Would be third longest serving
President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement of U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, in his 2026 Tennessee 3rd District Congress primary race reminds us that when the New York native completes his current term in January 2027, he will have served 16 years — as long as his predecessor, former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp.
The 3rd District, over the past 100 years, has only had eight representatives, for an average tenure of 12.5 years apiece.
Wamp’s predecessor, Marilyn Lloyd, served the longest 20 years), followed Sam McReynolds (16-plus years), Wamp and Fleischmann, James B. Frazier (14), Estes Kefauver (10), Bill Brock (8) and LaMar Baker (4 years). The longest serving 3rd District congressman is John A. Moon, who logged 24 years from 1897 to 2021.
If Fleischmann is re-elected in 2026 and serves out that term, he will pull into second place behind Lloyd during the last 100 years and third overall behind Moon.