U.S. Rep. Mark Green has defeated Megan Barry in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, meaning the Republican incumbent will soon enter his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district, which was redistricted in 2022 and skews overwhelmingly conservative, includes Stewart, Montgomery and Robertson counties at its northernmost point and Wayne County at its southernmost — including large chunks of Davidson and Williamson counties in between.
The Trump-approved incumbent is favored to retain Tennessee’s 7th District despite personal scandal
In February, Green announced he wouldn’t run for reelection, saying, “Our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington.” But he reversed course two weeks later after urging from Donald Trump, among others. An Army veteran, physician, businessman and former state senator, Green lives in Clarksville and has aligned himself with the GOP’s MAGA faction. His policy-related priorities include anti-abortion efforts, cybersecurity, immigration and decentralizing the power of the federal Department of Education.
Green defeated opponent Barry, who lives in Nashville and formerly served on the Metro Council and later as mayor. While the district was always likely to favor Green, Barry recently told the Scene she was hopeful for victory, saying fellow Democrat Phil Bredesen would have lost the district by just one point if the maps had been drawn the same way during his 2018 bid for U.S. Senate. Barry’s policy priorities include reproductive freedom, gun safety and stopping congressional stock trading. Having lost a son to an overdose, Barry says she would have also used her seat in congress to help tackle the opioid epidemic — though she also advocates for issues related to substance abuse outside of politics.
Both candidates have experienced personal scandals. Green is embroiled in a contentious divorce, with his wife recently accusing him of carrying on an affair with a woman 27 years his junior. Barry’s single term as Nashville’s mayor ended prematurely in 2018 when she admitted to an affair with her head of security. She resigned and pleaded guilty for theft of property related to the affair, paying the city $11,000 in restitution.
Barry invited supporters to her home to await the election results where they were served food and drinks, with several televisions stationed throughout the house broadcasting national election information. Around 8:30 p.m., she made a speech acknowledging her loss and noting she was going to call Green afterward.
"We want him to do well," Barry said, referring to Green. She thanked her supporters and those who helped with the campaign, saying "we ran an amazing race."
"This race has profoundly changed me in so many positive ways," said Barry. "I am forever grateful to every single one of you for believing in this campaign, for believing in my team and for believing in me. So tonight, I believe that we have won in so many ways. We'll keep building, we'll keep working, we'll keep the faith."
Meanwhile in Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, progressive Democrat and relative political unknown Lore Bergman was overwhelmingly defeated by incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. John Rose. This will be the fourth congressional term for Rose, a Donald Trump loyalist who has faced ongoing criticism for his marriage to a woman 24 years his junior. District 6 covers the northeast portion of Middle Tennessee, stretching from Millersville and Portland at its western edge to Crossville at its eastern border. Due to successful Republican-led redistricting efforts, the gerrymandered district also contains a large swath of Davidson County as of 2022.
D. Patrick Rodgers contributed to this article.
