Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry launched her campaign for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District on Wednesday.
Barry is looking to unseat U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07), who is currently serving a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Families in Tennessee are struggling, and Mark Green continues to do nothing. I’m fed up, and I know many Tennesseans are too. That’s why today I’m announcing my run for Congress,” Barry wrote on social media Wednesday.
Barry, a Democrat, served as Nashville’s mayor from 2015 until 2018 when she resigned in disgrace after it emerged that she spent nearly $175,000 of taxpayer money while carrying out a two-year affair with her bodyguard, and used taxpayer resources and vehicles to facilitate the affair at the Nashville City Cemetery.
Barry pleaded guilty in criminal court to felony theft of more than $10,000. She agreed to pay $11,000 in restitution and resign as mayor as part of her plea agreement.
In 2021, after serving the terms of her probation, Barry’s criminal record was expunged.
The former mayor vaguely addressed her troubled past in her first campaign video, saying, “During that time, I made mistakes. I owned up to them and I took responsibility. And my husband Bruce and I worked through it all together.”
“I don’t think anybody should be defined by their worst moments. It’s what you do next that counts,” Barry added.
Congressman Green’s campaign responded to Barry’s campaign bid in an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star, saying, “From three tours in combat, to the emergency room, to public service, Congressman Green has always put his fellow Americans before himself. In Congress, he has been a champion for Tennesseans—leading the fight to secure our border, fix our healthcare system, and defend our constitutional rights. He is honored to serve and looks forward to continuing to fight for our values and principles.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Megan Barry” by Megan Barry.
