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Republican · Tennessee House, district 97

Serving since Nov 3, 2020TN 2025–26 session

Portrait of John Gillespie, rendered as a two-tone print
Official portrait
1.7×
the State House Republican rate of policy discussion

54% of 545 statements discuss policy (296 statements); the average for State House Republicans is 32%. Ranks 82nd of 791, where 1st is the highest rate.

An AI model reads each of Gillespie’s posts on X and marks whether it discusses a specific policy. The rate is the share of statements marked; it is compared with the average among State House Republicans and ranked against the same group.

At a glance

6 measures against State House Republicans. 26% of Gillespie’s statements claim credit, 2.1 times the State House Republican average of 13%. Gillespie reported $177.8K in the 2026 cycle, in the top quarter of State House Republicans (median $33.7K).

The measures on which Gillespie sits furthest from the middle of State House Republicans, each against the same group, with the CSIP score when there is one. Every number is explained in its own section below.

Policy discussion

54%

State House Republicans average 32% · ranks 82nd of 791

Credit claiming

26%

State House Republicans average 13% · ranks 92nd of 791

Itemized, 2026

$177.8K

State House Republicans’ median $33.7K · ranks 280th of 2,521

Party unity

95.3%

Tennessee House average 96.3% · ranks 78th of 97 · 31 votes against the majority of Tennessee House Republicans

Out of committee

62%

Tennessee House average 71% · ranks 73rd of 97

CSIP ideology

+0.30

Right of 0, the centre of the scale · ± 0.04

Peer group: State House Republicans. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; the thick bar is Gillespie, the thin grey bar the peer average. The headline is the measure on which Gillespie is most unusual among peers (Methods, §08).

Back to topNext: What politicians say

What Gillespie says

Gillespie criticizes policies less than 61% of State House Republicans. Policy criticism in 4.2% of 545 statements, against 9.3% for the average State House Republican; 487th of 791.

An AI model reads each of Gillespie’s 545 statements in the TN 2025–26 session (545 posts on X) and marks the kinds of statement it contains: a personal attack, criticism of a policy, discussion of policy, bipartisanship, credit claiming, and extreme labels. A statement can carry several. Every rate is compared with the average for State House Republicans and ranked among them.

Kinds of statement

Share of statements carrying each label, the TN 2025–26 session

0%80%
Gillespie
Peers
Rank
Policy discussion296 statements
54%
32%
82nd of 791
Credit claiming144 statements
26%
13%
92nd of 791
Policy criticism23 statements
4%
9%
487th of 791
Bipartisanship13 statements
2%
2%
215th of 791
Personal attacks11 statements
2%
3%
302nd of 791
Show the data
Gillespie's share of statements in each category against the State House Republicans average.
RowGillespiePeers
Policy discussion54%32%
Credit claiming26%13%
Policy criticism4%9%
Bipartisanship2%2%
Personal attacks2%3%
545

statements classified

545 posts on X.

posts on X: 545 (100.0%)posts on X 545
Show the data
Gillespie's statements by source
PartValue
posts on X545
How to read the bars

The thick bar is Gillespie; the thin grey bar is the average State House Republicans. A longer thick bar means Gillespie does this more than peers. Rank 1 is the highest rate in the group.

Extreme labels

Gillespie used extreme labels in 0.7% of statements, below the peer average. 4 statements, most often aimed at crime; peers 1.4%.

  1. “far left”2
  2. “extreme”1
  3. “radical”1

Who gets the labels

Targets named alongside an extreme label, by number of statements

  1. crime1
  2. extremism1
  3. Far Left1
  4. Radical leaders1
  5. Shelby County1
What an extreme label is

Calls a politician, a party or a policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who or what the label was aimed at. The lists show the five most used labels and targets; the toggle shows the rest.

