James William Macon III is running as an independent for the U.S. Senate seat representing Tennessee in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Macon, who describes himself as a business leader and problem-solver rather than a career politician, is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data. The field includes Bill Hagerty, a Republican; Marquita Bradshaw, a Democrat; and several other independents: Andrew Gerena, Catherine Barcel Whitson, David Sutman Jr., Jeremy Dean Hearn, Robert Jones, Tharon Chandler and Yoshi D. Matthews.
Candidate information
- Name: James William Macon III
- Party: Independent
- Office sought: U.S. Senate, Tennessee
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Experience and public service
According to BallotReady profile data, Macon has held roles across media, retail and medical-device industries. He worked at CBS News/WBBM Chicago from 2000 to 2001 and as a network video editor at CNN from 2002 to 2004. He served as operations manager at Williams Sonoma from 2006 to 2012.
More recently, Macon moved into medical-device procurement. He served as director of indirect sourcing at Wright Medical from 2019 to 2020 and as director of indirect procurement at Stryker Careers from 2020 to the present. He also lists experience at Medtronic, according to his Civoren candidate response, though no title or dates were provided.
In that response, Macon said he has spent more than two decades managing billion-dollar budgets and leading complex organizations. That claim could not be independently verified.
On the issues
Campaign finance: Macon said he does not accept contributions or donations from anyone. He said he believes elected officials should spend more time listening to citizens than fundraising.
Campaign platform: Macon said his campaign focuses on restoring accountability, strengthening oversight and checks and balances, and improving education and healthcare outcomes. He also listed supporting economic growth, protecting homeownership, strengthening agriculture, reducing poverty and pursuing long-term fiscal responsibility.
Candidate positions and biographical details are drawn from Macon's Civoren questionnaire response and BallotReady profile data. Voters can find more information on the Civoren candidate page linked above.
