The Full Record

Michaela Barnett

D

Won the August 6, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed

Michaela Barnett is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 2nd District, a small-business owner and engineer running on affordability, healthcare, and infrastructure investment.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand public health coverage

    Says healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone and criticizes insurers and pharmaceutical companies for prioritizing profit; cites Tennessee's low life-expectancy and maternal-mortality rankings.[3]

    “A healthcare system's success should be measured by how many patients it heals, not how much profit it generates for its shareholders.”

In their words — priorities

  • Says East Tennesseans should have access to 'abundant, good jobs' and that the cost of living has outpaced wages.[3]
  • Wants federal investment in the district's infrastructure, citing what she describes as billions of dollars in unmet road, school, and water-system repair needs.[3]

Background

  • Describes herself as a local small-business owner and engineer who grew up doing farm chores before and after school.[3]

Campaign money

Raised $398K · spent $341K · $56K cash on hand (through 2026-07-17) FEC filing ↗

Also on the ballot for this seat: Tim Burchett, Bruce Fine, Adam Heimerman · Compare side by side

Sources cited in this profile

  1. 3.Michaela Barnett's Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words