Month by month

Share of statements per month, the TN 2025–26 session

Statements2025-01: 132025-02: 192025-03: 242025-04: 272025-05: 262025-06: 212025-07: 222025-08: 312025-09: 272025-10: 542025-11: 282025-12: 182026-01: 132026-02: 232026-03: 282026-04: 252026-05: 162026-06: 292026-07: 312026-08: 242026-09: 302026-10: 16peak 54 · Oct ’25Personal attackspeak 9.3% · Oct ’25 · latest 0.0%Personal attacks, 2025-01: 0.0% of 13Personal attacks, 2025-02: 5.3% of 19Personal attacks, 2025-03: 0.0% of 24Personal attacks, 2025-04: 0.0% of 27Personal attacks, 2025-05: 0.0% of 26Personal attacks, 2025-06: 0.0% of 21Personal attacks, 2025-07: 0.0% of 22Personal attacks, 2025-08: 0.0% of 31Personal attacks, 2025-09: 0.0% of 27Personal attacks, 2025-10: 9.3% of 54Personal attacks, 2025-11: 0.0% of 28Personal attacks, 2025-12: 0.0% of 18Personal attacks, 2026-01: 0.0% of 13Personal attacks, 2026-02: 8.7% of 23Personal attacks, 2026-03: 3.6% of 28Personal attacks, 2026-04: 0.0% of 25Personal attacks, 2026-05: 6.3% of 16Personal attacks, 2026-06: 3.5% of 29Personal attacks, 2026-07: 0.0% of 31Personal attacks, 2026-08: 0.0% of 24Personal attacks, 2026-09: 0.0% of 30Personal attacks, 2026-10: 0.0% of 16Policy criticismpeak 13.0% · Oct ’25 · latest 0.0%Policy criticism, 2025-01: 7.7% of 13Policy criticism, 2025-02: 5.3% of 19Policy criticism, 2025-03: 0.0% of 24Policy criticism, 2025-04: 0.0% of 27Policy criticism, 2025-05: 7.7% of 26Policy criticism, 2025-06: 4.8% of 21Policy criticism, 2025-07: 0.0% of 22Policy criticism, 2025-08: 9.7% of 31Policy criticism, 2025-09: 7.4% of 27Policy criticism, 2025-10: 13.0% of 54Policy criticism, 2025-11: 3.6% of 28Policy criticism, 2025-12: 5.6% of 18Policy criticism, 2026-01: 0.0% of 13Policy criticism, 2026-02: 0.0% of 23Policy criticism, 2026-03: 0.0% of 28Policy criticism, 2026-04: 0.0% of 25Policy criticism, 2026-05: 0.0% of 16Policy criticism, 2026-06: 0.0% of 29Policy criticism, 2026-07: 9.7% of 31Policy criticism, 2026-08: 4.2% of 24Policy criticism, 2026-09: 0.0% of 30Policy criticism, 2026-10: 0.0% of 16Policy discussionpeak 87.5% · Aug ’26 · latest 81.3%Policy discussion, 2025-01: 46.2% of 13Policy discussion, 2025-02: 42.1% of 19Policy discussion, 2025-03: 37.5% of 24Policy discussion, 2025-04: 44.4% of 27Policy discussion, 2025-05: 53.8% of 26Policy discussion, 2025-06: 52.4% of 21Policy discussion, 2025-07: 45.5% of 22Policy discussion, 2025-08: 54.8% of 31Policy discussion, 2025-09: 37.0% of 27Policy discussion, 2025-10: 57.4% of 54Policy discussion, 2025-11: 50.0% of 28Policy discussion, 2025-12: 50.0% of 18Policy discussion, 2026-01: 76.9% of 13Policy discussion, 2026-02: 34.8% of 23Policy discussion, 2026-03: 32.1% of 28Policy discussion, 2026-04: 52.0% of 25Policy discussion, 2026-05: 68.8% of 16Policy discussion, 2026-06: 37.9% of 29Policy discussion, 2026-07: 80.7% of 31Policy discussion, 2026-08: 87.5% of 24Policy discussion, 2026-09: 80.0% of 30Policy discussion, 2026-10: 81.3% of 16Bipartisanshippeak 9.3% · Oct ’25 · latest 6.3%Bipartisanship, 2025-01: 0.0% of 13Bipartisanship, 2025-02: 0.0% of 19Bipartisanship, 2025-03: 0.0% of 24Bipartisanship, 2025-04: 0.0% of 27Bipartisanship, 2025-05: 0.0% of 26Bipartisanship, 2025-06: 0.0% of 21Bipartisanship, 2025-07: 0.0% of 22Bipartisanship, 2025-08: 3.2% of 31Bipartisanship, 2025-09: 7.4% of 27Bipartisanship, 2025-10: 9.3% of 54Bipartisanship, 2025-11: 3.6% of 28Bipartisanship, 2025-12: 5.6% of 18Bipartisanship, 2026-01: 0.0% of 13Bipartisanship, 2026-02: 4.3% of 23Bipartisanship, 2026-03: 0.0% of 28Bipartisanship, 2026-04: 0.0% of 25Bipartisanship, 2026-05: 6.3% of 16Bipartisanship, 2026-06: 0.0% of 29Bipartisanship, 2026-07: 0.0% of 31Bipartisanship, 2026-08: 0.0% of 24Bipartisanship, 2026-09: 0.0% of 30Bipartisanship, 2026-10: 6.3% of 16Credit claimingpeak 56.3% · May ’26 · latest 43.8%Credit claiming, 2025-01: 30.8% of 13Credit claiming, 2025-02: 26.3% of 19Credit claiming, 2025-03: 12.5% of 24Credit claiming, 2025-04: 25.9% of 27Credit claiming, 2025-05: 23.1% of 26Credit claiming, 2025-06: 23.8% of 21Credit claiming, 2025-07: 18.2% of 22Credit claiming, 2025-08: 25.8% of 31Credit claiming, 2025-09: 14.8% of 27Credit claiming, 2025-10: 22.2% of 54Credit claiming, 2025-11: 21.4% of 28Credit claiming, 2025-12: 16.7% of 18Credit claiming, 2026-01: 23.1% of 13Credit claiming, 2026-02: 8.7% of 23Credit claiming, 2026-03: 17.9% of 28Credit claiming, 2026-04: 24.0% of 25Credit claiming, 2026-05: 56.3% of 16Credit claiming, 2026-06: 31.0% of 29Credit claiming, 2026-07: 35.5% of 31Credit claiming, 2026-08: 41.7% of 24Credit claiming, 2026-09: 50.0% of 30Credit claiming, 2026-10: 43.8% of 16Extreme labelspeak 3.6% · Nov ’25 · latest 0.0%Extreme labels, 2025-01: 0.0% of 13Extreme labels, 2025-02: 0.0% of 19Extreme labels, 2025-03: 0.0% of 24Extreme labels, 2025-04: 0.0% of 27Extreme labels, 2025-05: 0.0% of 26Extreme labels, 2025-06: 0.0% of 21Extreme labels, 2025-07: 0.0% of 22Extreme labels, 2025-08: 3.2% of 31Extreme labels, 2025-09: 0.0% of 27Extreme labels, 2025-10: 1.8% of 54Extreme labels, 2025-11: 3.6% of 28Extreme labels, 2025-12: 0.0% of 18Extreme labels, 2026-01: 0.0% of 13Extreme labels, 2026-02: 0.0% of 23Extreme labels, 2026-03: 0.0% of 28Extreme labels, 2026-04: 0.0% of 25Extreme labels, 2026-05: 0.0% of 16Extreme labels, 2026-06: 0.0% of 29Extreme labels, 2026-07: 0.0% of 31Extreme labels, 2026-08: 0.0% of 24Extreme labels, 2026-09: 3.3% of 30Extreme labels, 2026-10: 0.0% of 16Jan ’25Jul ’25Jan ’26Jul ’26Oct ’26
Show the data
Monthly rates for Gillespie, each row shaded against its own peak, with statement volume. Months with fewer than 10 statements are left blank.
ColumnStatementsPersonal attacksPolicy criticismPolicy discussionBipartisanshipCredit claimingExtreme labels
Jan ’25130.0%7.7%46.2%0.0%30.8%0.0%
Feb ’25195.3%5.3%42.1%0.0%26.3%0.0%
Mar ’25240.0%0.0%37.5%0.0%12.5%0.0%
Apr ’25270.0%0.0%44.4%0.0%25.9%0.0%
May ’25260.0%7.7%53.8%0.0%23.1%0.0%
Jun ’25210.0%4.8%52.4%0.0%23.8%0.0%
Jul ’25220.0%0.0%45.5%0.0%18.2%0.0%
Aug ’25310.0%9.7%54.8%3.2%25.8%3.2%
Sep ’25270.0%7.4%37.0%7.4%14.8%0.0%
Oct ’25549.3%13.0%57.4%9.3%22.2%1.8%
Nov ’25280.0%3.6%50.0%3.6%21.4%3.6%
Dec ’25180.0%5.6%50.0%5.6%16.7%0.0%
Jan ’26130.0%0.0%76.9%0.0%23.1%0.0%
Feb ’26238.7%0.0%34.8%4.3%8.7%0.0%
Mar ’26283.6%0.0%32.1%0.0%17.9%0.0%
Apr ’26250.0%0.0%52.0%0.0%24.0%0.0%
May ’26166.3%0.0%68.8%6.3%56.3%0.0%
Jun ’26293.5%0.0%37.9%0.0%31.0%0.0%
Jul ’26310.0%9.7%80.7%0.0%35.5%0.0%
Aug ’26240.0%4.2%87.5%0.0%41.7%0.0%
Sep ’26300.0%0.0%80.0%0.0%50.0%3.3%
Oct ’26160.0%0.0%81.3%6.3%43.8%0.0%
How to read the strips

