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Stuart Cooper (Tennessee)
Stuart Cooper (Republican Party) is running in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the special Republican primary on October 7, 2025.[source]
Cooper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Stuart Cooper was born in East Ridge, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1998 and a graduate degree from the Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee in 2008. His career experience includes working as a technology consultant and in the housing industry, financial services industry, recruiting and staffing industry, telecommunications industry, and service industry. He has been affiliated with Williamson County Republican Party, Greater Nashville Technology Council, and Redeeming Grace Church.[1]
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the October 7, 2025, Republican primary as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
The Republican special primary election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District will be held on October 7, 2025. The general election will be held on December 2, 2025.[2]
The special election will fill the vacancy Mark Green (R) left when he resigned on July 20, 2025, to take a job in the private sector.[3]
WPLN News' Marianna Bacallao wrote, "The Republican side of the race is crowded with 11 men vying for the GOP nomination, the majority of whom have aligned themselves with President Donald Trump in campaign materials."[4] Compared to the Democratic primary, Nashville Banner's Sarah Grace Taylor said, "The Republican primary may be even more complex to predict, with a crowded field of similar candidates lacking big-name contenders."[5] The last Democrat to represent the district was Ed Jones, who last represented the district in 1983.[6]
Five candidates — Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, Stewart Parks, Lee Reeves, Matt Van Epps — lead in media attention ahead of the election.[5][7] Barrett, Bulso, and Reeves are state representatives. Parks is a real estate developer, and Van Epps is an Army combat veteran.[4]
Barrett was first elected to represent House District 69 in 2022. Barrett highlighted his perfect score on Tennessee Stands' legislative report card, and his campaign website said he was "graded the most conservative legislator in Tennessee history."[8][9] He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website said, "He has consistently stood up for life, defended the Second Amendment, backed law enforcement, and fought back against radical leftist ideology infiltrating our schools, our borders, and our way of life. He is Tennessee-First and America-First."[9]
Bulso was first elected to represent House District 61 in 2022. He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website stated, "In the state legislature, Gino has led the charge in supporting President Trump’s America First agenda. He championed the TRUMP Act to end taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants, sponsored a ban on sanctuary cities, and blocked Chinese Communist Party-linked entities from buying Tennessee farmland. He defended girls’ sports from woke gender ideology, safeguarded medical freedom during the COVID era, and stood strong for constitutional carry and Second Amendment rights."[10]
Parks, a real estate developer, was arrested on June 3, 2021, in relation to his attendance at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His campaign website said, "To be able to serve in Congress – to fight for America First and for President Trump’s agenda – after being deprived of my own freedom and thrown into prison by the corrupt Biden Administration, would send the perfect message to the elite political establishment."[11] On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump (R) pardoned Parks among a group of about 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol breach.[12]
Reeves was first elected to represent House District 65 in 2024. Reeves said, "President Trump is our quarterback, leading the charge to restore America's strength, security, and values. I'm ready to run the route, take the handoff, or set the block-whatever it takes to advance the conservative principles that have made our district, our state, and our country strong. That's precisely what I've done in the Tennessee House, and I'll bring that same fight to Washington."[13] His campaign website stated, "Lee Reeves fully backs President Trump and his America First agenda to secure our borders, strengthen our nation's defenses, and restore the traditional values that made America great."[14]
Van Epps is a combat veteran and West Point graduate.[15] Gov. Bill Lee (R) appointed Van Epps commissioner for the Tennessee Department of General Services in 2024, and Van Epps resigned in June 2025 to run in this election.[16] Green endorsed Van Epps, calling him "a decorated combat veteran, a relentless fighter, a principled conservative, and exactly the kind of leader the 7th District wants as its voice in Washington."[17] In his campaign announcement, Van Epps said, "It’s time to secure the border, protect our values and put Tennessee first."[4]
Stuart Cooper, Adolph Agbéko Dagan, Mason Foley, Jason Knight, Joseph Leurs, and Tres Wittum are also running.
