Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson is running as an Independent for U.S. Senate in Tennessee's Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Whitson, a Chattanooga resident, qualified for the ballot by petition, filing Feb. 27, 2026, according to Tennessee Firefly.
She has no party affiliation. 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, Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw 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
- Nickname: Barcy (short for her middle name, Barcel)
- Party: Independent
- Residence: East Brainerd area of Chattanooga, where she said she and her husband, Randy, have lived for 40 years
- Education: Bachelor of fine arts in dance and physical education, with a minor in science, according to her campaign website
Experience and public service
Whitson described her background as including work as an insurance professional. She also said she has served as a life coach, pastor, prayer minister and mentor in volunteer and community roles, according to her campaign biography.
Whitson's campaign materials do not list any prior elected or appointed office.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Whitson's campaign website responses. Each reflects the candidate's own stated platform.
Healthcare: Whitson said she supports maximizing cooperation across healthcare entities, improving accessibility, reducing prescription drug costs, protecting rural hospitals and promoting and protecting 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. She said she would partner with churches and businesses to create safe tiny house communities.
Economic growth: Whitson said she supports lowering costs, creating high-paying jobs and supporting local small businesses. She also said she promotes green energy, safe water and recycling initiatives.
Transportation: Whitson said she supports building mass transit options connecting Tennessee cities and bringing back a bullet train initiative between Chattanooga and Atlanta.
Candidate responses were collected from Whitson's campaign website. The Hendersonville Register did not interview the candidate for this profile. Positions are presented as the candidate stated them and have not been independently verified.
