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Bob Harshbarger Jr
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Bob Harshbarger Jr. is a Republican Party nominee for one of three Sullivan County Commission District 6 (Kingsport) seats in the August 6, 2026 county general election 4. He filed his petition for the May 5 Republican primary alongside Matthew Jerry Johnson and Tim L. Pullon 25.
Career
Harshbarger is a former pharmacist 12. In 2013 he pleaded guilty to distributing misbranded kidney dialysis drugs and to health care fraud, after substituting a cheaper, non-FDA-approved drug imported from China for an FDA-approved iron sucrose product used by dialysis patients 13. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $425,000 in forfeitures, a $25,000 fine, and more than $848,000 in restitution 1.
Documented disputes and controversies
The 2013 felony conviction had made Harshbarger ineligible to hold public office. President Donald Trump pardoned him in November 2025, restoring his eligibility, and he announced his commission campaign afterward 231. In 2024, Harshbarger was accused of stealing and vandalizing campaign signs belonging to Jon Lundberg, a political opponent of his son; that case was dismissed 1.
Family
He is the husband of U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) and the father of Tennessee state Senator Bobby Harshbarger 12.
Sources
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 (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Harshbarger”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Harshbarger”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Harshbarger”and, if needed, select the applicable position.