Wendell "Wells" Blankenship
Candidate for Tennessee 8th Congressional District · Independent
On the 2026 ballotChallenger · Tennessee 8th Congressional District · Nov 3 General
Ballot status source: Certified — Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections: November 3, 2026 General Election candidate list (U.S. House) · read Sep 24, 2026
The District
What Tennessee 8th Congressional District covers
Covers all of Carroll County, Gibson County, Madison County, Haywood County, Henderson County, Perry County, Decatur County, Chester County and Crockett County; parts of Shelby County, Fayette County and Tipton County.
218 precincts · District lines: Congressional lines: enacted plan "U.S. Congress Districts Adopted May 7, 2026" (114th General Assembly, Second Extraordinary Session (House Bill 1 / 2026 congressional elections); signed by Gov. Lee May 7, 2026); 2026 status: In effect for the Aug 6 primary and Nov 3 general: preliminary injunction denied July 23, 2026, Sherman v. Hargett (M.D. Tenn.); NAACP Tennessee State Conference v. Tennessee and Hale v. Lee pending. Official file https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/pa/documents/district-maps/congress-districts/NewCongressional26.zip
Results
Certified results for Tennessee 8th Congressional District
United States House of Representatives District 8 — Democratic primary
Tennessee State and Federal Primary 2026-08-06 · Aug 6, 2026| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heidi KuhnDemocratic | Democratic | 23,787 | 52.0% |
| Dewey Gordon BryanDemocratic | Democratic | 9,611 | 21.0% |
| Leonard PerkinsDemocratic | Democratic | 7,719 | 16.9% |
| Jordan D. HindersDemocratic | Democratic | 4,671 | 10.2% |
Certified (Tennessee Secretary of State official results) · Tennessee Secretary of State — certified results by precinct
United States House of Representatives District 8 — Republican primary
Tennessee State and Federal Primary 2026-08-06 · Aug 6, 2026| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| David KustoffRepublican | Republican | 65,431 | 100.0% |
Certified (Tennessee Secretary of State official results) · Tennessee Secretary of State — certified results by precinct
United States House of Representatives District 8
2024 State and Federal General Election · Nov 5, 2024| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| David KustoffRepublican | Republican | 240,411 | 72.3% |
| Sarah FreemanDemocratic | Democratic | 85,043 | 25.6% |
| James HartIndependent | Independent | 6,861 | 2.1% |
Certified — Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections (official precinct results) · Tennessee Secretary of State — certified results by precinct
Key Votes
The record
No public voting record
Holds no elected public office. Checked 2026-09-24.
Sep 24, 2026 · Official · GOTV Intel review of official candidate lists
Newest first. A close vote was decided by 5% of the votes cast or less (or 10 votes or fewer, under a fifth of the votes). Broke with party: voted against most of their party, where the record gives the party split.
In the News
Press coverage
- Tennessee Congressional District 8 Election 2026: Who Is RunningAug 9, 2026 · Press · Tennessee Firefly
- Tennessee 2026: Every candidate in all 9 congressional districtsMay 19, 2026 · Press · NewsChannel5
- Who's running where? Tennessee posts candidate list for redrawn congressional districtsMay 17, 2026 · Press · WSMV
Headlines link to the original reporting, captured on the date shown.
The 2026 Field
Who else is running for Tennessee 8th Congressional District
- David KustoffRepublican · Incumbent · On the 2026 ballot
- Adam D AustillNo party · On the 2026 ballot
- Antonio FutchIndependent · On the 2026 ballot
- Heidi KuhnDemocrat · On the 2026 ballot
- Pamela Jeanine "P." MosesIndependent · On the 2026 ballot
- Horace TaylorIndependent · On the 2026 ballot
- Henry J. Ward IIIIndependent · On the 2026 ballot
The Paper Trail
Filings, results and exhibits
On the ballot: U.S. House, Tennessee 8th District — November 3, 2026 general election
Listed as "Wendell "Wells" Blankenship" (Independent) on the TN official election authority certified candidate list for the 2026 General Election (as of read 2026-09-24). Checked 2026-09-24.
Sep 24, 2026 · Official · TN official election authority · sourceU.S. Representative · TN-08
Independent · Candidate · On the 2026 ballot
Sep 24, 2026 · Official · sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.comSources (1)
Not on file for Wendell yet: Their Money, Advertising, In Their Words, Reach Them, Polls. Coverage varies by state and office.
File read Sep 25, 2026. Each item names its source. Record ID p_eajzknxvv.
GOTV Intel reports are sourced, cited research leads your campaign confirms against the primary record before use. They are never a consumer report and never for employment, credit, insurance, housing or licensure.