Tennessee › Shelby County › Tennessee House District 97
2 candidates are tracked for Tennessee House District 97 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Jesse Huseth and John Gillespie. Candidate information follows official Shelby County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
August 6 primary result: Jesse Huseth was unopposed for the Democratic nomination; John Gillespie was unopposed for the Republican nomination. They meet on the November 3 ballot, per the Tennessee Secretary of State's official primary results. Independent candidates certified for November, if any, are added at the Secretary of State's certification. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Democratic
Jesse Huseth is a Memphis small business owner who has volunteered for 11 years as a middle school assistant coach at White Station Middle School, per JustMyMemphis. He is the Democratic nominee for District 97.
Republican · Incumbent
John Gillespie is a native Memphian who worked in banking before moving into grant research and writing for Trezevant Manor, per the Tennessee House Republican Caucus. He serves on the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission Board of Directors and represents District 97.