for Tennessee's 4th Congressional District, which had become open when incumbent Jim Cooper retired to run for the U.S. Senate [6]. Hilleary won the general election and served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2003 [6]. During his congressional tenure, he served on the Armed Services Committee and the House Budget Committee, claiming a role in passing four balanced federal budgets during his time in office [8].

After leaving Congress, Hilleary ran for Governor of Tennessee in 2002 but lost to Democrat Phil Bredesen [6][8]. In the years following, he worked in the private sector before returning to Capitol Hill in 2019 as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative John Rose, a position he held for six and a half years [8].

In July 2025, Hilleary announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee's 6th Congressional District in the 2026 election [10]. He is seeking to succeed Rep. John Rose, who is running for Governor of Tennessee [7][15]. The Republican primary for this seat is scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. Hilleary's campaign committee is named "Friends of Van Hilleary" and is authorized by the Federal Election Commission [5]. As of recent FEC filings, his campaign has raised over $52,000 and spent approximately $173,000 [3]. He resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife Meredith and their four children [8].

Sources

• [1] United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [3] HILLEARY, W VAN - Candidate overview - FEC.gov
• [5] FRIENDS OF VAN HILLEARY - committee overview - FEC.gov
• [6] Van Hilleary - Wikipedia
• [7] 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia
• [8] Meet Van – Van Hilleary for U.S. Congress
• [9] Van Hilleary for U.S. Congress
• [10] Former Tennessee congressman Hilleary announces run for 6th Congressional District | Chattanooga Times Free Press
• [13] Van Hilleary for Tennessee (@VanForTN) / Posts / X
• [14] Van Hilleary
• [15] A Rematch – WJLE Radio
• [16] Rep. Van Hilleary - Tennessee District 04
• [17] Former Rep. Van Hilleary - R Tennessee, 4th, Ran for Other Office - Biography | LegiStorm
• [18] Rep. Van Hilleary - Tennessee () • OpenSecrets
• [19] Rep. Van Hilleary - Tennessee ()
• [20] Van Hilleary for Tennessee | Political Candidates & Organizations

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 “Hilleary”, 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 (“Hilleary”).

Tennessee — statement of interest

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

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