Dave Seeman is running as an independent for Tennessee governor.

Seeman, a mechanical engineer and small-business professional, said on his campaign website that Tennessee is where he "was raised, became an engineer, started my small business, and invested in my community." Climate action tops his platform.

The race includes Republican Marsha Blackburn, Democrat Jerri Green and 12 other independent candidates, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Party: Independent
  • Office sought: Tennessee governor
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
  • Education: Bachelor's in mechanical engineering, University of Tennessee (2014)

Experience

Seeman served as partner and head of growth and operations at Ovyl from 2016 to 2022, according to BallotReady profile data. He has been head of development at Squarish since 2023.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Seeman's campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims unless otherwise noted.

Climate and energy: Seeman has called climate action his top priority. He said he would build state-owned renewable power, make clean industrial generation, unlock residential solar and finance clean energy statewide. He also said he would pursue a temporary moratorium on data centers until the state can extend the ELVIS act to all synthetic media, ban social scoring and surveillance, and hold companies accountable for job losses and pollution.

Healthcare: Seeman said he would expand healthcare by taking back federal dollars, building a community health center in each county and expanding mental health services in every city. He said he would provide full medical, dental, vision and health care for every child. He also said he would offer comprehensive care for mothers before and after birth, close the coverage gap and cover childcare for incomes under 99k.

Transportation and infrastructure: Seeman said he would build public transportation, including bus routes connecting rural counties, a state match for city transit, a large-scale passenger rail feasibility study and walkable streets funding in every county. He said he would bury power lines, harden water systems, establish emergency response systems and deliver affordable fiber internet.

Taxes and budget: Seeman said he would end the grocery tax, bulk-purchase insulin and naloxone, wipe out 1B in medical debt and close corporate tax loopholes. He also said he would audit programs over 25M, capture federal grants and make state data searchable online.

Housing: Seeman said he would invest in land trusts for permanent affordability, fast-track new buildings, legalize dense housing and cut red tape for quality builds. He also said he would support Housing First policies and expand naloxone and addiction treatment to end the opioid epidemic.

Endorsements

Seeman lists the following endorsements and pledges on his campaign endorsements page:

  • Green Party of Tennessee (endorsement)
  • Moms Demand Action (endorsement)
  • Patients over Profits (pledge to reject campaign contributions from corporate health care industry executives, lobbyists and PACs)
  • I See Purple (Purple Pledge affirming commitment to democratic principles and constitutional governance)
  • Green New Deal Champions (No Fossil Fuel Money pledge)

The Green Party of Tennessee and Moms Demand Action endorsements are credited to the endorsing organizations. The three pledges are claimed by the candidate.

Candidate responses were gathered through the candidate's campaign website and BallotReady. The Franklin Beacon did not interview the candidate for this profile.