Who's In the Race

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) faces Democrat Michaela Barnett, independent Bruce Fine and independent Adam Heimerman in the Nov. 3 general election in Tennessee's 2nd District. Tennessee adopted revised congressional district boundaries in May 2026, though the Secretary of State's announcement does not specify whether the 2nd District changed. ​

Burchett has represented the district since 2019, previously serving as Knox County mayor from 2010 to 2018 and spending 16 years in the Tennessee General Assembly before that. Barnett is an engineer and small-business owner who worked in Congress as a science-policy fellow. Fine and Heimerman are both independents; Heimerman describes himself as a veteran, small-business owner and lifelong Tennessean. Both Burchett and Barnett ran unopposed in their respective Aug. 6 primaries.

What They Stand For

Burchett has stated he will "fight to protect the lives" of unborn children and opposes federal tax dollars for abortion, according to his official House website. He has also supported abolishing the U.S. Department of Education and returning education authority to state and local governments.

Barnett describes her healthcare priority as "Healthcare Focused on People, Not Profits," according to her campaign website. She supports increasing VA funding so veterans can get the care they need, fully funding veterans' mental-health services; and has described her healthcare priority as "Healthcare Focused on People, Not Profits."

Fine, running as an independent, supports congressional term limits, campaign-finance reform, and expanding access to community-college and vocational education, according to the Tennessee Lookout voter guide. Heimerman's platform includes border security, ending Citizens United, affordable housing and environmental protection, according to his campaign website.

The Money Behind the Race

Through July 17, Tim Burchett had raised about $2.4 million and had about $967,000 on hand, while Michaela Barnett, his Democratic challenger, had raised about $398,000 and had about $56,000 on hand, giving Burchett roughly 17 times as much cash. Outside groups have spent $10 supporting Barnett, all of it from Sierra Club Independent Action.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the race "Solid Republican" as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball gave it the same rating as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections also called it "Solid Republican" as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Republicans a 94.76% chance of winning as of Oct. 14; Democrats stood at 5.24%.

Burchett won the district with about 68% of the vote in 2022 and about 69% in 2024. Republicans held eight of Tennessee's nine U.S. House seats in both 2022 and 2024. Donald Trump carried Tennessee with about 64% of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article