Ballot Project

← Back to Dyer County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-08-06

Contest for US House District 8

primary - Partisan - U.S. Representative

About this office

A United States Representative represents a single congressional district in the lower chamber of Congress, serving a two-year term. Representatives write and pass federal law, originate revenue bills, fund and oversee the executive branch, and serve constituents in dealings with federal agencies.

Term length: 2 years.

This role calls for

  • Legislative craft at the federal level: reading, drafting, and amending federal statute, and knowing the law being changed.
  • Understanding of the district's economic and everyday concerns, and constituent-service capacity for casework with federal agencies.
  • Persuasion and coalition-building across party and factional lines to form working majorities.
  • Integrity: acting for constituents and the public good rather than personal gain, independent of undue influence.
  • Oversight judgment: the House funds and oversees the executive branch and the military.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Democratic Primary 4 candidates
Heidi Kuhn

Heidi Kuhn

Democrat
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Heidi Kuhn's biography shows extensive local government management and constituent service experience through roles as Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk and Director of Training, demonstrating capacity for casework and administrative oversight. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate federal legislative drafting experience or cross-party coalition-building at the national level.
Jordan D. Hinders

Jordan D. Hinders

Democrat
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Jordan D. Hinders is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee's 8th Congressional District in the 2026 election. The biography identifies him as a resident of Arlington but provides no details regarding prior legislative experience, federal casework capacity, or history of cross-party coalition building. Bio does not indicate relevant legislative craft or oversight judgment experience.
Dewey Gordon Bryan

Dewey Gordon Bryan

Democrat
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Bryan's thirty-five-year career as an airline captain and former Naval Aviator demonstrates significant leadership and operational oversight experience relevant to federal agency management. His background includes extensive work with federal aviation regulations and safety protocols. The biography contains no record of disciplinary actions or controversies. Bio does not indicate legislative drafting experience or prior elected office service.
Leonard Perkins

Leonard Perkins

Democrat
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Perkins' biography shows military service as an air traffic controller and long-term work with veterans through counseling and church leadership, relevant to constituent service and oversight of the executive branch. He has no prior elected office experience or federal legislative drafting background. Bio does not indicate experience in federal lawmaking or cross-party coalition building.
Republican Primary 1 candidate
David Kustoff

David Kustoff

Republican
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David Kustoff's biography shows relevant experience as a U.S. Representative since 2017, including service on the House Committee on Ways and Means and prior work as a U.S. Attorney overseeing federal prosecutions. He demonstrates constituent-service capacity through securing federal appropriations for district projects and nominating students to military academies. Bio does not indicate experience in drafting complex federal statute or building cross-party coalitions beyond his party's primary.
Independent 6 candidates
Horace Taylor

Horace Taylor

Independent
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Horace Taylor's biography shows active social media engagement for his 2026 campaign in Tennessee's 8th District but lacks evidence of federal legislative craft, constituent-service capacity, or coalition-building experience. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate prior elected office experience or direct oversight judgment experience.
Adam D. Austill

Adam D. Austill

Independent
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Adam D. Austill's biography identifies him as an independent candidate for Tennessee's 8th Congressional District in 2026, though it provides no details regarding his professional background or prior public service. The text contains no information about legislative experience, constituent-service capacity, coalition-building history, or any disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate federal legislative craft or oversight judgment experience.
Wendell "Wells" Blankenship

Wendell "Wells" Blankenship

Independent
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Blankenship's biography shows repeated independent runs for the U.S. House in Tennessee's 9th District and current candidacy in the new 8th District, demonstrating persistence and basic campaign activity. He stated that elected officials must represent voters but received low vote shares in prior races. Bio does not indicate federal legislative drafting experience or oversight judgment of the executive branch.
Henry J. Ward, III

Henry J. Ward, III

Independent
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Henry J. Ward III's biography shows he is an independent candidate certified for Tennessee's 8th Congressional District in November 2026. The record contains no evidence of prior legislative craft, federal agency casework, or coalition-building experience at the congressional level. Bio does not indicate relevant legislative drafting experience or oversight judgment experience.
Antonio Futch

Antonio Futch

Independent
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Antonio Futch's biography identifies him as an independent candidate for Tennessee's 8th Congressional District in 2026, indicating local residence and campaign activity. The record contains no mention of prior legislative service, federal legal drafting, or specific casework experience with federal agencies. Bio does not indicate federal legislative craft or oversight judgment experience.
Pamela Jeanine "P." Moses

Pamela Jeanine "P." Moses

Independent
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Pamela Jeanine Moses's biography documents a 2022 voting rights victory and a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee redistricting maps, demonstrating litigation experience relevant to oversight judgment and constituent service. The record notes her status as a formerly incarcerated individual who claims wrongful imprisonment due to speaking out against corruption. Bio does not indicate legislative craft at the federal level or persuasion experience across party lines.
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