Elections
2025
See also: Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025
Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Democratic primary)
Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Republican primary)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
The primary will occur on October 7, 2025. The general election will occur on December 2, 2025. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
Teresa Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jonathan Thorp are running in the special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on December 2, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Teresa Christie (Independent) | ||
| Bobby Dodge (Independent) | ||
| Robert James Sutherby (Independent) | ||
 | Jonathan Thorp (Independent)  | |
| ||||
| = 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
- Steven Hooper (Independent)
- Scerick Richard Longcope (Independent)
- David Richard Holbert (Independent)
- Caleb Stack (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
Aftyn Behn, Darden Copeland, Vincent Dixie, and Bo Mitchell are running in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.
| ||||
| = 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
- Joy Davis (D)
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
The following candidates are running in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Jody Barrett | |
 | Gino Bulso | |
 | Stuart Cooper | |
 | Adolph Agbéko Dagan | |
 | Mason Foley | |
 | Jason Knight | |
 | Joe Leurs | |
 | Stewart Parks | |
 | Lee Reeves | |
 | Matt Van Epps | |
 | Tres Wittum | |
| ||||
| = 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
- Robby Moore (R)
- Robert James Sutherby (R)
- Brandon Ogles (R)
- Eddie Lee Murphy (R)
- John Wilt (R)
- John Wesley Smith IV (R)
- Michael Vogel (R)
- Noah Cline (R)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jody Barrett | Republican Party | $241,872 | $171,718 | $70,154 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Gino Bulso | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Stuart Cooper | Republican Party | $34,313 | $27,409 | $6,904 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Adolph Agbéko Dagan | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mason Foley | Republican Party | $396,278 | $272,361 | $123,917 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Jason Knight | Republican Party | $41,170 | $36,067 | $5,103 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Joe Leurs | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Stewart Parks | Republican Party | $334,307 | $330,034 | $4,273 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Lee Reeves | Republican Party | $569,015 | $487,487 | $81,528 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Matt Van Epps | Republican Party | $359,256 | $249,877 | $109,379 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Tres Wittum | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2025. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[18][19][20]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2016
Seven of the 12 seats on the Williamson County Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016.[21] The District 1, 3, and 11 seats were left open for newcomers when incumbents Kenneth Peterson, PJ Mezera, and Mark Gregory, respectively, did not file to run for re-election. Richard Davis and Angela Durham ran for the District 1 seat, and Durham won the election. The District 3 race featured candidates Christy Coleman, Kimberly Little, and Eliot Mitchell. Mitchell was elected to the seat. The District 11 race featured candidates Stuart Cooper and K.C. Haugh, and Haugh won the election. In the race for the unexpired term in District 4, incumbent Anne McGraw defeated challenger Joey Czarneski. In District 5, incumbent Gary Anderson defeated challenger Julie Ellen Mauck to win another term on the board. District 7 incumbent Robert Hullett won re-election against challengers Jennifer Luteran and Christopher Richards. The District 9 race featured incumbent Rick Wimberly and challenger Denise Boothby. Wimberly was re-elected to the seat.[22][23][24]
Results
| Williamson County Schools, District 11 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 K.C. Haugh |
60.00% | 996 |
| Stuart Cooper | 40.00% | 664 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes | 1,660 | |
| Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016 | ||
Funding
Cooper began the race with an existing account balance of $795.01 from his previous campaign. He reported $3,779.00 in contributions and $2,611.71 in expenditures to Williamson County Election Commission, which left his campaign with $1,962.30 on hand as of June 30, 2016.[25]
Endorsements
Cooper was endorsed by the Williamson County Republican Party.[26]
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Stuart Cooper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cooper's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- I will Protect our Freedoms. I will Ensure Religious Freedoms, work to Keep Government Small, Maintain National Security Through Military Strength, Secure our Border, Defend the Right to Life, Safeguard the Rule of Law, and guard our 2nd Amendment Rights.
