{"age":49,"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nJeff Yarbro is a Democratic member of the Tennessee State Senate representing District 21, having assumed office on November 4, 2014 [1]. His current term concludes on November 3, 2026 [1]. Yarbro is seeking re-election to the Tennessee State Senate for District 21 and appears on the ballot in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\nPrior to his current tenure, Yarbro served as the state Senate minority leader from 2018 until January 10, 2023 [1]. He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia [1]. In recent political activity, Yarbro participated in a community update regarding a legal case against the Tennessee Governor alongside Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on October 22, 2025 [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nJeff Yarbro was born in Dyersburg, Tennessee, on February 16, 1977 [4]. He is a native Tennessean who represents the city of Nashville [7]. Yarbro earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from Harvard University and a law degree (JD) from the University of Virginia School of Law [1][4][7].\n\n## Career\n\nJeff Yarbro is an attorney who holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia [1][4]. He is a native Tennessean born in Dyersburg on February 16, 1977 [4]. His professional background includes work as a lawyer, and he has been identified as a leader in Tennessee\u2019s efforts to expand health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act [7]. Yarbro self-describes his civic involvement and reasons for running for public office on campaign platforms [5].\n\n## Office history\n\nJeff Yarbro was elected to the Tennessee State Senate representing District 21 in November 2014 and assumed office on January 13, 2015 [1][4]. He served as the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus during his first term [7]. In November 2018, Yarbro was elected Minority Leader of the Tennessee Senate, a position he held until January 10, 2023 [1][4].\n\nYarbro was re-elected to the State Senate in 2022, defeating incumbent-free opponent Rueben Dockery in the general election on November 8, 2022 [2]. He currently holds office with a term ending on November 3, 2026 [1]. Yarbro is on the ballot for re-election to represent District 21 in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nJeff Yarbro has served on the Tennessee State Senate Health and Welfare Committee and the Transportation and Safety Committee [7]. During his tenure, he was selected as the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus in his first term [7]. He also served as the state Senate minority leader from 2018 to January 10, 2023 [1].\n\nYarbro has been a leader in Tennessee\u2019s efforts to expand health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act [7]. He has worked to reform and modernize state government [7]. In October 2025, he participated in a community update regarding a legal case against the Tennessee governor alongside Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris [3].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nSenator Jeff Yarbro participated in a legal dispute with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee regarding the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis. Yarbro joined Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and other local officials in filing a lawsuit against the governor, arguing that the deployment violated the state constitution and statutes [8]. The plaintiffs contended that the governor lacked the authority to deploy troops without a declaration of rebellion or invasion by the General Assembly [8][11].\n\nYarbro attended a community update regarding the litigation alongside Mayor Harris and legal representatives from Democracy Forward in October 2025 [3][10]. During this period, Yarbro and other plaintiffs publicly stated that they believed the governor was overstepping his authority to support federal operations [11][12]. A Davidson County Chancellor reviewed the case in November 2025 to determine whether to pause the National Guard's presence in Memphis [9].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nJeff Yarbro is an attorney by profession [4]. He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia [1]. His professional experience includes serving as an attorney prior to his election to the Tennessee State Senate in 2014 [1].\n\nPublic financial disclosure records for state legislators are tracked by LegiStorm, which notes that Yarbro has submitted personal financial disclosures during his tenure [6]. However, the specific details of his business interests, family wealth sources, ownership stakes, or sales of businesses are not detailed in the provided source materials.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Jeff Yarbro - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jeff_Yarbro)\n[2] [Tennessee State Senate District 21 candidate surveys, 2022 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_State_Senate_District_21_candidate_surveys,_2022)\n[3] [ADVISORY: MAYOR LEE HARRIS TO HOST COMMUNITY UPDATE ON LEGAL CASE AGAINST TENNESSEE GOVERNOR \u2022 Shelby County, TN](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/4478)\n[4] [Jeff Yarbro - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Yarbro)\n[5] [Vote-USA | Jeff Yarbro | Currently Elected State Senator District 21, Tennessee](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=TN&Id=TNYarbroJeff)\n[6] [Tennessee State Sen. Jeff Yarbro - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/239646/Jeffrey_Paul_Yarbro.html)\n[7] [Jeff Yarbro \u2013 NewDEAL](https://newdealleaders.org/leader/jeff-yarbro/)\n[8] [Harris et al. v. Lee et