Gary Humble Launches 2026 Campaign Against Jack Johnson

Conservative activist and Tennessee Stands executive director Gary Humble has launched his 2026 campaign for the District 27 state senate seat currently held by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), who narrowly defeated Humble’s first bid for the seat in 2022.

A news release from Humble’s campaign calls the race “ground zero for the fight between the establishment and grassroots conservatives.” Humble is pledging to support term limits both in the state house and U.S. Congress. The campaign release characterizes term limits and other “transparency measures” as tools to “break the stranglehold of career politicians and special interests.”

Among his other listed issues are “governing from a Biblical worldview,” supporting party registration and the use of hand-marked paper ballots, “maintain[ing] an unwavering commitment to constitutional rights” with a specific mention of the Second Amendment, and calling for “responsible growth” in Williamson County. He also notes he would “champion the [Make America Healthy Again] agenda,” which he said calls for “removing harmful chemicals from our food supply,” ending the role of some federal health agencies in the state.

“Career politicians make promises every election cycle, then forget the people they are supposed to serve,” Humble says in the release. “For 20 years, Jack Johnson has had every chance to fight for us, and when it mattered most, he failed. I've spent the last five years holding politicians accountable, and now I'm asking voters to send me to Nashville to do the job that politicians refuse to do."

Humble rose to prominence in Tennessee in 2020, leading anti-COVID lockdown demonstrations as well as protests against vaccine mandates. He and Tennessee Stands have also supported a man who was arrested for refusing to leave the 2024 Franklin Pride festival while preaching about his faith. That man is now suing the City of Franklin in federal court.

"Last time, we proved that the people's voice is stronger than special interest money," Humble says. "This time, we're going to finish what we started."

The Williamson Scene reached out to Johnson about Humble’s announcement and has not heard back as of publication. Though he has not officially announced his candidacy, he told the Tennessee Lookout in response on Wednesday, “I look forward to continuing the fight.”