Rachel Hurley

Rachel Hurley graduated from Germantown High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis in 2017. Her career experience includes working as a writer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Rachel Hurley, and I'm running for Congress in Tennessee's 5th District because the people who drew this map are counting on you not to notice.

They redrew the district in a three-day special session in May 2026, split Memphis, and stretched it across 17 counties. They picked the district they wanted. Now they want the seat to go quietly.

I'm not a politician. I'm a Memphis writer who spent 30 years calling things what they are, and I'm not going to Washington to make friends or chase cable hits. The local fights come first - water, housing, healthcare, schools, and what it costs to stay in your own neighborhood.

I'll tell you the truth about what one member of Congress can actually do, and what they can't. When a problem belongs to the state or your city council, I'll say so instead of promising you something I can't deliver. And every dollar this campaign raises and spends goes on a public ledger anyone can read.

Two things drive this. Fixing a system built to protect the people already in it - term limits, a stock-trading ban, real limits on lobbying and money in politics. And the things that hit your kitchen table - your rent, your doctor, your kid's school, your town.

From Frayser to Lake County, this district deserves someone who shows up and levels with you.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I'll fight the rigged system from the inside. Term limits, a stock-trading ban, and real limits on lobbying and the money that runs Washington.

This district was drawn to be ignored. A three-day gerrymander split Memphis and stretched the seat across 17 counties, and I won't let it go quietly.

I take no corporate PAC money. This campaign runs on individual donors, and the public ledger proves it.This district was drawn to be ignored. Tennessee Republicans split Memphis in a three-day special session and stretched the seat across 17 counties, all the way into Middle Tennessee. They built a map they thought no one would fight. I'm fighting it.I want what most Democrats want. Healthcare people can afford, schools that work, housing you can actually pay for, and an economy that doesn't leave West Tennessee behind. I'm not here to reinvent the party. I'm here to fight for those things and tell you the truth about what it takes to get them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want what most Democrats want. Healthcare people can afford, schools that work, housing you can actually pay for, and an economy that doesn't leave West Tennessee behind. I'm not here to reinvent the party. I'm here to fight for those things and tell you the truth about what it takes to get them.