Mike Croley, a 47-year-old Navy veteran from Crossville, is running as the Democratic nominee for Tennessee's 6th Congressional District. The seat is on the ballot Nov. 3, 2026.
Croley faces Republican Johnny C. Garrett, along with independents Angus Purdy and Christopher B. Monday. Croley won the Democratic primary in a five-candidate field, according to WPLN, despite being outfundraised by rival Chaney Mosley and competing against the previous primary winner, Lore Bergman.
The Nashville Banner reported Croley was working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, when he was laid off, spurring him to begin his congressional run in April 2025. Croley said on his campaign website that he was fired by the Trump administration in April 2025. The accounts differ on the characterization of his departure. He reported raising more than $35,000 in the primary, according to the Nashville Banner.
Candidate information
- Name: Mike Croley
- Party: Democratic
- Age: 47 (as of July 2026, per the Nashville Banner)
- Residence: Crossville, Tennessee
- Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering science, Vanderbilt University (2005); master's degree in public safety, Tennessee Technological University (2020)
- Family: Croley said he and his wife Bethany have been married since 2009 and are raising three young children. He said he also has an adult son, Austin, who lives in the district.
- Occupation: Nonprofit founder, according to the Nashville Banner
Experience and public service
Croley said he grew up in Illinois and Kentucky and enlisted in the Navy after graduating from Ohio County High School in Hartford, Kentucky. He said he was selected for meritorious advancement during boot camp and served as an electronics technician.
According to BallotReady, Croley served as an engineering officer in the U.S. Navy from 1999 to 2012. He then worked as a senior efficiency engineer at Nexant from 2012 to 2015.
Croley said he joined the Tennessee State Park Rangers and attended the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy in 2016. BallotReady lists him as a park ranger at Tennessee State Parks from 2015 to 2022.
He said he was awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship and worked in the U.S. departments of State and Agriculture and at NOAA. He said he was accepted into the program in August 2023.
Croley said he worked as a veteran services coordinator. BallotReady also lists him as a school certifying official at Roane State Community College from 2022 to 2023.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Croley's campaign website and his responses to the Nashville Banner's candidate questionnaire. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims unless otherwise noted.
Healthcare: Croley said he supports extending the Affordable Care Act and opposes cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. He said he supports universal basic healthcare. "… The people of the 6th District deserve a system where getting sick doesn't mean going broke," Croley said on his campaign website.
Economy and housing: Croley said he supports raising the federal minimum wage to $20 per hour, with subsidies and tiered implementation for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. He said he would draft legislation making it illegal for corporations to buy single-family homes and would support federal subsidies for first-time homeowners.
Guns: Croley said he supports universal background checks. He framed the issue as one of responsibility rather than confiscation.
Environment: Croley said he views climate change as a threat to food, water, energy security, public safety and rural economies. He said he opposes funding cuts to the National Park Service and opposes placing a proposed Class I landfill near Bear Creek and the Big South Fork watershed.
Government reform: Croley said he supports congressional term limits, overturning the Citizens United v. FEC decision and banning members of Congress from trading stocks and becoming lobbyists. He said he does not accept corporate PAC money.
Editor's note: Candidate responses were gathered from the candidate's campaign website and published questionnaire answers. Not all candidates in this race have been profiled to date.