Each row is one kind of statement; each cell is a month, shaded against that row’s own peak (darker = closer to the peak), with the peak and the latest value written at the right. The top row counts statements. The strip covers every month of the TN 2025–26 session, the same span as the rates above, including months with no statements. A month with fewer than 10 statements is hatched, not shaded: one or two posts would swing its rate to 0% or 100%.

In Gillespie’s words

Real statements from the classifier’s example set, with the labels it assigned

Credit claiming

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Oct 17, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; bipartisanship; credit claiming; Crime and Law Enforcement; Government Operations and Politics · Source

Policy criticism

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Aug 24, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy criticism; policy discussion; Crime and Law Enforcement · Source

Extreme label

The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

Sep 23, 2026 · Posts on X (state legislators) · policy discussion; credit claiming; Crime and Law Enforcement; extreme label “far left” aimed at Far Left · Source

Examples by category

Up to five recent statements in each category

Category

Overtly questions a named person’s character, integrity or loyalty, or calls them names. Criticising a record or a policy does not count.

  1. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: Tami SawyerSource

  2. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · policy discussion · credit claiming · Crime and Law Enforcement · target: Steve MulroySource

  3. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: Rep JeffriesSource

  4. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: Wanda HalbertSource

  5. Posts on X (state legislators)

    The text of this post is on X; follow the source link to read it.

    personal attacks · target: VoteGloriaJSource

All 545 statements

Newest first, the TN 2025–26 session

The full feed

Five statements at a time, newest first; filters apply to the statements loaded so far. Export saves the statements that match. Sources: 545 posts on X.

