Qualifications

To hold the office of United States Representative, you must:

  • Be at least 25 years old,
  • Have been a United States citizen for at least 7 years
Filing Period

For all candidates (August primary candidates and independent candidates on the November ballot):

  • The deadline to file is 12:00 NOON on Friday, May 15, 2026.
  • No candidates may withdraw after the qualifying deadline.

 

Getting a Petition
  • Get a petition from the Coordinator of Elections or your county election office.
  • Only original petitions are valid. Don’t make copies—ask for more pages if needed.

 

Getting Signatures
  • You must collect at least 25 signatures from voters who are registered in a county that is part of the House district.
  • You must sign the petition yourself, but your signature does not count toward the 25 needed.
  • Each voter signing must include their full address as it appears on their voter registration.
  • Best practice is to collect 50 or more signatures in case some signatures are not counted as valid.

 

Where to File

All candidates:

File an original petition at the following address by the deadline:

Coordinator of Elections
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 7th Floor
William Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243 

Primary candidates only:

File a certified duplicate (a copy labeled “This is a true copy of the original” with the copier’s signature, title, and date) with your party by the deadline:

Tennessee Republican Party
95 White Bridge Road, Suite 414
Nashville, TN 37205
(615) 269-4260 | tngop.org

Tennessee Democratic Party
4900 Centennial Blvd., Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 327-9779 | tndp.org

Note: There are no government filing fees. Contact your party about party-specific fees. 

 

Campaign Finance Requirements

For campaign finance requirements, contact:

Federal Election Commission
1050 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20463
(800) 424-9530 | fec.gov