Ballot Project

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

Contest for US House District 1

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 3 candidates
Kristi Burke

Kristi Burke

Democrat
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Kristi Burke's biography shows a background as a Greene County muralist and grassroots activist focused on local community needs, though it does not document prior federal legislative experience or direct constituent-service capacity with federal agencies. The record contains no controversies or disciplinary history. Bio does not indicate experience in drafting federal statute or building cross-party coalitions for oversight.
Hernan H. Garcia

Hernan H. Garcia

Democrat
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Hernan H. Garcia is a Democratic candidate for Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 2026 election. The biography identifies his party affiliation and current campaign status but does not indicate prior legislative experience or specific casework capacity with federal agencies. Bio does not indicate federal lawmaking experience or oversight judgment regarding the executive branch.
David S. Kerr, Jr.

David S. Kerr, Jr.

Democrat
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David S. Kerr Jr.'s twenty-year Marine Corps career as a Master Sergeant demonstrates leadership and oversight judgment relevant to federal service. His background includes deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, indicating familiarity with military operations and constituent concerns regarding veterans' services. The biography documents no controversies or disciplinary records. Bio does not indicate experience in legislative drafting or coalition-building at the federal level.
Republican Primary 1 candidate
Diana Harshbarger

Diana Harshbarger

Republican
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Diana Harshbarger's biography shows over three decades of pharmacy business ownership and service on House committees overseeing education and homeland security, demonstrating constituent-service capacity and oversight judgment relevant to the U.S. Representative role. Her husband received a presidential pardon in 2025 after serving four years for health care fraud convictions. Bio does not indicate prior experience drafting federal statute or building cross-party coalitions.
Independent 5 candidates
Joshua Ray Ashburn

Joshua Ray Ashburn

Independent
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Joshua Ray Ashburn's biography identifies him as an independent candidate for Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in 2026, indicating local residence but no prior federal legislative experience or specific casework history with federal agencies. The record does not show evidence of coalition-building across party lines, oversight judgment regarding the executive branch, or a documented disciplinary record. Bio does not indicate federal legislative craft or constituent-service experience.
Tyler Brice Mitchell McClain

Tyler Brice Mitchell McClain

Independent
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McClain's biography shows he works as a sales consultant and resides in Kingsport, Tennessee, offering potential insight into local economic concerns. The record contains no documented controversies or disciplinary actions. Bio does not indicate federal legislative experience or oversight judgment of the executive branch.
Billy Cody

Billy Cody

Independent
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Billy Cody's biography identifies him as an independent candidate for Tennessee's First District in the 2026 election, indicating potential independence from party influence. The record does not show prior legislative experience drafting federal statutes or managing constituent casework with federal agencies. Bio does not indicate experience in coalition-building or oversight judgment of the executive branch.
Richard G. Baker

Richard G. Baker

Independent
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Richard G. Baker's biography shows four campaigns for Tennessee's 1st District and a U.S. Army honorable discharge, indicating familiarity with local politics and military oversight. He advocates limiting bills to single subjects but lacks documented federal legislative drafting experience or prior elected office tenure. The record does not indicate experience in coalition-building across party lines or casework capacity with federal agencies.
Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell

Independent
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Chris Campbell's biography identifies him as an independent candidate for Tennessee's First District in the 2026 election, indicating a campaign focused on local representation without prior federal legislative experience or documented oversight of executive agencies. The record contains no mention of disciplinary actions or controversies regarding integrity. Bio does not indicate experience drafting federal statute or managing constituent casework with federal agencies.
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