Scott DesJarlais

Scott Eugene DesJarlais (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician and physician serving as the U.S. representative for TN's 4th congressional district since 2011.

The district stretches across East and Middle Tennessee.

He is a member of the Republican Party.

DesJarlais was born in 1964 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Joe DesJarlais, a barber, and Sylvia, a registered nurse.

He grew up in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Over ten years he, his parents and his brother and sister built their own house in Sturgis; his parents still live there.

DesJarlais earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Psychology from the University of South Dakota in 1987 and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in 1991.

He moved to East Tennessee in 1993 to practice medicine as a generalist.

DesJarlais is an Episcopalian.

DesJarlais is a member of the Tea Party movement.

In 2009 he entered politics, filing papers to challenge Democratic incumbent Lincoln Davis, as well as Independents Paul H. Curtis, James Gray, Richard S. Johnson, and Gerald York.

Late in the 2010 race, the Washington newspaper Roll Call reported details of DesJarlais's 2001 divorce proceedings, which showed that his ex-wife accused him of harassment, intimidation and physical abuse.

The Davis campaign used the material in print and TV attack ads and told Roll Call that Fourth District voters "expect[ed] more than lip service about family values."

DesJarlais defeated Davis 57%–39%.

During his first term, DesJarlais represented a district that stretched almost diagonally across the state from coal-mining regions near Knoxville, the Tri-Cities and Chattanooga to the outer suburbs of Nashville.

By the 2012 election, the Fourth District had been significantly altered as a result of redistricting.

It lost all of its northeastern portion and was pushed west to take in suburban areas closer to Nashville, including Murfreesboro, previously the heart of the 6th district.

He had been reelected in 2012 with a reduced majority.

DesJarlais held his seat.

State senator Jim Tracy challenged DesJarlais in the primary.

At the end of June 2013, Tracy had raised nearly $750,000 (including over $300,000 in the second quarter of 2013) for his bid.

He raised an additional $150,000 in the fourth quarter and reported $840,000 cash on hand.

By contrast, at the end of September, DesJarlais reported $170,000 cash on hand.

DesJarlais won the primary by 38 votes.

Tracy decided not to challenge the results, despite citing irregularities.

The redrawn 4th contained about half of the constituents who resided in the former 4th district, with 14 of 24 counties moved elsewhere.

DesJarlais was challenged by Democratic nominee and state senator Eric Stewart.

For a time, it was thought that DesJarlais would face a primary challenge from state senator Bill Ketron, a Murfreesboro resident and the chairman of the state senate redistricting committee, but Ketron did not run.

DesJarlais defeated Stewart 56%–44%, joining all the other incumbent members of Tennessee congressional delegation in winning reelection.

In 2014 DesJarlais's seat was considered vulnerable, as controversy over the divorce record revelations returned to the fore.

In January 2016 Politico rated Tennessee's Fourth District one of the top five primary races to watch, and in March ranked DesJarlais one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the 2016 cycle; he was one of only two Tennessee incumbents to face serious challenge.

His primary opponents were attorney and conservative activist Grant Starrett, attorney and physician Yomi "Fapas" Faparusi and economic data specialist Erran Persley.

The Murfreesboro Post described Starrett as "running to the right of DesJarlais".

After winning the primary, DesJarlais beat Democrat Steven Reynolds in the general election by a margin of 30 points.

DesJarlais was again challenged in the primary, but won by 40 points.

He went on to win the general election by almost 30 points.

In 2020 DesJarlais defeated Republican primary challenger Doug Meyer, a veteran and former police officer.

Christopher Hale won the Democratic primary.

Hale describes himself as a "pro-life Democrat" and strongly criticized DesJarlais for having pressured his mistress to get an abortion.

In 2022 DesJarlais won re-election.