Tennessee State Senator Adam Lowe Draws Challenger For 2026 GOP Primary

Image Credit: Senator J. Adam Lowe, Tennessee District 1 / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

A primary challenger to Republican State Senator Adam Lowe has entered the field, promoting herself as a Conservative who is “just a regular person who loves God” and will “work hard to preserve our East Tennessee values”.

Teresa Congioloso, a longtime realtor from Dayton, TN, announced her candidacy for the Senate seat in September and is a self-described conservative, pro-life, and pro-Second Amendment Republican who also reportedly opposes the state’s school voucher program.

“I don’t support the vouchers, because I believe that all of our children deserve a better education,” Congioloso told the Cleveland Kiwanis Club in the fall.

Lowe, who has represented District 1 since 2023, has been a vocal supporter of the program, calling its passage a fulfillment of his campaign promise.

But despite her difference of opinion with Lowe about the vouchers, she has stressed she’s not running merely to oppose an incumbent Republican. “I think about it more in terms of running for the people of the district,” she said. “I’m not really running against Adam; I think he’s a fine person.”

Besides her real estate career, Congioloso, who has lived in Dayton for 35 years, has served on the Rhea County Planning Commission, the Board of Economic Development, and the Rhea County Tax Equalization Board. She received the Dayton Chamber of Commerce’s Businesswoman of the Year Award in 2022.

She is supportive of President Donald Trump, believing his “conservative leadership is truly making America great again,” said she is guided by the U.S. Constitution and “rule of law”, and feels the Biden Administration’s DEI programs have “undermined our children’s future.” 

On immigration and drug smuggling, she stated they both, “continue to contribute to the mental health crisis and are a fiscal nightmare for both Tennessee and our great country.”

She clarified that she is not opposed to immigration overall and wishes to see a streamlined naturalization process enacted for immigrants who are “productive, working, and taking care of their families and paying taxes.”

“But if they’re a menace… out… gone,” she said of deportation efforts.

More of Congioloso’s “Topics of interest” can be found on her campaign website including:

• Protect children and support families by strengthening public education and empowering local schools and parents.
• Expand access to affordable childcare and elder care to support working families.
• Increase resources for mental health treatment and addiction recovery. 
• Push for stricter sentencing and tougher policies on crimes against children and elderly, drug trafficking and violent crime.
• Promoting affordable housing solutions & partner with local leaders to address homelessness with practical, community-based approaches.
• Work to reduce food insecurity.
• Expand broadband internet access for homes, schools, farms, and small businesses.
• Keep taxes low and government spending in check.
• Protect individual freedoms, religious liberty, and constitutional rights.
• Ensure Tennessee remains a place where faith, family, and hard work are honored.

Overall, Congioloso believes she is set apart as a candidate because while she doesn’t “pretend to know what’s broken or what the issues are in Nashville, I do think that I can be a good listener and liaison, and I have good negotiating skills, whether it’s with other members of the Senate or with the people.”

Congioloso did not respond to request for comment from The Tennessee Conservative.

Highlights of competitor Adam Lowe’s voting record include:

2025:

• Voting in favor of a bill creating immunity from civil liability for pesticide manufacturers. (SB527)
• Redefining abortion exceptions & undermining state pro-life protections (SB1004/SB449)
• Extending digital ID system with use of biometric data (SB1297)
• Funding illegal immigrant education (SB1044)
• Killing a bill which would have prohibited out-of-state PACs from influencing TN primary elections (SB1040)
• Against legislation enacting consequences for geoengineering/weather modification (SB1033)

2024:

• Voting against legislation curbing government overreach (SB2775)
• In favor of a red flag law forcing mental health professionals to report “potential threats” (SB1673)
• Voting for a bill which specified that autopsy reports of minors are not to be considered public records (SB2020)

2023:

• Helping kill a bill which would have protected state sovereignty (SB1092)
• In favor of a bill redefining “money” and paving the way for digital currency (SB268)
• Creating exception for a physician’s “good faith” judgement on abortion (SB745)

Many previously unopposed incumbents are now facing challengers as 2026 looks to be a significant election season for the state.

The May primary affects most local municipalities and the August primary will feature the offices of Governor, U.S. Senate & House, Tennessee Senate (odd-numbered districts), Tennessee House (all 99 Reps.), and Republican and Democrat State Executive Committees.

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.