July 11th Update: Who is Running for Mark Green's Seat.

by Rod Williams, July 11, 2025- On July 8th, News Channel 5 published the following list of Republicans who have declared or could soon potentially declare they will run for the open U.S. House seat.

• Tennessee House District 69 Representative Jody Barrett (declared)
• Healthcare Executive Jeff Beierlein (undeclared)
• Clarksville Ward 3 City Councilman Jason Knight (declared) 
• Deputy Director, Americans for Prosperity Tennessee, Michael Lofti (undeclared)
• Tennessee House District 68 Representative Aron Maberry (undeclared)
• Former Tennessee House District 61 Representative Brandon Ogles (undeclared)
• Real Estate Businessman Stewart Parks (declared)
• Tennessee House District 74 Representative Jay Reedy (declared)
• Tennessee House District 65 Representative Lee Reeves (undeclared)
• Social Media Influencer Robby Starbuck (undeclared)
• Former Tennessee General Services Administrator Matt Van Epps (declared)
• John Wilt (undeclared)

Note that the only two name that are additions to the names I have previously listed are Lee Reeves and John Wilt. I had posted a stand-alone post about Lee Reeves candidacy. 

What is most notable is that important names of people who I had previously listed are not on the Channel 5 list. Alice Rolli is not on the list. John Rich is not on the list and several others. I am going to assume they are not running. 

by Rod Williams, July 3, 2025 update -(Draft of a Work in Progress) Some names have been added to this list but the big news is that Robby Starbuck is jumping in the race. More to come. Stay tuned.

by Rod Williams, June 24, 2025 -With Congressman Mark Green's announcement that he will be resigning his seat in Congress as soon as the Great Big Beautiful Bill is passed, a bunch of people have indicated, or announced, or let speculation grow that they may be seeking the vacant seat. Since it is very doubtful that a Democrat can win the seat, whoever wins the Republican primary for the nomination will most likely become the next Seventh District Congressman. Here is a list of potential candidates:

Robby Starbuck

Robby Starbuck attempted to run for the 5th Congressional district in 2022 but was deigned ballot access to run as a Republican because he failed to meet the party's definition of a bonafide Republican. He had not been in the state long enough to vote in the required number of Republican primaries. That denial of the right to run as a Republican led to legal challenges and appeals but in the end the Party prevailed. 

Since then, Starbuck has stayed active and been in the public eye challenging corporate policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and donations to pride events. He had several impressive victories taking on companies such as Lowe’s, Jack Daniel’s, Indian Motorcycle and Polaris. Starbuck has received national attention, having appeared on Fox News and having spoken at CPAC and having been covered by the national mainstream press. 

I do not know if Starbuck lives in the 7th Congressional District or not. When he attempted to run for the 5th Congressional District, he lived in the 5th. A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives does not have to live in the specific congressional district they are seeking to represent. 

If Starbuck does run, I suspect he would be a leading contender. To learn more about Starbuck's background see the Wikipedia entry at this link. To see previous Disgruntled Republican blog post regarding Robby Starbuck follow this link.

Matt Van Epps

Matt Van Epps, Tennessee Department of General Services Commissioner has resigned his post as Commissioner and announced his candidacy two weeks ago. Van Epps graduated from West Point and served multiple combat deployments as a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based in Clarksville and continues to serve in the Tennessee Army National Guard. A Nashville resident, he was previously senior vice president of operations at Main Street Health, a rural healthcare company. (link) (link)

Alice Rolli

Alice Rolli, former mayoral candidate, told Axios she's thinking about running.

Jon Thorp of Springfield, a former officer in the U.S. Army who served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is labeling himself as a political outsider under the "Liberty Reset" movement. He is calling for "fiscal sanity," congressional and bureaucratic term limits and full audits of government agencies. Thorp acknowledges he hasn't voted in 24 years because he didn't like candidates from either major political party.  

Maj. Jason Knight of Clarksville is veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. He is a Montgomery County commissioner and former Clarksville City Council member. He describes himself as "staunch constitutionalist and a proven conservative" who would support increased border security and efforts to deport "criminals." (link) 

Michael Lotfi, Deputy State Director of Americans for Prosperity, has said he is considering entering the race. Lotfi has ties to disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada who six years ago put him on the state payroll in a move that generated controversy.  

Republican state Sen. Bill Powers of Clarksville out

Republican state Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson (link)

Former Republican state Rep. Brandon Ogles of Brentwood, who is a cousin of Fifth Congressional District Congressman Andy Ogles.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton

State Rep. Gino Bulso

Chris Burger, a Tennessee political operative

John Rich

John Rich, County music star and half of the Big & Rich duo, and owner of the Redneck Riveria honkytonk on lower Broadway and a Trump enthusiast is being mentioned. I have no idea how seriously to take this; however, we know that Trump likes celebrities, and Rich would fit the mold of the type of people Trump has previously endorsed for office and a Trump endorsement would go a long way in securing the nomination. However, often Trump's celebrity picks help a nominee win the Republican nomination to go on to lose a relatively safe seat to a Democrat. 

Jeff Beierlein

Eric Deems

Rep. Aaron Mayberry

Mark Moore is out

Robby Moore, mayor of Lobelville in Perry County

Steward Parks, a real estate developer and Jan. 6th prisoner.

Republican State Rep. Jay Reedy

On the Democrat side, former Nashville mayors Megan Barry and John Cooper are also being floated as potential contenders. State Rep. Vincent Dixie, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, former Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover and Darden Copeland, founder of Nashville-based land use consulting, State Rep. Bo Mitchell, and state Sen. Jeff Yarbro are potential candidates.

This is a draft of a work in progress. Updates will occur as I learn more. Stay tuned. 

If by chance any candidate is reading this blog, please put me on your press distribution list. If you have issued a statement regarding your candidacy, please send it to be at Rodwilliams47@yahoo.com.

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