Back to topNext: Policy

Policy

Crime and Law Enforcement is what Gillespie talks about most: 43% of policy statements, 3.9 times the peer share. Talk and legislation agree at 0.47 on a 0–1 scale (State House Republicans average 0.53; 368th of 504).

Each policy statement is tagged by the AI model with one or more of 25 policy areas from the Congressional Research Service list, so the shares say what Gillespie talks about. The bills Gillespie sponsors and cosponsors carry the same areas, so the two can be compared.

What Gillespie talks about

Share of policy statements by area, the TN 2025–26 session

0%50%
Gillespie
Peers
Crime and Law Enforcement126 statements
43%
11%
Education37 statements
13%
15%
Economics and Public Finance33 statements
11%
12%
Armed Forces and National Security31 statements
10%
5%
Health25 statements
8%
10%
Show the data
Policy areas Gillespie talks about, as a share of policy statements, against the State House Republicans average.
RowGillespiePeers
Crime and Law Enforcement43%11%
Education13%15%
Economics and Public Finance11%12%
Armed Forces and National Security10%5%
Health8%10%
How to read the bars

The thick bar is the share of Gillespie’s policy statements in an area; the thin grey bar is the average share for State House Republicans. A statement counts once in each of its areas, so shares can add to more than 100%. The five largest areas are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

Talks about · legislates on

Left: share of statements by policy area. Right: share of bills. Areas in order of their share of statements; both sides run from 0 to 50%. Grey ticks are the State House Republicans averages.

Talks aboutLegislates onCrime and Law EnforcementCrime and Law Enforcement, talks about: 43% (State House Republicans 11%)43%Crime and Law Enforcement, legislates on: 45% (State House Republicans 11%)45%EducationEducation, talks about: 13% (State House Republicans 15%)13%Education, legislates on: 0% (State House Republicans 9%)0%Economics and Public FinanceEconomics and Public Finance, talks about: 11% (State House Republicans 12%)11%Economics and Public Finance, legislates on: 0% (State House Republicans 2%)0%Armed Forces and NationalSecurityArmed Forces and National Security, talks about: 10% (State House Republicans 5%)10%Armed Forces and National Security, legislates on: 5% (State House Republicans 2%)5%HealthHealth, talks about: 8% (State House Republicans 10%)8%Health, legislates on: 5% (State House Republicans 10%)5%
Show the data
Gillespie's share of statements against share of bills in each policy area.
AreaTalks aboutState House Republicans, talks aboutLegislates onState House Republicans, legislates on
Crime and Law Enforcement43%11%45%11%
Education13%15%0%9%
Economics and Public Finance11%12%0%2%
Armed Forces and National Security10%5%5%2%
Health8%10%5%10%
0.47

talk-to-bills agreement, 0 to 1

State House Republicans average 0.53. Ranks 368th of 504.

What agreement means, and what it doesn’t

Agreement is 1 minus the distance between the two distributions (Jensen–Shannon): 1 means Gillespie legislates on exactly the areas Gillespie talks about, in the same proportions; 0 means no overlap. It does not say whether the bills match the positions in the statements, only the subjects. Bills Gillespie sponsored count fully, cosponsored bills a quarter. Shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.

Back to topNext: Ideology

Ideology

Gillespie sits at +0.30 on the CSIP scale, right of 0, more liberal than 60% of State House Republicans. Approximate range +0.26 to +0.33, which understates the uncertainty; from 283 donors and 747 roll calls.

CSIP, the lab’s Common-Space Ideal Point, places every official, federal and state, on one left–right scale, estimated from roll-call votes, who gives money to whom, and the text of statements. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it; 0 is the centre of the scale, not a definition of “moderate”.

+0.30

CSIP ideal point

Approximate range +0.26 to +0.33. From 283 donors and 747 roll calls. Run 2026-10-25T215945. Blue is left of 0, red right of 0.

← More liberalMore conservative →0Gillespie +0.3State House Republicans +0.4Tennessee House +0.4All State House +0.1

The outlined dot is Gillespie, coloured by its side of 0 (blue left, red right, deeper further out); the bar through it is the approximate range (±1.96 standard errors), which understates the uncertainty; the grey ticks below are the medians of Gillespie’s groups. 0 is the centre of the scale, not “moderate” by definition.

What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score summarises how an official votes, who funds them and how they talk, relative to everyone else. It does not grade positions as good or bad, and two officials with the same score can differ on any single issue. The ± range is 1.96 standard errors, which understates the uncertainty: scores whose ranges overlap may not differ at all, and even scores whose ranges do not overlap may not differ.

