Candidates

Results

The incumbent, Scott Desjarlais (R), retained his seat, defeating the Democratic challenger, Eric Stewart. Desjarlais raised twice the money Stewart did, more than 1.1 million. This will be Desjarlais’ second term.

Winner:

Scott Desjarlais (Republican)

Dr. Scott DesJarlais, a physician, was elected to congress in 2010, defeating Democrat Lincoln Davis. He serves on the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Education and Labor.

DesJarlais attended the University of South Dakota where he obtained his BS in Psychology and Chemistry in 1987. He later received his MD from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in 1991. He lives in South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

Websites: desjarlais.house.gov, www.scottdesjarlais.com

Social Media

Facebook: ScottDesJarlaisTN04

Twitter: @DesJarlaisTN04. 392 tweets, 2,628 followers

Finances

Top PAC donors:

Political PACs: $30,000
Industries: $10,000

Top Donors All PAC Donors PDF

Challenger:

Eric Stewart (Democrat)

Eric Stewart was elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 2008, where he serves on the committees for Commerce, Labor and Agriculture as well as Fiscal Review. Previously, he served as Commissioner of Franklin County, Tennessee from 2002-2006.

Stewart earned a bachelors in Political Science from Austin Peay State University. He has worked for his family’s home improvement business, Stewart Aluminum Products in Winchester, and also ran his own insurance agency, Eric Stewart Insurance Agency in Fayetteville.

Website: www.votestewart.com

Social Media

Facebook: votestewart

Twitter: @votestewart. 1,201 tweets, 1,153 followers

Finances

Top PAC donors:

Labor Unions: $50,000

Top Donors All PAC Donors PDF

* Positions on issues are based on statements from the candidates’ websites, social media and/or voting records. If the candidate did not express a clear and consistent opinion on an issue, he or she is listed as taking no position.

The charts are not intended to provide an in-depth analysis of a candidate’s platform. Visit the candidates’ websites or social media sites, if available, for more information on their positions on these issues.

• The Affordable Care Act, popularly called Obamacare, is a set of laws that prevents people from being excluded from health insurance coverage but requires everyone to purchase health insurance. It was enacted on March 23, 2010, with various provisions being phased in at different times over the next several years.
• The Arizona immigration law is legislation passed in Arizona that requires police officers, while enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those suspected of being in the country illegally. The two key issues are whether it is constitutional to require citizens to prove their citizenship to law enforcement officers, and whether it is constitutional for a state to have its own immigration policy separate from the federal government.
• The Stop the War on Coal Act was passed by the House on Sept. 20, 2012, and would significantly deregulate the coal industry from environmental statutes. It would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other sources, and prevent rules on the storage and disposal of coal ash and limit Clean Water Act rules. It would also prevent any new rules regulating mountaintop removal coal mining or toxic air emissions standards for coal-fired power plants. Proponents argue that new regulations will cause energy prices to rise.
• The Norquist no new taxes pledge: Grover Norquist is the founder and president of an anti-tax advocacy group called Americans for Tax Reform, which petitions members of congress to sign a pledge to never raise taxes under any circumstances.