Kristi Burke

Kristi Burke is a Democratic candidate running for the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 2026 election [1]. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026, alongside Herman Garcia and David Kerr Jr. [1]. The general election for this seat is set for November 3, 2026 [3].

Burke describes herself as a muralist, artist, and community organizer [9]. She is a resident of Greene County, living in the Chuckey community with her husband [20]. In February 2025, Burke stated she was removed from a town hall hosted by incumbent Republican Representative Diana Harshbarger after attempting to ask a question [20]. This incident prompted her decision to run for office, as she felt the current representative was ignoring local concerns [20].

Burke’s campaign platform focuses on healthcare, education, and the cost of living. She asserts that healthcare is a human right and advocates for fully funded education systems [20]. Regarding economic issues, she proposes shifting tax burdens from working families to corporations and the wealthy [20]. On immigration, Burke supports "humane border security" and has called for federal agents to stop wearing masks to conceal their identities [19]. She also emphasizes that law enforcement should meet real training standards and be subject to oversight [20].

Burke’s campaign website is votekristiburke.com [9]. As of the available records, she has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey [1].

Sources

• [1] Kristi Burke - Ballotpedia
• [2] Tennessee's 1st Congressional District - Ballotpedia
• [3] Tennessee's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [4] Diana Harshbarger - Ballotpedia
• [5] United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [6] Danny Gibson (Tennessee) - Ballotpedia
• [7] Democratic Party primaries in Tennessee, 2026 - Ballotpedia
• [8] 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee - Wikipedia
• [9] Vote Kristi Burke
• [10] Greene County resident Kristi Burke announced her ...
• [14] Kristi Burke
• [16] Be sure to check out my conversation with Kristi Burke! She ...
• [17] Burke to contest Harshbarger for First Congressional District seat | Johnson City Press
• [18] Kristi Burke, candidate for Tennessee's First Congressional District | Kingsport Times News
• [19] Congressional Primary Candidates Speak At County Democratic Party Meeting – WGRV.com
• [20] Greene Co. Democrats Hear From Two Congressional Candidates | Living | greenevillesun.com

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 “Burke”, 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 (“Burke”).

Tennessee — statement of interest

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

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