Dean Arnold

Dean Arnold is an Independent candidate running for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District [1]. He is one of five candidates listed on the general election ballot for this seat, which will be decided in the November 3, 2026, general election following the August 6, 2026, primary [1]. The incumbent for the district is Republican Charles J. Fleischmann [1].

Arnold is a Chattanooga-based author, historian, filmmaker, and activist [13]. He is best known for his book "Old Money New South: The Spirit of Chattanooga," which explores the city's history and wealthy families, as well as "America’s Trail of Tears" regarding Cherokee prehistory [14]. In 2025, he published a three-volume biblical commentary on the Book of Revelation titled "Revelation Explained" [11].

Arnold stated that he traditionally identifies as a Republican but is running as an Independent because he finds it difficult to adhere to party lines and disagrees with some party positions, such as unconditional support for Israel [15]. He described his campaign goal as restoring "sanity" to the country amid political discord [15]. Arnold has expressed views that ICE agents have overstepped their authority and should be prosecuted, while also stating he supports deporting illegal immigrants [15]. Regarding Social Security, he argued that because money is taken from paychecks, it is not an entitlement and people deserve to get it back [15]. He stated he would have voted against the "Big Beautiful Bill" in response to questions about reducing the national deficit [15].

As of March 2026, Arnold reported that he did not yet have a formal stump speech or platform and was still identifying his voter base [15]. He has not completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, and campaign finance information from the Federal Election Commission is not yet available for him [1].

Sources

• [1] Dean Arnold - Ballotpedia
• [2] United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [3] Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [4] Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [5] Tennessee state executive official elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [6] Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State
• [7] 2026 Election United States Senate - Tennessee - FEC.gov
• [9] 2026 Election United States House - Tennessee - District 05 - FEC.gov
• [10] 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial election - Wikipedia
• [11] Local Author Dean Arnold Presents Biblical Commentary On Revelation - Chattanoogan.com
• [12] Author and historian Dean Arnold shares insights on how ...
• [13] Dean Arnold Reflects on Chattanooga - WDEF
• [14] Dean Arnold Writes About Wealthy Chattanooga Families - Chattanoogan.com
• [15] Free Thinker And Congressional Candidate Arnold Delivers Sermon To Civitans - Chattanoogan.com
• [16] Dean Arnold (@DeanChatt) / X

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 “Arnold”, 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 (“Arnold”).

Tennessee — statement of interest

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

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