Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson is running for U.S. Senate in Tennessee as an Independent in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Whitson, a Chattanooga resident, qualified for the ballot by petition and filed Feb. 27, 2026, according to Tennessee Firefly. She said her campaign centers on "What Tennesseans Want" and that she is not beholden to any party, according to her campaign website.

The race includes Republican Bill Hagerty, Marquita Bradshaw, a Democrat, and seven other Independent candidates: Andrew Gerena, David Sutman Jr., James William Macon III, Jeremy Dean Hearn, Robert Jones, Tharon Chandler and Yoshi D. Matthews, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Full name: Catherine Barcel Whitson (goes by "Barcy")
  • Party: Independent
  • Residence: East Brainerd area of Chattanooga, where she said she and her husband, Randy, have lived for 40 years
  • Education: Whitson said she holds a bachelor of fine arts in dance and physical education with a minor in science

Experience and public service

Whitson described her professional background as including work as an insurance professional. She said she has also served as a life coach, pastor, prayer minister and mentor in volunteer and community roles, according to her campaign website.

Whitson has not held elected office.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Whitson's campaign website responses. They reflect the candidate's own statements.

Healthcare: Whitson said she supports maximizing cooperation across healthcare entities, improving accessibility, reducing prescription drug costs, protecting rural hospitals and promoting programs for veterans, senior citizens and those in need.

Education: Whitson said she supports boosting funding for public schools, expanding vocational training, promoting private and home schooling, finding ways to pay off student debt and making every school venue safe and secure.

Affordable housing: Whitson said she advocates for assistance for what she described as approximately 10,000 unhoused Tennesseans at present. She said she would partner with churches and businesses to create safe tiny house communities.

Transportation: Whitson said she supports building and promoting mass transit options connecting Tennessee cities and bringing back a bullet train initiative between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Agriculture: Whitson said she supports promoting farm-to-table accessibility, reducing reliance on over-processed food, protecting migrant workers' rights and implementing organic practices to keep soil, water and air safe.

Candidate responses were collected from Whitson's campaign website. The Duck River Sentinel did not interview the candidate. This profile is part of the outlet's 2026 election coverage and does not constitute an endorsement.