al. - NILC](https://www.nilc.org/litigation/harris-et-al-v-lee-et-al/)\n[9] [Nashville judge considers pausing National Guard presence in Memphis](https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/11/03/gov-bill-lee-shelby-county-mayor-lee-harris-head-court-over-national-guard-lawsuit/)\n[10] [Democracy Forward represents Shelby County mayor in National Guard lawsuit against governor \u2022 Tennessee Lookout](https://tennesseelookout.com/2025/10/24/democracy-forward-represents-shelby-county-mayor-in-national-guard-lawsuit-against-governor/)\n[11] [Shelby County leaders sue Gov. Bill Lee over National Guard deployment in Memphis | News | fox13memphis.com](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/shelby-county-leaders-sue-gov-bill-lee-over-national-guard-deployment-in-memphis/article_6c129028-6b83-48f2-a74a-9bcbdcd582ce.html)\n[12] [LIVE: County mayor, lawmakers host update on lawsuit against TN gov.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/live-county-mayor-lawmakers-host-183828233.html)","birthdate":"Wed, 16 Feb 1977 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_021","county":"Davidson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"TN Senate District 21"}],"cf_filings":[{"county":"davidson","displayname":"Yarbro, Jeff","documents":[{"datesubmitted":"07/15/24","documentid":"CCD17882-058A-4106-99FC-0642F9092330","documentname":"2024 Mid Year Supp Closeout","documentnameid":["CCD17882-058A-4106-99FC-0642F9092330","2024 Mid Year Supp Closeout"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/15/24","documentid":"468B8B74-0061-4736-845B-18745B69FEB1","documentname":"Amended 4th Qtr 2023","documentnameid":["468B8B74-0061-4736-845B-18745B69FEB1","Amended 4th Qtr 2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"01/26/24","documentid":"264297E5-BE71-49FB-A87F-7D8854AC2549","documentname":"4th Qtr 2023","documentnameid":["264297E5-BE71-49FB-A87F-7D8854AC2549","4th Qtr 2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"10/11/23","documentid":"E8F5A436-6D64-4AB4-8896-8D0811F37299","documentname":"3rd Qtr 2023","documentnameid":["E8F5A436-6D64-4AB4-8896-8D0811F37299","3rd Qtr 2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"08/03/23","documentid":"2891BEBB-762D-4321-8FA7-82F8798BDDCF","documentname":"Interim Report 8/3/2023","documentnameid":["2891BEBB-762D-4321-8FA7-82F8798BDDCF","Interim Report 8/3/2023"],"documenttype":"Interim Report (SS-1123)","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"08/01/23","documentid":"44D65CF9-DF22-4FDE-A384-38481EC3810B","documentname":"Interim Report 7/31/2023","documentnameid":["44D65CF9-DF22-4FDE-A384-38481EC3810B","Interim Report 7/31/2023"],"documenttype":"Interim Report (SS-1123)","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/28/23","documentid":"3012E639-EA70-481D-A500-B89C8237D92D","documentname":"Interim Report 7/28/2023","documentnameid":["3012E639-EA70-481D-A500-B89C8237D92D","Interim Report 7/28/2023"],"documenttype":"Interim Report (SS-1123)","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/27/23","documentid":"50999BBA-BD96-413D-9D93-BC49EE2053B5","documentname":"Pre General 8/2023","documentnameid":["50999BBA-BD96-413D-9D93-BC49EE2053B5","Pre General 8/2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"07/10/23","documentid":"706D4BFC-21DC-4977-9F73-A919B452EE1E","documentname":"2nd Qtr 2023","documentnameid":["706D4BFC-21DC-4977-9F73-A919B452EE1E","2nd Qtr 2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"04/10/23","documentid":"5FE40E5C-FFF0-4A0A-B457-CD41C93A3CC8","documentname":"1st Qtr 2023","documentnameid":["5FE40E5C-FFF0-4A0A-B457-CD41C93A3CC8","1st Qtr 2023"],"documenttype":"Campaign Financial Disclosure","electionname":null},{"datesubmitted":"02/17/23","documentid":"C649E024-2E51-4522-AD6A-5B9D1465CC93","documentname":"NEW 2023 Appointment of Treasurer","documentnameid":["C649E024-2E51-4522-AD6A-5B9D1465CC93","NEW 2023 Appointment of Treasurer"],"documenttype":"Appointment of  Treasurer","electionname":null}],"filertype":"Candidate","officename":"Mayor","source_customer_id":"1A0C899A-456B-4913-BFF0-4A8B0AE932A1","source_filer_id":"36B8F6D2-B1CB-4224-9630-CE9EFE0C3466","source_system":"easyvote","state":"TN","status":"Inactive"}],"firstname":"Jeff","fullname":"Jeff Yarbro","lastname":"Yarbro","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_021","contest_title":"TN Senate District 21","county":"Davidson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_021","office_title":"State Senate District 21","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"state_senate_021","contest_title":"TN Senate District 21","county":"Davidson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_021","office_title":"State Senate District 21","party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026},{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":null,"term":{"county":null,"electiondate":"2022-11-08","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_021","office_title":"State Senate District 21","party":"D","state":"tn","term_end":"2026-11-03","term_start":"2022-11-08"},"year":2022}],"office_key":"state_senate_021","office_title":"State Senate District 21","state":"TN","terms":[{"county":null,"electiondate":"2022-11-08","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_021","office_title":"State Senate District 21","party":"D","state":"tn","term_end":"2026-11-03","term_start":"2022-11-08"}]}],"summary":"Jeff Yarbro is a Democratic Tennessee State Senator representing District 21, born in 1977, with degrees from Harvard and UVA, currently seeking re-election.","terms":[{"county":null,"electiondate":"2022-11-08","office":"state_senate_021","state":"tn","term_end":"2026-11-03","term_start":"2022-11-08","title":"State Senate District 21"}],"token":"jrpJ6Kcw6v"}