Where Gillespie sits

Every official in each group, on the CSIP scale

−2.0−1.00.0+1.0+2.0← More liberalMore conservative →State House Republicansmedian +0.4Gillespie +0.3Tennessee Housemedian +0.4All State Housemedian +0.1
Show the data
Gillespie's CSIP score of +0.30 placed against State House Republicans, Tennessee House, All State House.
GroupOfficialsMedianShare left of Gillespie
State House Republicans2917+0.440%
Tennessee House97+0.432%
All State House5324+0.167%
How to read the strips

Every small dot is one official on the same scale, coloured by its own score (blue left of 0, red right of 0, grey at 0, deeper further out) and spread up and down only to keep dots apart; where a group is crowded the dots overlap, and darker patches mean more officials. The large outlined dot is Gillespie in every row; the rule is each group’s median. The table under the figure gives the share of each group to the left of Gillespie.

Back to topNext: Money

Money

Gillespie reported $177.8K in the 2026 cycle, 5.3 times the State House Republicans’ median of $33.7K. State filings report no small-donation total. 97% of itemized individual money came from Tennessee.

Campaign money from state campaign-finance filings, as aggregates only; the lab never shows an individual donor. Campaigns must report by name every person who gives them more than $200 in a cycle (“itemized”); smaller gifts are reported only as one total (“unitemized”), so donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations describe itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift total, so these figures add up itemized contributions only.

Election cycle
$177.8K

itemized in the 2026 cycle

From 73 itemized donors. State House Republicans’ median $33.7K.

Where the money came from

Each square is one percent of itemized contributions in the 2026 cycle.

Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)Individuals (itemized): $103.8K (58.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)PACs and other committees: $73.5K (41.4%)
  • Individuals (itemized)59 squares$103.8K
  • PACs and other committees41 squares$73.5K
  • Party committees$500
Show the data
Sources of Gillespie's money, 2026 cycle, one square per percent
SourceAmountShare
Individuals (itemized)$103.8K58.4%
PACs and other committees$73.5K41.4%
Party committees$5000.3%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

Totals say how much a campaign took in, not how it was spent, and they rise sharply when a seat is up for election; compare cycles with that in mind.

Receipts by cycle

Itemized contributions, 2020 to 2026. The grey line is the State House Republicans’ median for 2026.

2020 cycle: $188.8K$188.8K20202022 cycle: $196.9K$196.9K20222024 cycle: $279.6K$279.6K20242026 cycle: $177.8K$177.8K2026State House Republicans median $33.7K
Show the data
Gillespie's receipts by cycle against the 2026 State House Republicans median.
ItemValue
2020 cycle$188.8K
2022 cycle$196.9K
2024 cycle$279.6K
2026 cycle$177.8K

Top donor states, 2026

Itemized contributions by donor state. 97% came from Tennessee.

  1. Tennessee$100.4K
  2. Colorado$3,400

Small donations

State filings report no total for small gifts.

Not reported in state filings.

Where itemized donors live

Individuals who gave more than $200, by donor state

Alaska: no dataAKMaine: no dataMEVermont: no dataVTNew Hampshire: no dataNHWashington: no dataWAIdaho: no dataIDMontana: no dataMTNorth Dakota: no dataNDMinnesota: no dataMNIllinois: no dataILWisconsin: no dataWIMichigan: no dataMINew York: no dataNYRhode Island: no dataRIMassachusetts: no dataMAOregon: no dataORNevada: no dataNVWyoming: no dataWYSouth Dakota: no dataSDIowa: no dataIAIndiana: no dataINOhio: no dataOHPennsylvania: no dataPANew Jersey: no dataNJConnecticut: no dataCTCalifornia: no dataCAUtah: no dataUTColorado: $3,400CONebraska: no dataNEMissouri: no dataMOKentucky: no dataKYWest Virginia: no dataWVVirginia: no dataVAMaryland: no dataMDDelaware: no dataDEArizona: no dataAZNew Mexico: no dataNMKansas: no dataKSArkansas: no dataARTennessee: $100.4KTNNorth Carolina: no dataNCSouth Carolina: no dataSCDistrict of Columbia: no dataDCOklahoma: no dataOKLouisiana: no dataLAMississippi: no dataMSAlabama: no dataALGeorgia: no dataGAHawaii: no dataHITexas: no dataTXFlorida: no dataFL
Show the data
Gillespie's itemized individual contributions by donor state, 2026 cycle
StateValue
Tennessee$100.4K
Colorado$3,400
AlaskaNo data
MaineNo data
VermontNo data
New HampshireNo data
WashingtonNo data
IdahoNo data
MontanaNo data
North DakotaNo data
MinnesotaNo data
IllinoisNo data
WisconsinNo data
MichiganNo data
New YorkNo data
Rhode IslandNo data
MassachusettsNo data
OregonNo data
NevadaNo data
WyomingNo data
South DakotaNo data
IowaNo data
IndianaNo data
OhioNo data
PennsylvaniaNo data
New JerseyNo data
ConnecticutNo data
CaliforniaNo data
UtahNo data
NebraskaNo data
MissouriNo data
KentuckyNo data
West VirginiaNo data
VirginiaNo data
MarylandNo data
DelawareNo data
ArizonaNo data
New MexicoNo data
KansasNo data
ArkansasNo data
North CarolinaNo data
South CarolinaNo data
District of ColumbiaNo data
OklahomaNo data
LouisianaNo data
MississippiNo data
AlabamaNo data
GeorgiaNo data
HawaiiNo data
TexasNo data
FloridaNo data
73

itemized donors

People who gave more than $200

97%

from Tennessee

Of itemized individual dollars

How to read the map

Every state the same size. Darker states gave more itemized money; hatched states had no itemized donors; the outlined state is Tennessee. Gifts of $200 or less carry no address and are left out.

