Johnny Garrett (R) defeated Jon Henry (R) and Van Hilleary (R) in the Republican primary for Tennessee's 6th Congressional District on August 6, 2026. As of July 2026, Garrett and Hilleary led in fundraising and local media attention.

Incumbent John Rose (R) ran for governor. The Tennessee Lookout's Sam Stockard said, "Neither has differentiated themselves from the other, Garrett claiming to be a fighter for ultra-conservative causes in the state legislature and Hilleary saying he’s made tough decisions in Congress already." The election also took place in the context of redistricting, which changed the district lines from those used in 2024. Inside Elections' Jacob Rubashkin said, "While the core of the 6th District stays intact, roughly 40 percent of voters under the new map will be new to the district, which reaches further into Nashville than previously."

Garrett was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2018. He was, as of the 2026 election, an attorney in private practice. In a campaign ad, he said, "I'm not going to Washington to play nice. I'm going to help President Trump fight and win. ... I'm not going up there to bunt. I'm swinging for the fences." Garrett said he had "already taken on the woke left in Nashville and won as your state representative; banned biological men from women's sports, combatted illegal immigration, and defended the unborn."

Hilleary represented Tennessee's 4th Congressional District from 1995 to 2003 and was Rose's chief of staff from 2019 to 2025. His campaign website said, "Tennessee’s 6th District needs a representative who doesn’t have a learning curve; someone who has sat in those rooms, cast those votes, and knows from experience what works and what’s just noise." At a campaign event, Hilleary said, "At the national level, I think our country in many ways is hanging on by its fingertips ... Our nation has been on a slow decline for years and that decline has been gaining steam during the Biden years."

A fourth candidate, Natisha Brooks (R), unofficially withdrew. Brooks' name still appeared on the ballot.

As of July 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Solid/Safe Republican.