Biography
Daniel Hawthorne is the Democratic candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 40 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against Republican incumbent Michael Hale; he is a public school teacher who lives in Smith County.[1][2][3]
Daniel Hawthorne was born in Tennessee, earned a graduate degree from Tennessee Technological University in 2011, and has worked as a teacher.[1] He ran for the same seat in 2024 and lost the general election, and he advanced from the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026.[1] In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey, he described himself as a husband, father of four daughters, public school teacher for 10 years and lifelong Tennessean who had lived in Smith County for the previous eight years.[2]
In that survey, Hawthorne said he opposes charter schools and school vouchers and supports legalizing marijuana, which he said could help fund public schools and help farmers in the eastern part of the state.[2]
- 1.Daniel Hawthorne - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Daniel Hawthorne - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2024) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 3.Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Tennessee House District 40
Daniel Hawthorne is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Tennessee House District 40 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
