Brad Gaines, the father of former NCAA swimmer and political activist Riley Gaines, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) declaring himself a candidate in the race for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District.
Gaines’ FEC Form 1 was filed Monday.
Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District is currently represented by U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06), who is running in the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial race.
Gaines was born and grew up in Nashville where he attended DuPont High School and made a name for himself as a standout football player. During his senior year at DuPont, he broke the school’s rushing record with 1,324 yards.
He went on to attend and play football at Vanderbilt University.
One notable moment from Gaines’ college football career was marked on October 28, 1989, during a game between Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.
In that game, Gaines was the intended receiver on a short pass when he was tackled head-first by Ole Miss defensive back Chucky Mullins. The impact shattered four vertebrae in Mullins’ spine, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Mullins died less than two years later at 21 years old, after suffering a pulmonary embolism.
Gaines (pictured above) appeared on Outkick in 2024 on what would have been Mullins’ 55th birthday to discuss details about the tragic accident, which is featured in Emmy-nominated ESPN film, It’s Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins.
Gaines and his wife, Telisha, share four children, including Riley Gaines who is known for her outspoken stance on fairness in women’s sports – particularly in relation to transgender athletes competing in female divisions – after she was forced to compete against biological male Lia Thomas from the University of Pennsylvania in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships.
As the fifth Republican to enter the race for the 6th District so far, Gaines joins former U.S. congressman Van Hilleary, U.S. Army veteran Dale Braden, Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville), and businessman Joe Reid in seeking the GOP nomination for the congressional seat.
The general election for the 6th District will take place on November 3, 2026
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
