← Election Series · All house races

Our verdict

LiberalMind endorses Johnny Garrett — as unproven in Congress, and on watch

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and voting is already underway in Tennessee. This is the whole race — the records, the claims against each candidate, and what the sources actually show.

The setup

Tennessee's 6th District — the eastern Nashville suburbs, Cookeville, Crossville — is an open seat. Rep. John Rose (R), in office since 2019, retired to run for governor and did not file for the House (Wikipedia, "2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee"; Ballotpedia News, May 29, 2026). The old-lines Cook PVI was R+17; on the new lines, redistricting narrowed Trump's 2024 margin in the district from 67%–32% to 62%–36% (Almanac of American Politics preview). Cook rates the race Solid R. Four names are on the ballot (Tennessean voter guide; WVLT certified-list compilation).

Johnny Garrett (Republican)

The record: Garrett is a Tennessee state representative for the 45th district, in the state House since 2019 — eight years, seven of them as Republican whip (Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026; The Tennessean, Aug. 7, 2026). He is an attorney in private practice. He won the Republican primary with 43.6% (37,388 votes) over former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary at 29.7%, Jon Henry, and Natisha Brooks. The Nashville Banner describes him as a "self-described 'pro-Trump Christian conservative'" — his own campaign's description, labeled as such (Nashville Banner).

Pros: The fullest file in the race: a near-decade of state legislative service, most of it in his caucus's leadership, and a primary win over a former congressman. Cons: 43.6% is a plurality in a four-way field; his congressional positions reach voters as campaign statement. The flaw, plainly: unproven in Congress — a watch-closely posture, not a demerit.

Mike Croley (Democratic)

The record: Croley is a Navy veteran and former state park ranger (Wikipedia nominee line; Nashville Banner). He won a five-way Democratic primary with 28.9% (11,604 votes) over an MTSU agriculture professor, the 2024 nominee, and two others. No elected office was located.

Pros: Service in uniform and in the state parks — a biography rooted in the district's public lands. Cons: A 28.9% plurality nomination, no elected record, and no documented program beyond the candidacy in our file. The flaw, plainly: insufficient record, and no exception case in what exists.

Christopher B. Monday and Angus Purdy (Independents)

Monday (Cookeville) is a graphic designer who was the Republican candidate for this seat in 2018 and an independent candidate in 2020 (Wikipedia declared list). Purdy (Nashville): no record was located beyond the ballot listing.

OUR CALL

LiberalMind endorses Johnny Garrett — as unproven in Congress, and on watch.

An open seat: the Republican brings eight years of state House service and a whip's tenure; the Democrat brings a veteran's and ranger's biography and a 28.9% plurality. The aligned, proven-at-state-scale candidate takes the call.

This race is one of hundreds in LiberalMind's Election 2026 coverage. For the complete breakdown — every race, claim by claim — go to liberalmindhq.com.

Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Sources

Election result — November 4, 2026

Winner: Johnny Garrett (Republican) — called by the Associated Press. This result was appended on November 4, 2026 (results wave 1); the original article above is unchanged, exactly as published before Election Day.

AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.

← Back to the Election Series