Top donor occupations

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. RETIRED$15.2K 11 donors
  2. HOMEMAKER$13.3K 4 donors
  3. PRESIDENT$13.2K 9 donors
  4. ATTORNEY$10.3K 8 donors
  5. CEO$7,400 5 donors

Top committees

PAC and committee contributions, 2026 cycle.

  1. LAMBERTH PAC$5,000
  2. TENNESSEE MORTGAGE BANKERS PAC$3,500
  3. CAM PAC$2,500
  4. FRIENDS OF THA$2,500
  5. MEMPHIS FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION PAC$2,500

Top employers

Itemized, 2026 cycle.

  1. CITY OF MEMPHIS$4,950 4 donors

Aggregates only. Individual donors are never named.

Back to topNext: Votes

Votes

Gillespie voted with the majority of Tennessee House Republicans on 95.3% of party-line votes and missed 0.1% of 3,839 roll calls. Tennessee House on average: 96.3% party unity, 99.1% attendance. Across all roll calls, Gillespie voted against the majority of Tennessee House Republicans 31 times.

3,839 roll calls Gillespie could vote on in the TN 2025–26 session, compared with Tennessee House. Attendance is the share with a vote recorded. Party unity counts only party-line roll calls, where most Democrats and most Republicans voted on opposite sides, and is the share of those where Gillespie voted with the majority of Tennessee House Republicans. The count of votes against that majority covers every roll call where the majority took a side.

31

votes against the majority of Tennessee House Republicans

Party unity 95.3%, Tennessee House average 96.3%, ranks 78th of 97. 3,839 roll calls in the TN 2025–26 session.

Attendance and party unity

The thick bar is Gillespie, the thin grey bar the Tennessee House average. The scale runs from 80% to 100% to show the gap.

80%100%
Gillespie
Peers
Rank
Attendance
99.9%
99.1%
42nd of 97
Party unity
95.3%
96.3%
78th of 97
Show the data
Gillespie's attendance and party unity against Tennessee House.
RowGillespiePeers
Attendance99.9%99.1%
Party unity95.3%96.3%
What this means, and what it doesn’t

A missed roll call has many causes, from illness to campaigning, so attendance says how often, not why. A vote against the majority can be on procedure as well as substance, and many fall on roll calls where both parties split; the key votes below show the ones that decided something.

Key votes

25 roll calls the lab flagged as key in the TN 2025–26 session

Key votes
Party split (yea–nay)Why it’s key
Apr 23, 2026
HB 2111
Correctional Programs - As enacted, creates the state families of incarcerated individuals advisory board within the department of correction for the purposes of assisting the families of incarcerated individuals. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 41.
FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR 2 CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 4 4/23/2026 Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 19–0 · R 75–0Democrats 19 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 75 yea, 0 naybecame law
Apr 23, 2026
SJR 1240
Memorials, Interns - Aaron Sullivan -
FLOOR VOTE: CONSENT CALENDAR 3 PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/23/2026 Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 18–0 · R 71–0Democrats 18 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 71 yea, 0 naybecame law
Apr 23, 2026
SB 1849
Local Government, General - As enacted, enacts the "Essential Governmental Employee Housing Act of 2026"; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 12 and Title 67.
FLOOR VOTE: PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/23/2026 Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 20–0 · R 72–1Democrats 20 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 72 yea, 1 naybecame law
Apr 23, 2026
HJR 1657
Memorials, Academic Achievement - Dahee Yoon, Salutatorian, Cookeville High School -
FLOOR VOTE: CONSENT CALENDAR 2 PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/23/2026 Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 18–0 · R 71–0Democrats 18 yea, 0 nay; Republicans 71 yea, 0 naybecame law
Apr 23, 2026
HB 1707
Immigration - As enacted, requires, until February 1, 2029, each court to cooperate with the U.S. department of homeland security and federal immigration authorities acting in the enforcement of federal immigration law; authorizes, until February 1, 2029, a judge who obstructs lawful operations by s
FLOOR VOTE: MOTION TO ADOPT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT 4/23/2026 Passed
YeaWith majoritypassD 1–16 · R 71–1Democrats 1 yea, 16 nay; Republicans 71 yea, 1 naybecame law
How key votes are chosen

Automatically: a final-passage or override vote where the measure became law, the margin was under 10%, at least 10% of either party voted against its majority, or the bill was among the 25 most mentioned in officials’ own statements. Up to 25 per window, most recent first; five are shown. Bars show yea on the left, nay on the right, per party.

