Biography
Rueben Dockery is an independent write-in candidate for the Tennessee State Senate, District 21, in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Democrat Jeff Yarbro.[1][2] A pastor, nonprofit founder and former special education teacher in Nashville, he has run for the state legislature in earlier elections.[2]
Rueben Dockery holds an associate degree in divinity studies from National College in Chicago, a bachelor's degree in history from Fisk University and a master's degree in education from Trevecca Nazarene University, and was a Ph.D. candidate for K-12 education at Walden University.[2] His professional experience includes serving as a pastor at Beythel Family Church and Mount Sinai Cumberland Presbyterian Church, founding the nonprofit Building Families & Communities (BFC) Missions Incorporated, and working as a special education teacher in Nashville.[2] In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey, he described himself as a thirty-five-year resident of Nashville-Davidson County.[3]
Dockery ran in the 2018 general election for Tennessee State Senate District 19, which Brenda Gilmore won, and in the 2022 general election for State Senate District 21, which incumbent Jeff Yarbro won.[2] In 2024 he was an independent candidate for Tennessee House District 53, finishing behind incumbent Jason Powell and Republican Yog Nepal.[2]
- 1.Tennessee State Senate elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Rueben Dockery - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Rueben Dockery - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, 2024 · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Tennessee Senate District 21
Rueben Dockery is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Tennessee Senate District 21 as IND. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.