- I will Provide Fiscal Responsibility. I'll Work to Control Spending, Balance the Federal Budget, Eliminate failed Entitlement Programs, Keep Taxes Low, and Eliminate Wasteful Government Spending. I'll make sure we spend money appropriately - on defense and on our military. And, I will protect Social Security and Medicare.
- I will work to Preserve and Promote Capitalism and American Ideals. I'll Limit Regulation, Keep Markets Free, Fight Against Socialism, Encourage Entrepreneurship, Encourage Competition, and Promote the Private Sector.
William Wilberforce is my "historic hero." I respect the way he fought against the slave trade for decades, standing up for his beliefs when they were not popular, and eventually affecting large scale societal change.
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.
2016
Candidate website
Cooper highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Consensus Building Leadership Our public education system is built upon the shared trust and responsibility between schools and the families they serve. As parents and community members, it is essential that we dialogue with teachers to understand how we can create an environment at home that supports and enhances what our children learn in school. Likewise, teachers and administrators must understand that they work in partnership with parents, and a parent’s concerns should be treated with respect and compassion. Public education only works well when we all understand our roles and collaborate in unity. Without that unity, we can alienate good people who share our passion for equipping our children with the skills and values they need to succeed.
Fiscal Responsibility Our administration’s priority is, of course, to secure as much funding as it can to ensure our schools can maintain their current level of excellent education while planning for future growth. However, our first priority must be to ensure that our schools are running as cost-effectively as possible so the wider community—including the county commission and local business leaders—can rest assured that when we seek additional revenue, we are doing so while operating at peak efficiency and constantly identifying and cutting waste. Smart Growth But as we live in a time of unprecedented prosperity, our community faces a number of challenges. First and foremost, we must hire a number of additional teachers who not only meet the qualifications but who excel in their field of study. We must undertake capital projects at a quickened pace to keep up with our heightened growth rate, especially in communities like Nolensville and Spring Hill. In doing so, we also risk accruing unsustainable debt and expenses. We can accomplish this by:
Thrive Locally, Compete Nationally
Though by no means the only factor, Williamson County Schools are a driving force behind our current economic growth. Our schools are the standard-bearer for Tennessee. We draw parents from across the state to enroll their children in our public schools, and their employers are moving here as well. As we continue to thrive locally, we are now in a position to compete at a higher level nationally. Williamson County Schools have the opportunity not only to attract families, but also exceptional teachers, and thriving businesses from across the United States. To accomplish our goals of exceptional education, we much:
|
” |
| —Stuart Cooper (2016)[28] | ||
Franklin Home Page interview
The Franklin Home Page asked Cooper the following bolded questions. Cooper's responses are shown below.
| “ | Rezoning is one of the first issues the new board will deal with together as the Nolensville schools open and Thompson's Station on the horizon. What's your philosophy on school rezoning, grandfathering and the anticipation of future growth for rezoning?
