U.S. House, Tennessee 3rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District?
Chuck Fleischmann has the strongest record in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. Chuck Fleischmann scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Chuck Fleischmann's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Dean Arnold (1 of 15 criteria), Anna Golladay (6 of 15 criteria), Jean Howard-Hill (1 of 15 criteria), Rodney Joe King (4 of 15 criteria), Donnie Lynn Ownby (3 of 15 criteria) and Edward John Roland (0 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Independent
Dean Arnold
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Chuck Fleischmann
63 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 42
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
Democratic
Anna Golladay
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Jean Howard-Hill
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Rodney Joe King
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 58
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Donnie Lynn Ownby
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Edward John Roland
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Dean Arnold
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Chuck Fleischmann
- On the record2025-08-30
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that he said he would "never" hold a town hall.
- On the record2020-12
Signed the House amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, and on Jan. 6, 2021 voted Yea on the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electors.
Sources: Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 representatives (Dec. 2020), House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2026
As Appropriations subcommittee chair, sponsored the fiscal 2026 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, whose provisions were enacted.
- Credit1996
Served as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association.
Source: Ballotpedia, Charles Fleischmann
Anna Golladay
- On the record2026-08
Campaigned on the incumbent's accessibility; her site counts the days since he last held a public town hall.
Source: Campaign site
- On the record2024-09
Ran for the Chattanooga City Council District 8 seat in 2024 as a business owner and consultant.
Jean Howard-Hill
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Rodney Joe King
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Donnie Lynn Ownby
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Edward John Roland
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed May 12, 2026, and periodic transaction reports filed through 2026; campaign reports on file. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure index, 2025, House Committee on Ethics site search, FEC administrative fines search
Anna Golladay. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 17, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. No public record found.
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. No public record found.
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Chattanooga attorney and former Chattanooga Bar Association president; in Congress since 2011. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Charles Fleischmann, House Committee on Ethics site search
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Voted Yea on the Jan. 6, 2021 objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electors (E2). Also signed the December 2020 House amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021 (Arizona objection), House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021 (Pennsylvania objection), Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 representatives (Dec. 2020)
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1982 to 2006. No official finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rodney King
Donnie Lynn Ownby. Served in the U.S. Army from 1974 to 1977. No official finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Donnie Ownby
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Dean Arnold. Author of several books, per his personal site. Has not held public office.
Source: Campaign site
Chuck Fleischmann. In the U.S. House since January 2011, seeking a ninth term.
Source: Ballotpedia, Charles Fleischmann
Anna Golladay. Small business owner and consultant, neighborhood association vice president and former protest chaplain. Has not held public office.
Sources: Chattanooga Times Free Press, Sept. 27, 2024, Ballotpedia, Anna Golladay
Jean Howard-Hill. Business executive with Howard-Hill Consultants and a Wheaton College degree in urban planning and government. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jean Howard-Hill
Rodney Joe King. Twenty-four years of Navy service and later work as a chief executive, per Ballotpedia. Has not held elected office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rodney King
Donnie Lynn Ownby. Small business owner with an associate degree from Roane State Community College. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Donnie Ownby
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development; publishes issue pages on his House site.
Anna Golladay. Publishes platform pages in general terms.
Source: Campaign site
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Offers email updates and publishes issue pages on his House site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: House office site, Ballotpedia, Charles Fleischmann
Anna Golladay. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes platform pages.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Anna Golladay, Campaign site
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes a campaign site.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rodney King
Donnie Lynn Ownby. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Donnie Ownby
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Has practiced law in Chattanooga since the late 1980s and lives in Ooltewah. About 43 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2025 to 2026 came from Tennessee (FEC).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Charles Fleischmann, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Aug. 6, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Anna Golladay. Has lived in Chattanooga for 16 years. About 87 percent of itemized individual contributions by state for 2026 came from Tennessee (FEC).
Sources: Chattanooga Times Free Press, Aug. 6, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. Born in Tennessee and raised in Etowah, by his own account; a Marion County High School graduate.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rodney King
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 17, 2026, with no debts reported. No FEC administrative fine found.
Source: FEC candidate page
Anna Golladay. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 17, 2026, with no debts reported.
Source: FEC candidate page
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Center for Effective Lawmaking: LES 2.0 of 1.175 against a benchmark of 1.481 in the 118th Congress, meets expectations. His fiscal 2026 Energy and Water appropriations bill was enacted.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress (Fleischmann TN03 row, 118th), GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 4553 (119th Congress)
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Missed 58 of 9,214 roll call votes, 0.6 percent, from January 2011 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Lists a district office in Chattanooga and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: House office site, Contact, House office site
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.29689 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 386 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Dean Arnold. No public record found.
Chuck Fleischmann. No public record found.
Anna Golladay. No public record found.
Jean Howard-Hill. No public record found.
Rodney Joe King. No public record found.
Donnie Lynn Ownby. No public record found.
Edward John Roland. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District?
Chuck Fleischmann has the strongest record in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. Chuck Fleischmann scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Chuck Fleischmann's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Dean Arnold (1 of 15 criteria), Anna Golladay (6 of 15 criteria), Jean Howard-Hill (1 of 15 criteria), Rodney Joe King (4 of 15 criteria), Donnie Lynn Ownby (3 of 15 criteria) and Edward John Roland (0 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
Dean Arnold (Independent), Chuck Fleischmann (Republican, incumbent), Anna Golladay (Democratic), Jean Howard-Hill (Independent), Rodney Joe King (Independent), Donnie Lynn Ownby (Independent), Edward John Roland (Independent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Dean Arnold a good candidate for Congress?
Dean Arnold has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Chuck Fleischmann a good candidate for Congress?
Chuck Fleischmann scores 63 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 42 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Anna Golladay a good candidate for Congress?
Anna Golladay has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Jean Howard-Hill a good candidate for Congress?
Jean Howard-Hill has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Rodney Joe King a good candidate for Congress?
Rodney Joe King has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Donnie Lynn Ownby a good candidate for Congress?
Donnie Lynn Ownby has public evidence on 3 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Edward John Roland a good candidate for Congress?
Edward John Roland has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Tennessee race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Tennessee 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.