Who's In the Race

Republican Johnny Garrett faces Democrat Mike Croley, independent Angus Purdy, and independent Christopher Brian Monday in the Nov. 3 general election in Tennessee's 6th District. The seat is open because Rep. John Rose (R-TN) left to run for governor in 2026. Tennessee Lookout's 2026 voter guide reports that Garrett was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2018, has served as House Republican whip since 2019, and graduated from the University of Tennessee and the Nashville School of Law. ​

Croley says he served in the U.S. Navy, earned a civil and environmental engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, worked as a Tennessee State Park Ranger from 2015 to 2021, and was a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Departments of State and Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Garrett won the Republican primary over runner-up Van Hilleary; the race record does not include Garrett's vote-share percentage. Croley won the Democratic primary with about 29 percent of the vote, edging runner-up Chaney Mosley, who received about 24 percent.

What They Stand For

Johnny Garrett calls for a physical border wall and supports using the military and Guantanamo Bay to deport undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, according to his campaign website.

  • Making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and expanding them, while opposing taxes on Social Security, tips and overtime,
  • Describing himself as "100% Pro-Life," saying life begins at conception,
  • Defending the Second Amendment and Americans' right to bear arms; and
  • Supporting President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda.

Mike Croley has proposed eliminating what his campaign calls "Trump's reckless tariffs" as part of an affordability agenda, according to his campaign website. He's also supported:

  • Making healthcare more accessible and opposing cuts to Medicaid and Medicare,
  • Expanding affordable housing and strengthening labor standards,
  • Banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks and moving directly into lobbying; and
  • Making voting more accessible and expanding the House of Representatives to better reflect communities.

Purdy, an independent, has supported universal healthcare and increased federal spending to keep rural hospitals open, as well as publicly owned social housing and nationwide rent control, according to a Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire.

The Money Behind the Race

Federal Election Commission filings show Garrett raised about $2.4 million through July 17 and had about $288,000 in cash on hand, carrying $1.2 million in debt. Croley raised about $35,000 through July 17 and had about $2,400 in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Outside groups have spent about $755,000 in the race as of Oct. 13, including about $602,000 supporting Johnny Garrett and about $115,000 opposing him. The Thank You for Your Attention to This Matter PAC reported about $289,000 in support spending, American Mission reported about $288,000 in support spending, and Conservative Future Fund spent about $153,000, with about $38,000 in support and about $114,000 in opposition.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

The Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Republican as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Republicans a 94.93 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 13; Democrats stood at 5.07 percent.

The district has voted heavily Republican in recent cycles: John Rose won it with about 66 percent in 2022 and about 68 percent in 2024. Statewide, Republicans won eight of Tennessee's nine U.S. House seats in both 2022 and 2024. Donald Trump carried Tennessee in the 2024 presidential election with about 64 percent of the vote.

Tennessee's voter-registration deadline was Monday, Oct. 5. Early voting runs Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Thursday, Oct. 29, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State. Mail-ballot applications must be received by the county election commission by Saturday, Oct. 24. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central; opening times vary by county.

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