Votes most often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Gillespie most often

  1. Jeff BurkhartR1,659 shared votes99%
  2. Cameron SextonR3,642 shared votes99%
  3. Dawn WhiteR3,574 shared votes99%
  4. Rick EldridgeR3,790 shared votes99%
  5. Dan HowellR3,812 shared votes99%

Votes least often with

The colleagues who voted the same way as Gillespie least often

  1. Justin PearsonD1,863 shared votes75%
  2. Gabby SalinasD3,072 shared votes81%
  3. Justin JonesD3,199 shared votes84%
  4. Shaundelle BrooksD3,649 shared votes84%
  5. Jason PowellD3,488 shared votes85%
How to read the agreement lists

The share of roll calls both members voted on where they voted the same way, among colleagues sharing at least 50 such votes. High agreement with members of the other party is common on routine votes.

Full voting record

TN 2025–26 session, loads in batches

Back to topNext: Legislation

Legislation

Gillespie sponsored 21 bills in the TN 2025–26 session; 2 became law. Cosponsored 0 others. 62% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Tennessee House average 71%; 73rd of 97).

The bills Gillespie sponsored and cosponsored in the TN 2025–26 session, from the official bill records, and how far each got: introduced, referred to or acted on in committee, passed one chamber, passed both, became law. A bill counts at every stage it has reached, so the blocks only shrink to the right.

Bills by stage

Counts for the TN 2025–26 session

Sponsored21 billsSponsored, Introduced: 2121Sponsored, In committee: 2020Sponsored, Passed one chamber: 44Sponsored, Passed both chambers: 22Sponsored, Became law: 22Cosponsored0 billsCosponsored, Introduced: 00Cosponsored, In committee: 00Cosponsored, Passed one chamber: 00Cosponsored, Passed both chambers: 00Cosponsored, Became law: 00IntroducedIncommitteePassed onechamberPassed bothchambersBecamelaw
Show the data
Bills Gillespie sponsored and cosponsored, by furthest stage reached
RoleIntroducedIn committeePassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law
Sponsored2120422
Cosponsored00000
How to read the blocks

Ink blocks are bills Gillespie sponsored, ochre blocks bills Gillespie cosponsored; the figure above each block is the count. Most bills in any legislature never leave committee, so a short staircase is the norm.

62%

of sponsored bills got out of committee

Tennessee House average 71%. Ranks 73rd of 97.

Cosponsorship partners

Colleagues who most often cosponsor with Gillespie, by number of shared bills in the TN 2025–26 session; the square shows their party.

No cosponsorship ties in this window.

What this means, and what it doesn’t

The score is the share of sponsored bills that a committee reported out or a chamber passed, with at least 5 sponsored bills, ranked within the peer group. Members of the majority party and committee chairs move more bills, so the rank reflects position in the chamber as well as effort. Cosponsorship partners are the five colleagues who share the most of Gillespie’s bills; the toggle shows more.

Bill list

Sponsored and cosponsored, with status and policy area; five are shown, the toggle shows the rest

Bills sponsored and cosponsored
HB 2563Public Defenders - As introduced, changes from 10 days to 10 business days the number of days' written notice the president of the district public defenders conference must give before calling an at-will meeting of the conference. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4.SponsorFeb 3, 2026In committeeGovernment Operations and Politics(model)Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Apr 1, 2026
HB 2497Civil Emergencies - As introduced, requires state agencies charged with responsibilities in connection with healthcare facilities to study emergency mitigation at the direction of the governor as part of the state and local comprehensive emergency management plans. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; TitSponsorFeb 3, 2026IntroducedEmergency Management(model)P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt. Feb 5, 2026
HB 2225Consumer Protection - As introduced, authorizes the attorney general to establish a do not call registry; places certain restrictions upon telephone solicitations and robocallers; authorizes the attorney general to enforce restrictions and sets monetary amounts for penalties imposed by a court that SponsorFeb 2, 2026In committeeCommerce(model)Taken off notice for cal in s/c Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee of Commerce Committee Mar 11, 2026
HB 2318General Assembly - As enacted, revises and clarifies procedures of the joint committee on ways and means, including authorizing the committee to issue notice that a hearing will not be held or to hold a hearing to review the application or acceptance of federal aid in an amount that is less than $25SponsorFeb 2, 2026Passed one chamberGovernment Operations and Politics(model)Comp. became Pub. Ch. 801 May 1, 2026
HB 1483Tort Liability and Reform - As introduced, creates a cause of action through which a victim can recover from a person, other than a professional bondsman or person with a bailable interest, who posts bail for a defendant and the defendant is subsequently convicted for a criminal offense that occurreSponsorJan 8, 2026In committeeLaw(model)Withdrawn. Feb 2, 2026

Back to topNext: Online

Online

A site that changed 1 time in 90 days. Gillespie’s official site had 1 page when last crawled on Oct 1, 2026.

The lab crawls Gillespie’s official and campaign websites (weekly for Congress, monthly for the states) and keeps every page’s text, so changes can be read later; it also records social accounts and describes the images Gillespie posts with a vision model.

Websites

How to read the counts

“Pages crawled” is the size of the site at the last crawl; “changes in 90 days” counts pages whose text differed from the previous crawl. Sites change for many routine reasons, such as new press releases, so a high count is not by itself notable.

