Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is free to read.

Slate of candidates for Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District is getting crowded

U.S. Rep. Scott Desjarlais speaks at the La-Z-Boy furniture plant on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in Dayton, Tenn.
U.S. Rep. Scott Desjarlais speaks at the La-Z-Boy furniture plant on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in Dayton, Tenn. U.S. Rep. Scott Desjarlais speaks at the La-Z-Boy furniture plant on Thursday, June 2, 2016, in Dayton, Tenn.

By Staff Report 4 min read

A second Democratic candidate has entered the running against Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in the 2018 race for the 4th Congressional District seat.

Mariah Phillips, a Rutherford County teacher and MTSU graduate, is among the candidates being trained and supported by Emerge Tennessee, founded last year to help more women seek public office.

Phillips joins Steven Reynolds, of Manchester, who ran unsuccessfully against DesJarlais as a Democrat in 2016.

photo Mariah Phillips
photo Jack Maddux
photo Steven Reynolds

DesJarlais, a Republican seeking his fifth term, also has a primary opponent. Jack Maddux is a military veteran and former police officer from Cleveland, Tenn., who now works as a businessman.

Phillips, whose Facebook page shows a fast-paced schedule of events in the sprawling district, said in a statement that “In order to change the way Washington works, we need to change the type of people we are sending to Washington.”