Anna Golladay

Current office and 2026 campaign

Anna Golladay is a Democratic candidate running for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District in the 2026 cycle.¹ She declared her candidacy on February 7, 2026, to challenge incumbent Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann in the general election.⁴⁷ Golladay is seeking the Democratic nomination in a primary scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the general election set for November 3, 2026.¹

Golladay, who identifies as a progressive faith leader and small business owner, states that she is running to bring "moral courage back to leadership" and to fight for the dignity of every person in the state.⁵⁸ She characterizes her campaign as a choice between "care over cruelty" and "courage over silence," arguing that District 3 deserves more than "indifference dressed up as leadership."⁹ Golladay asserts that the congressional seat does not belong to Fleischmann but rather to the residents of the district.⁴⁷

The candidate has framed her challenge against Fleischmann as a battle against gerrymandering, noting that the district's boundaries make it difficult for Democrats to win.³ Golladay emphasizes that she will not give the incumbent the benefit of the doubt regarding his re-election prospects, stating that the seat belongs to the people who are represented by them.⁴¹⁰

Background and education

Anna Golladay is 52 years old ⁴. She and her husband of 28 years, Mike, reside in the Park Central neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee ⁵. Golladay self-describes as a progressive faith leader and small business owner ²⁸. Her religious affiliation is with the United Methodist Church, where she previously served as a pastor ⁶. In 2018, she was fired from her position as a United Methodist Minister for performing a same-gender wedding ¹¹.

Golladay owns and operates Biased Apparel, a clothing company she founded in 2011 ⁵. She also serves as the CEO of Work of Place, a consulting firm that helps faith communities utilize their buildings and assets to improve local economic stability ⁵.

Career

Anna Golladay self-describes as a progressive faith leader and small business owner ². She owns and operates Biased Apparel, a clothing company she founded in 2011 ⁵. Additionally, Golladay serves as the CEO of Work of Place, a consulting firm that assists faith communities in utilizing their buildings and assets to improve the economic stability of surrounding neighborhoods ⁵.

Golladay is a former pastor for the United Methodist Church ⁶. She made headlines in 2018 after being fired from her position for performing a same-gender wedding ¹¹.

Office history

Golladay served as a United Methodist minister before leaving the denomination in 2018 after being fired for performing a same-gender wedding ¹¹. She subsequently worked as a faith leader and community organizer, while also operating Biased Apparel, a clothing company she founded in 2011, and Work of Place, a consulting firm for faith communities ⁵.

In local politics, Golladay ran for Chattanooga City Council’s District 8 seat. She lost the runoff election for this position in April 2025 ⁶.

Golladay announced her candidacy for the Democratic primary to represent Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 7, 2026 ⁴⁷¹⁰. The primary election is scheduled for August 6, 2026, with the general election set for November 3, 2026 ¹. She is challenging incumbent Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann ³⁴. As of May 11, 2026, the outcome of this race remains unknown ¹.

Documented disputes and controversies

Golladay’s public profile includes a 2018 incident in which she was fired from her position as a United Methodist Minister for performing a same-gender wedding ¹¹. This event generated media attention regarding her stance on church policy and LGBTQ+ rights at that time ¹¹.

In the 2025 election cycle, Golladay ran for Chattanooga City Council’s District 8 seat but lost in a runoff race held in April of that year ⁶. She has since shifted her political focus to the U.S. House of Representatives, declaring her candidacy for the Democratic primary in Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District on February 7, 2026 ¹⁴⁷.

Golladay has publicly criticized incumbent U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, stating that the seat "does not belong to him" but rather to the residents of District 3 ⁴⁷. She characterizes his leadership as "indifference dressed up as leadership" and asserts that he prioritizes donors over working families ⁶⁸. Golladay describes her own platform as fighting for "care over cruelty" and "courage over silence," positioning herself as a progressive faith leader and small business owner ²⁹.

Business interests and wealth source

Golladay self-describes as a small business owner and states that she owns and operates Biased Apparel, a clothing company she founded in 2011 ⁵. She also serves as the CEO of Work of Place, a consulting firm that assists faith communities in utilizing their buildings and assets to improve the economic stability of local neighbors ⁵.

Her professional background includes work as a progressive faith leader and a former pastor for the United Methodist Church ⁶. Golladay was fired from her position as a United Methodist Minister in 2018 after performing a same-gender wedding ¹¹.

Family

Golladay is married to Mike, whom she has been married to for 28 years ⁵. The couple resides in the Park Central neighborhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee ⁵. There are no publicly notable details regarding children or other family members in politics available in the provided sources.

Sources