Images Gillespie posted

No images from Gillespie’s posts have been described.

About the descriptions

Written by a vision model and may be wrong. Open the post to see the original. Five are shown; the toggle shows the rest.

State floor speeches

No transcribed state floor speeches are matched to this legislator yet.

Floor speeches

Transcribed from chamber video or captions by the lab. They are not classified for kinds of statement.

Back to topNext: Methods and sources

Methods and sources

How this page was made. Profile built Oct 28, 2026; site last built Oct 28, 2026. Every number on the page is computed from the sources listed here, by the same rules for every official; nothing is written by hand.

The headline

The headline is the measure on which Gillespie is most unusual among State House Republicans, chosen by one rule for every official of every party. The candidates are the rate of each kind of statement and of extreme labels, party unity, attendance, the small-donor share, the in-state share and total receipts of the latest cycle, the share of sponsored bills that got out of committee, talk-to-bills agreement, and the CSIP score’s place within the party group.

The builder ranks every measure within the same peer group the page compares it with, and writes each official’s percentile: the share of the group below the value, ties counting half, so 0.5 is the median and a value shared by many never ranks first. A measure’s score is how far that percentile sits from the median (0 in the middle, 0.5 at either end), and the highest score leads if it is above 0.25, outside the middle half of the group. Scores within 0.03 of each other are a tie, broken in this order: votes against the party majority, kinds of statement, ideology, roll calls missed, small donations, in-state money, legislation, agreement, extreme labels, receipts.

A measure counts only with at least 200 statements, 100 roll calls or 5 sponsored bills behind it and a peer group of at least 10. Two things never lead: high party unity or attendance, where most members sit, and a high rate of a kind of statement backed by fewer than 10 statements. When nothing qualifies, the headline is a neutral fact instead: statements classified, or years in office. The wording always names the direction (“in the bottom 5% of …”, “votes against the majority of …”).

Identifiers

Profile id
927edca0-8b67-40c6-b786-4cbfac5b344f
Open States
ocd-person/927edca0-8b67-40c6-b786-4cbfac5b344f

Bulk files with the same data for every official:

Freshness of this profile’s data

  • What politicians sayOct 27, 20261 days agoMembers of Congress: tweets since 2017; press releases, newsletters and floor speeches since 2022. State legislators: tweets since May 2024. Governors: tweets since January 2025. Labels from an LLM classifier.
  • Roll calls (state)Oct 21, 20267 days agoOpen States floor roll calls, 2019 on (none for AK and MO).
  • Bills (state)Oct 28, 2026todayOpen States bills and sponsors, 2019 on; stages from roll calls.
  • Campaign money (state)no dateState campaign-finance agencies, 2019 on; aggregates only.
  • Ideology (CSIP)Oct 25, 20263 days agoCommon-Space Ideal Points (CSIP), current validated run.
  • WebsitesOct 25, 20263 days agoWeekly crawls of federal sites since April 2026; monthly state crawls since June 2026.
  • State floor speechesOct 21, 20267 days agoState floor speech turns (published transcripts and captions), 2020 on; not LLM-classified.

How the measures work

What politicians say
Every post, press release, newsletter and congressional floor speech is read by a language model and marked for personal attacks, policy criticism, policy discussion, bipartisanship and credit claiming. A statement can be in several. Rates are shares of statements in the window. The methods paper.
Extreme labels
A statement has an extreme label when it calls a politician, party or policy “far left”, “far right”, “MAGA”, “extreme”, “radical”, “woke”, “fascist” or “communist”. The target is who the label is aimed at.
Policy areas and agreement
Statements and bills share 25 Congressional Research Service policy areas (state bills are assigned by a language model). Agreement is 1 − Jensen–Shannon distance between the two distributions, shown with at least 20 policy statements and 5 bills.
Ideology (CSIP)
Common-Space Ideal Points place federal and state officials on one left–right scale, estimated jointly from roll calls, campaign contributions and the text of statements, with standard errors. Only a validated run is shown. The methods paper.
Campaign money
Campaigns report by name only donors who give more than $200 in a cycle; smaller gifts are reported as one total. Federal totals and the small-donor share come from the FEC’s financial summaries of each campaign committee. Donor counts, donor states, employers and occupations cover itemized donors only. State filings report no small-gift totals, so state figures are itemized only. The lab never publishes donor names.
Votes and key votes
Attendance, party unity and the count of votes against the majority of an official’s own party come from roll calls (Voteview for Congress, chamber records for the states). Key votes are final-passage or override votes that became law, were decided by under 10%, saw at least 10% of a party vote against its majority, or concerned one of the 25 bills most mentioned in officials’ statements.
Peers and ranks
Comparisons are with the same party, chamber and level (for example House Democrats); state legislators are compared within their state and chamber for votes. Every comparison names its group. Rank 1 is the highest value in the group; tied values share the average of their ranks, and the percentile is the share of the group below the value, ties counting half.

America’s Political Pulse · Polarization Research Lab

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