Rezoning is essentially a by-product of growth and we are growing rapidly. It's something we have to do. Growth is a good problem to have but it does create challenges. I think we need to over communicate. I think we need to communicate, communicate, communicate again. We need to listen to people, but also need to lead throughout the process. Not everyone will be happy with decisions that are made. We can't please everyone, but if we communicate and lead well I think it will go very well. I did speak to a voter who said her two children have been rezoned four times. She is past all that with her kids in college, and she had a smile on her face. It will go well and it will be fine. I never make promises. But it's going to be painful. Good leadership prepares people for things when they could be challenging. We are growing so fast. We can't please everyone, but we will do our best to make decisions for everyone involved. What is your position on standardized testing - is there too much, too little? I think that teachers want to teach. I don't think they want to test all the time. Students want to learn and not be over tested. So, I do think in some cases testing is excessive. We've had tears. They've come home in tears and that type of thing. It's nothing I am overly concerned about but we have to prepare for the week of testing and able to make sure they are well rested. What is your position on Common Core and the state working to phase it out? I am opposed to Common Core, and I think it's a great move to phase it out. I want local control, and this a nonpartisan race, but I am a Republican. A lot of people ask me that at the door. They are asking a question behind a question. Some of them are pro-local control, and I think we can make decisions locally that don't need to made from a federal level. What do you think of current state education standards? I know we recently implemented a standards review committee. I think that's a wise decision, and I am glad we have a mechanism in place in which to review standards. I think we are making progress and that we are reviewing them. Do you think world religions should be part of history or social studies curricula? I think the history of world religion should be taught in history. I think if you teach world religions in the context of history, you're going to be more fair and accurate in the representation. I would teach it in the context of history. What is your opinion of the current state of WCS and the current leadership? The US News and World Report that ranked five of our schools in the top 20. We are obviously doing very well. I think we can do better, but we are obviously doing well. Our ACT scores have gone up since our superintendent has been at the helm. People move here to be a part of the school system. Our reputation is strong in the state of Tennessee. Not that I want people moving from everywhere, but I would love to see our reputation grow outside of this region and outside of the state. So we are thriving locally and competing nationally. What is the best thing about WCS? I think our experience has been wonderful. At Winstead Elementary, we've had three of our kids in school there, and one is on the way. The principal is great. The teachers are amazing. The events that they hold for us to bring them to is always a family friendly environment. It's a fertile ground for excellent schools. The cooperation is strong between parents and teachers and students and the community as well. The community values education. Business leaders value education and our schools. Businesses move here because of the reputation of the area. What needs attention and what aspect of it could need adjustment? I think what needs attention is growth. I think we have our hands full with growth. We could be build a new school every year. We need to work with the County Commission that we are balancing our growth with the fiscal responsibilities as a county so that we can ensure we don't go in a lot of debt or increase it further.[27] |
” |
| —Stuart Cooper (2016)[29] | ||
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
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Tre Hargett Provides Timeline for Seventh Congressional District Special Election," July 24, 2025
- ↑ The Tennessean, "US Rep. Mark Green will step down July 20. Who could replace him?" July 8, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 WPLN News, "Meet the congressional candidates for Tennessee’s special election," August 14, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Representative Ed Jones," accessed September 8, 2025
- ↑ Williamson Scene, "Republican Congressional Candidates Engage Voters in Franklin Forum," August 20, 2025
- ↑ Lewis County Herald, "Rep. Barrett Receives First-Ever Perfect Score on Legislative Report Card: Most Conservative Legislator in State History," June 5, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jody Barrett 2025 campaign website, "About Jody Barrett," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Gino Bulso 2025 campaign website, "Meet Gino," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Stewart Parks campaign website, "Home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Star, "Tennessean Stewart Parks Among J6 ‘Hostages’ Pardoned by President Trump," January 20, 2025
- ↑ Lee Reeves 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Lee Reeves 2025 campaign website, "Meet Lee Reeves," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Matt Van Epps 2025 campaign website, "home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Nashville Banner, "June 11: Matt Van Epps Ready to Run; TCOG Sounds the Alarm," June 11, 2025
- ↑ Fox17, "Mark Green endorses Matt Van Epps in Tennessee race," July 14, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2016," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Williamson County Election Commission, "Candidate List-August 4, 2016-State Primary/County General Election," accessed April 8, 2016
- ↑ Williamson County Schools, "Board Members," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Chad Gray, Williamson County Administrator of Elections," July 29, 2016
- ↑ The Tennesseean, "Williamson County Republican Party endorses school board candidates," July 19, 2016
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Stuart Cooper, "Issues," accessed May 26, 2016
- ↑ Franklin Home Page, "Election 2016: Father of four wants to strengthen Williamson schools as board member," May 3, 2016
