U.S. House, Tennessee 6th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Tennessee's 6th Congressional District?
Johnny Garrett has the strongest record in Tennessee's 6th Congressional District. Johnny Garrett scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Croley at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Johnny Garrett's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Croley's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Chris Monday (2 of 15 criteria) and Angus Purdy (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.
Democratic
Mike Croley
56 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Strongest record
Johnny Garrett
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 69
- Performance
- 75
Independent
Chris Monday
On the ballot as Christopher B. Monday
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 2 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Angus Purdy
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.
Mike Croley
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Johnny Garrett
- On the record2026-07
In July 2026 his campaign ran an undisclosed AI-generated ad showing his primary opponent's bus driving into a swamp; the campaigns said the state disclosure law does not cover federal races.
Sources: NewsChannel 5 Nashville, July 2026, WPLN News, July 24, 2026, Nashville Banner, July 22, 2026
- Credit2025-05
Sponsored HB 910 in 2025, which Gov. Bill Lee signed into law, moving the duties of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission to the attorney general's office.
Sources: Nashville Banner, April 24, 2025, Nashville Banner, May 16, 2025
Chris Monday
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Angus Purdy
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.
Mike Croley. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 17, 2026, and House candidate financial disclosures for 2025 and 2026 are on file. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10083032, FEC administrative fines search
Johnny Garrett. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 17, 2026, and a 2026 House candidate financial disclosure was filed July 5, 2026 after an extension. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081212, FEC administrative fines search
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mike Croley. Has invited his opponent to debate by phone and video without a response, per the Banner, and has spoken at public party meetings and candidate events across the district.
Sources: Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026, Nashville Banner, July 14, 2026
Johnny Garrett. Spoke at a Tennessee Farm Bureau candidate forum on June 15, 2026. Has not responded to his opponent's debate invitation, a Banner questionnaire or a Banner interview request, per the Banner.
Sources: Nashville Banner, July 14, 2026, Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mike Croley. Served in the Navy from 1999 to 2009 and later as a state park ranger and Presidential Management Fellow at NOAA. No conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Croley, Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026
Johnny Garrett. State representative since November 2018 and House Republican whip. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Johnny Garrett, Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. 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.
Mike Croley. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2009 and in federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Croley, Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire
Johnny Garrett. Has held sworn office as a state representative since 2018. No misuse-of-office finding and no recorded action to reject certified election results found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Johnny Garrett
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mike Croley. Navy veteran (1999 to 2009), former Tennessee State Parks ranger and Presidential Management Fellow at NOAA with rotations at the State and Agriculture departments; founder of a nonprofit. No elected office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Croley, Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire
Johnny Garrett. Four terms in the Tennessee House since 2018, including service as House Republican whip, and an attorney.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Johnny Garrett, Nashville Banner, Sept. 29, 2026
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mike Croley. Answered a detailed questionnaire with specific proposals, including a $20 federal minimum wage with small-business subsidies and changes to the tax code, and publishes an issue blueprint.
Sources: Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire, Campaign site, home page
Johnny Garrett. House Republican whip and a member of the Finance, Ways and Means Committee; publishes issue positions in general terms.
Sources: Nashville Banner, Aug. 6, 2026, Ballotpedia, Johnny Garrett, Campaign site, home page
Chris Monday. Lists campaign goals of defending individual liberties and reducing federal spending, in general terms.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mike Croley. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey and the Nashville Banner questionnaire, and publishes an issue blueprint and an events calendar.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Croley, Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire, Campaign site, home page
Johnny Garrett. Publishes issue pages and spoke at a 2026 candidate forum. Did not answer the Nashville Banner questionnaire.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Nashville Banner, July 14, 2026, Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire
Chris Monday. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025.
Source: Ballotpedia, Christopher Monday
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mike Croley. Lives in Crossville in Cumberland County, which he names as part of the district. FEC by-state totals show about 90 percent of itemized individual contributions from Tennessee.
Sources: Nashville Banner candidate questionnaire, FEC contribution totals by state
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mike Croley. 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
Johnny Garrett. 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
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. House sponsor of HB 910 (2025), which the governor signed, and carried HB 2507 (2026) through the House, which lawmakers passed.
Sources: Nashville Banner, April 24, 2025, Nashville Banner, May 16, 2025, Nashville Banner, April 24, 2026
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mike Croley. No public record found.
Johnny Garrett. No public record found.
Chris Monday. No public record found.
Angus Purdy. 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 6th Congressional District?
Johnny Garrett has the strongest record in Tennessee's 6th Congressional District. Johnny Garrett scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike Croley at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Johnny Garrett's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Mike Croley's highest marks are command of the job and communication. Chris Monday (2 of 15 criteria) and Angus Purdy (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 6th Congressional District in 2026?
Mike Croley (Democratic), Johnny Garrett (Republican), Chris Monday (Independent), Angus Purdy (Independent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mike Croley a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Croley scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Johnny Garrett a good candidate for Congress?
Johnny Garrett scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 69 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Chris Monday a good candidate for Congress?
Chris Monday has public evidence on 2 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 Angus Purdy a good candidate for Congress?
Angus Purdy 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.