{"county":null,"description":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 together with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments. Candidates must be at least 21 years old, U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents for at least three years, and district residents for at least one year.","district":"023","districtgroup":"state_house","id":235,"key":"state_house_023","lastchangeby":null,"name":null,"next_election":null,"notes":null,"officegroup":"tn_house","partisan":1,"party":null,"qualities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"tn","term_end":null,"term_start":null,"term_years":2,"terms":[{"current":0,"description":"","electiondate":"2022-11-08","name":"Mark Cochran","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nMark Cochran is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 23 [1]. He assumed office on November 6, 2018, following his election as part of the 111th general assembly [3]. His current term is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 [1].\n\nCochran is seeking re-election to represent District 23 in the Tennessee House of Representatives [1]. He is listed as a candidate for the Republican primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1]. BallotReady confirms his status as a candidate for the 2026 Tennessee Primary Election [10].\n\n## Background and education\n\nMark Cochran was born on November 21, 1985 [3]. He grew up on a sixth-generation family farm where he helped feed cattle and worked in his father's grocery store [4]. Through these experiences, he states that he learned the value of hard work and the importance of serving his community [4].\n\nCochran attended the University of Tennessee [3].\n\n## Career\n\nMark Cochran grew up on a sixth-generation family farm in McMinn County, where he helped feed cattle [4]. He also worked in his father's grocery store, an experience that shaped his understanding of hard work and community service [4]. Cochran has self-reported that working in these two family businesses allowed him to witness the impact of economic freedom on Tennesseans [4].\n\nCochran attended the University of Tennessee [3]. He is a resident of Englewood, Tennessee [5].\n\n## Office history\n\nMark Cochran announced his candidacy for the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2017, seeking to represent District 23 after incumbent John Forgety retired [9]. He was elected in November 2018 as part of the 111th General Assembly and assumed office on January 8, 2019 [3]. In this role, he serves a two-year term with no term limits [2]. District 23 encompasses McMinn County and parts of Monroe County [3].\n\nCochran was re-elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 23 in subsequent cycles, with his current term ending on November 3, 2026 [1]. During his tenure, he has served as an Assistant Leader within the Republican Caucus [8]. His committee assignments have included the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Education Committee, the Business & Utilities Subcommittee, the Calendar & Rules Committee, the Commerce Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee [1][8].\n\nCochran is currently on the ballot for the Republican primary election scheduled for August 6, 2026, to seek re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 23 [1][10].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nRepresentative Mark Cochran serves on several key committees within the Tennessee House, including the Calendar & Rules Committee, the Commerce Committee, and the Ethics Committee [8]. He also holds assignments in the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee and its subcommittee, as well as the Business & Utilities Subcommittee [8]. In previous terms, his committee work included service on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Education Committee [1].\n\nCochran\u2019s legislative record includes support for significant conservative policy initiatives. He voted in favor of SB 263, which bans state and local government entities from enforcing mandates from international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum [11]. He also supported SB 207, legislation that established a $25 million Farmland Preservation Fund managed by the Department of Agriculture [11]. Additionally, Cochran voted for HB 1237, which prohibits state regulatory agencies from engaging in race-based membership bans [11].\n\nHis voting history aligns with the priorities of conservative advocacy groups. The Family Action Council of Tennessee highlighted his support for SB 16/HB 1 (the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act), SB 364/HB 563 (the Business Protection Act), and SB 1257/HB 1029 (the Human Life Protection Act) [6]. He also backed legislation addressing conscience rights for child-placing agencies, religious courses in schools, school protection measures, single-sex student athletics, and chemical abortion reversal information [6].\n\nCochran has sponsored bills related to property rights and government oversight. He introduced HB 1237, which ended the ability of state regulatory and health agencies to enforce race-based membership bans [11]. His legislative agenda is described by his campaign as focused on ensuring Tennessee remains a place where people are free to pursue their dreams with minimal government interference [4].\n\nPolitical scorecards reflect his voting patterns. The Tennessee Legislative Report Card gave him a lifetime vote score of 76 and a leadership grade of D [5]. He received a perfect score from the Family Action Council of Tennessee for the 2020 legislative session [6].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nCochran states that he grew up on a sixth-generation family farm where he fed cattle and worked in his father\u2019s grocery store [4]. He describes these experiences as foundational to his understanding of hard work and community service [4]. His campaign materials note that working in these two family businesses allowed him to witness the impact of economic freedom on Tennesseans [4].\n\nSpecific details regarding Cochran\u2019s current business ownership stakes, sales of businesses, or the specific sources of personal wealth beyond his family\u2019s agricultural and retail background are not provided in the available source materials [1][3][7]. While LegiStorm tracks personal financial disclosures for legislators, the provided text does not list specific financial disclosure facts for Cochran [7].\n\n## Family\n\nMark Cochran self-describes as having grown up on a sixth-generation family farm and working in his father's grocery store [4]. He has stated that these experiences with family businesses taught him the value of hard work and community service [4]. No further details regarding his spouse, children, or other family members are provided in the available sources.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Mark Cochran - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Cochran)\n[2] [Tennessee House of Representatives District 23 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_House_of_Representatives_District_23)\n[3] [Mark Cochran - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Cochran)\n[4] [Mark Cochran for Tennessee State Representative](https://www.markforstaterep.com/)\n[5] [Tennessee House District 23 - Cochran - TLRC](https://tnreportcard.org/representatives/tn-hd23-cochran/)\n[6] [Rep. Mark Cochran - Family Action Council of Tennessee](https://scorecard.factennessee.org/representatives/mark-cochran)\n[7] [Tennessee State Rep. Mark Cochran - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/49935/Steven_Mark_Cochran.html)\n[8] [Representative Mark Cochran \u2014 Tennessee House Republican Caucus](https://tnhousegop.org/members/representative-mark-cochran/)\n[9] [Cochran announces Tenn. House candidacy | News | dailypostathenian.com](https://www.dailypostathenian.com/news/article_b053757c-f7ab-11e7-8086-10604b9f0f42.html)\n[10] [Mark Cochran | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/mark-cochran)\n[11] [Mark Cochran - Tennessee Legislative Scorecard](https://thefreedomindex.org/tn/legislator/20338/)","firstname":"Mark","lastname":"Cochran","token":"Ml05uDKYPK"},"term_end":"2024-12-31","term_start":"2023-01-01"}],"title":"State Representative District 23","type":"legislative","url":"https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=H23","whenchanged":"2026-06-19 17:40:13"}