Jim Torino
Jim Torino (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026.[source]
Torino completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jim Torino earned a high school diploma from Uniondale High School, a bachelor's degree from St. John's University in 1987, a graduate degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management in 2015, and a Ph.D. from Walden University in 2022. His career experience includes working as a healthcare executive.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Tennessee's 5th Congressional District election, 2026
Tennessee's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 6 Democratic primary)
Tennessee's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (August 6 Republican primary)
General election
The primary will occur on August 6, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 5
Kenneth Brown and Lowell Reynolds are running in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 5 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Kenneth Brown (Independent) | ||
| Lowell Reynolds (Independent) | ||
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 5
Mike Cortese, Chaz Molder, Joyce Neal, and Jim Torino are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 5 on August 6, 2026.
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 5
Incumbent Andy Ogles and Charlie Hatcher are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 5 on August 6, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Andy Ogles | |
 | Charlie Hatcher | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Micheal O'Leary (R)
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jim Torino completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Torino's responses.
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My great-grandfather helped build the Brooklyn Bridge, my grandfather served in World War II, my father proudly in the Navy, and my mother was a nurse who spent her life caring for others. That legacy of "service to others" shaped me.
I’ve spent my career working with families who are struggling, navigating healthcare and other economic pressures, and systems that too often don’t work for them. I founded a nonprofit to meet people where they are and help restore dignity and stability in their lives.
I’m running for Congress because I believe we’ve lost sight of who government is supposed to serve. I’m not a career politician, I’m someone who has spent a lifetime in service, and I’m ready to bring that same commitment to the people’s house.- Making life affordable again - Families shouldn’t have to choose between groceries and medicine. I’ll work to lower overall healthcare costs and make prescription drugs more affordable. We must also tackle the broader cost of living i.e., housing, childcare, and everyday essentials by focusing on practical solutions that actually put money back in people’s pockets. That includes introducing legislation to provide universal childcare for kids 5 years old and under and standing up to corporate investors who are buying up homes, squeezing renters, and pricing families out of their own communities. Housing should be for people, not just profits.
- Standing up for workers and rebuilding the middle class - The people who power our economy deserve fair wages, safe workplaces, and a real path to stability. I’ll fight to strengthen workers’ rights, raise the minimum wage to a living wage, expand apprenticeships, and invest in job training that leads to good-paying careers. No one working full-time should be struggling to afford the basics. We should reward work and rebuild a middle class where families have the chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.
- Bringing accountability back to government - Washington is meant to serve the people and move us toward a more perfect union, not cater to special interests. I’ll fight for greater transparency, real campaign finance reform, responsible spending, and an end to the dysfunction that blocks meaningful progress. That means being open and honest with voters, focusing on results over rhetoric, and being willing to work across differences when it delivers for the people we serve. It’s time to restore trust by making government work for the people again.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 24, 2026
