Candidate for U.S. Senate
Bill Hagerty
RepublicanIncumbent
Bill Hagerty is a Republican who has represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate since 2021, after serving as U.S. ambassador to Japan and as Tennessee's economic development commissioner. He was unopposed in the August 2026 Republican primary. He says his campaign centers on lower taxes, energy independence, border security and the rule of law, and on supporting President Trump's agenda.
- Current or most recent role
- U.S. Senator from Tennessee (since 2021)
- Hometown
- Nashville (born in Gallatin)
- Campaign website
- teamhagerty.com
Why they say you should vote for them
The candidate's own case to voters, summarized from their campaign and public statements.
- Says he is running to be a voice for lower taxes, energy independence, secure borders and the rule of law.[1]
- Says he wants to help ensure that President Trump's America First agenda succeeds in his second term and beyond.[1]
- Says he will gather supporters' signatures from every county and keep working to bring Tennessee "to the forefront."[2]
Background
- U.S. Senator, United States Senate (Tennessee) · 2021–present[3],[4]
- U.S. Ambassador to Japan, U.S. Department of State · 2017–2019[3],[4]
- Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, Cabinet of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam · 2011–2014[3],[4]
- Co-founder and managing director, Hagerty Peterson & Company (private equity)[4]
- White House Fellow and economic adviser, Administration of President George H. W. Bush[4]
- Consultant, including a three-year assignment in Tokyo, Boston Consulting Group[3],[4]
Education
Where they stand
- TaxesVoted for the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended the 2017 tax cuts, and lists lower taxes as a campaign priority.[12],[1]
- ImmigrationIntroduced the End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens Act, which would require citizenship checks for public housing and deny community development block grants to sanctuary cities.[5]
- Energy & EnvironmentSupports the Ratepayer Protection Act, intended to keep data-center power costs off household bills, and opposes blanket data center moratoriums.[6]
- Economy & JobsSponsored the GENIUS Act, which created the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins and was signed into law in July 2025.[7],[8]
- Foreign PolicyCo-introduced the bipartisan BLADE Act, which would authorize export controls and sanctions on foreign entities that copy U.S. AI models without permission.[9]
- Public SafetyHas praised the federal Memphis Safe Task Force as an example of "where cooperation can make a difference" and thanked the FBI for opening a permanent office in Memphis.[10]
Voting record
A selection of notable recorded votes. Not a complete record.
| Measure | Vote | Date |
|---|---|---|
| H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act Budget reconciliation law extending the 2017 tax cuts, reducing Medicaid and SNAP spending, and increasing border and defense funding. (U.S. Senate) | Yes[12] | Jul 1, 2025 |
| S. 5 – Laken Riley Act Requires federal detention of immigrants in the country illegally who are charged with or arrested for theft, burglary and certain other crimes. (U.S. Senate) | Yes[13] | Jan 20, 2025 |
| H.R. 3684 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Authorized about $1.2 trillion for roads, bridges, transit, broadband, water systems and other infrastructure. (U.S. Senate) | No[14] | Aug 10, 2021 |
| H.R. 5376 – Inflation Reduction Act Created clean-energy tax credits, allowed Medicare to negotiate some drug prices and set a 15% corporate minimum tax. (U.S. Senate) | No[15] | Aug 7, 2022 |
| S. 2938 – Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Expanded background checks for gun buyers under 21 and funded state crisis-intervention (red flag) programs and mental health services. (U.S. Senate) | No[16] | Jun 23, 2022 |
| H.R. 8404 – Respect for Marriage Act Requires federal and state recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages lawfully performed in other states. (U.S. Senate) | No[17] | Nov 29, 2022 |
In their words
“lower taxes, energy independence, secure borders, and the rule of law”
“the costs should not be borne by American families and small businesses”
“ensure that President Trump's America First agenda succeeds in his second term and beyond”
Sources
- Sen. Bill Hagerty Launches 2026 Reelection Bid, Williamson Scene, February 12, 2025
- Sen. Bill Hagerty announces 2026 re-election bid with President Trump's endorsement, Local 3 News (WRCB), January 19, 2026
- About Senator Bill Hagerty, Office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty
- Bill Hagerty, Wikipedia
- Hagerty Introduces Bill to End Housing Welfare for Illegal Aliens, Office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, August 6, 2026
- Hagerty Advocates for the Ratepayer Protection Act, Office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, September 30, 2026
- GENIUS Act Signed Into Law: US Enacts Federal Stablecoin Legislation, Mayer Brown, July 18, 2025
- GENIUS Act, Wikipedia
- Hagerty, Colleagues Introduce the Blocking Large-Scale Adversarial Distillation Efforts (BLADE) Act, Office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, August 5, 2026
- Hagerty Applauds Patel, Serralta for Continued Commitment to Memphis Safe Task Force, Office of U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, May 13, 2026
- August 6, 2026 Republican Primary results by county, Tennessee Secretary of State, September 3, 2026
- Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, Vote 372 (H.R. 1), U.S. Senate, July 1, 2025
- Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session, Vote 7 (S. 5), U.S. Senate, January 20, 2025
- Roll Call Vote 117th Congress, 1st Session, Vote 314 (H.R. 3684), U.S. Senate, August 10, 2021
- Roll Call Vote 117th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote 325 (H.R. 5376), U.S. Senate, August 7, 2022
- Roll Call Vote 117th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote 242 (S. 2938), U.S. Senate, June 23, 2022
- Roll Call Vote 117th Congress, 2nd Session, Vote 362 (H.R. 8404), U.S. Senate, November 29, 2022
Photo: Official portrait, U.S. Senate (Public domain (U.S. government work)).
Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Spot an error or something missing? Report a correction.
Also running for U.S. Senate
- Marquita Bradshaw (Democratic)
- Tharon Chandler (Independent)
- Andrew Gerena (Independent)
- Jeremy Dean Hearn (Independent)
- Robert Jones (Independent)
- James William Macon III (Independent)
- Yoshi D. Matthews (Independent)
- David Sutman, Jr. (Independent)
- Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson (Independent)