Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson is running for U.S. Senate in Tennessee as an Independent in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Whitson, a Chattanooga resident, qualified for the ballot by petition and filed Feb. 27, 2026, according to Tennessee Firefly. She said her campaign centers on "What Tennesseans Want" and that she is not beholden to any party, according to her campaign website.

She has no prior elected office.

The race includes Republican Bill Hagerty, Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw and seven other Independents. Those candidates are Andrew Gerena, David Sutman Jr., James William Macon III, Jeremy Dean Hearn, Robert Jones, Tharon Chandler and Yoshi D. Matthews, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Full name: Catherine Barcel Whitson
  • Nickname: Barcy (short for her middle name, Barcel)
  • Party: Independent
  • Residence: East Brainerd area of Chattanooga, where she and her husband, Randy, have lived for 40 years
  • Education: Bachelor of fine arts in dance and physical education, with a minor in science, according to her campaign website

Experience

Whitson said she has worked as an insurance professional, according to her campaign biography. She also said she has served as a life coach, pastor, prayer minister and mentor in volunteer and community roles.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Whitson's campaign website responses. Each reflects the candidate's own stated platform.

Affordable housing: Whitson said she advocates for assistance for what she described as approximately 10,000 unhoused Tennesseans. She said she supports partnering with churches and businesses to create safe tiny house communities.

Healthcare: Whitson said she supports improving healthcare accessibility, reducing prescription drug costs, protecting rural hospitals and promoting programs for veterans, senior citizens and those in need.

Education: Whitson said she supports boosting funding for public schools, expanding vocational training, promoting private and home schooling, finding ways to pay off student debt and making every school venue safe and secure.

Economic growth: Whitson said she supports lowering costs, creating high-paying jobs and supporting local small businesses. She also said she promotes green energy, safe water and recycling and repurposing initiatives.

Transportation: Whitson said she supports building mass transit options connecting Tennessee cities and reviving a bullet train initiative between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Candidate responses were gathered from Whitson's campaign website. The Mt. Juliet Journal did not interview the candidate for this profile. This profile is part of the Journal's 2026 election coverage to help voters learn about candidates on the ballot.