Tennessee Rep. Jay Reedy confirmed he’s working for the seventh Congressional District seat set to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Inexperienced.

Reedy, an Erin Republican, mentioned he filed paperwork with the Federal Election Fee to enter the election and will announce his candidacy this week.

Inexperienced is planning to depart the publish after voting on President Donald Trump’s spending plan, creating a gap for a number of candidates in a particular election to be scheduled this yr.

Reedy is the most recent Republican to say he’ll run for the seat, a place he mentioned he desires to fill in an effort to chop federal forms and assist Trump’s insurance policies. Reedy testified for federal prosecutors within the April political corruption trial towards former Home Speaker Glen Casada and his high aide, Cade Cothren, who have been convicted on almost 20 counts of conspiracy, fraud and kickbacks.

In his sixth two-year Home time period, Reedy mentioned he has been bothered by the federal authorities’s gradual response to flood harm in Waverly in August 2021 the place 20 folks died and the neighborhood misplaced two faculty buildings.

The Federal Emergency Administration Company supplied $20 million to switch the faculties, however FEMA required Waverly to resubmit paperwork, delaying work on the tasks.

As well as, Reedy mentioned the U.S. Division of Training needs to be eradicated due to its expense, roughly $268 billion, about $2.6 billion of which is shipped to Tennessee. He additionally questioned environmental enforcement on farmland throughout the state.

“The federal authorities wants to remain out of Tennessee’s enterprise,” Reedy mentioned, including he signed quite a few lawsuits towards the Obama and Biden administrations.

Different Republican candidates for the publish are former Tennessee Common Providers Commissioner Matt Van Epps, and Springfield resident Jon Thorpe and Jason Knight of Clarksville.

Van Epps just lately introduced his management group with automotive dealership magnate Lee Beaman and his spouse, Julie, serving as honorary co-chairs. Alex Joyner, who managed Inexperienced’s re-election campaigns in 2022 and 2024, will function marketing campaign supervisor, and Rachel Barrett, one other Inexperienced staffer, will lead finance operations.

No Democratic candidates have introduced but they may run.