Scott DesJarlais
Scott DesJarlais, a Republican physician who has represented Tennessee's 4th congressional district since 2011, is seeking re-election in 2026 against Democrat Victoria Broderick, a telemarketer.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Scott DesJarlais.
- Born
- February 21, 1964
- Birthplace
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Education
- University of South Dakota (undergraduate degree in chemistry and psychology, 1987)
University of South Dakota School of Medicine (Doctor of Medicine, 1991)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Scott DesJarlais was born on February 21, 1964, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Joe DesJarlais, a barber, and Sylvia, a registered nurse. He grew up in Sturgis, South Dakota, where over ten years he, his parents and his siblings built their own house.
DesJarlais earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and psychology from the University of South Dakota in 1987 and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in 1991. In 1993 he moved to East Tennessee to practice medicine as a generalist.
He and his second wife, Amy, have three children and live in South Pittsburg.
Career
Scott DesJarlais entered politics in 2009 as a member of the Tea Party movement, filing to challenge Democratic incumbent Lincoln Davis, whom he defeated 57% to 39% in 2010.
Redistricting before the 2012 election pushed the district west to take in suburban areas closer to Nashville, including Murfreesboro, and DesJarlais defeated Democratic state senator Eric Stewart 56% to 44% that year.
In 2014 he held off a primary challenge from state senator Jim Tracy by 38 votes, and he has won each election since, including 2024, when he received 70.0% of the vote.
Transcripts of his 2001 divorce proceedings, published in 2012, showed that he had admitted under oath to sexual relationships with people he met while chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center, and in May 2013 the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners formally reprimanded him and fined him $500 for having sex with patients.
In the 119th Congress DesJarlais serves on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Armed Services, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. He is a member of the Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee.
2026 race
Tennessee's 4th congressional district covers the southern part of Middle Tennessee, including Murfreesboro and Lynchburg.
Scott DesJarlais won the 2026 Republican primary with 65.9% of the vote, defeating army veteran Tom Davis (16.3%), U.S. Air Force veteran Harold "Rocky" Jones (10.1%) and Rutherford County commissioner Joshua James (7.7%).
His Democratic opponent is Victoria Broderick, a telemarketer who won a five-candidate primary with 37.9% of the vote. The general election is on November 3, 2026.