Chuck Fleischmann Bio
Charles Joseph “Chuck” Fleischmann (born October 11, 1962) is an American attorney and Republican politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Tennessee’s 3rd congressional district since 2011. The district, based in Chattanooga and including Oak Ridge, covers much of East Tennessee. A native of Manhattan who grew up in Illinois, Fleischmann built a legal career in Chattanooga before entering Congress, where he is known for conservative positions, support for nuclear energy, and securing federal funding for his district.
Fleischmann chairs the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus and has led Congress in self-appointed earmark spending. He resides in Ooltewah, Tennessee, with his wife and three sons.
Early Life and Background
Chuck Fleischmann was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Rose Marie (née Salvo) and Max Fleischmann, Jr. He is of Italian, English, and Austro-Hungarian descent, with some Jewish heritage on his grandfather’s side, and is a distant relative of the magician Harry Houdini. Fleischmann grew up in Illinois and graduated from Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village.
Fleischmann went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He graduated with both Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors, becoming the first member of his family to attend college. He later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville.
Path to US Politics
After law school, Fleischmann moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in 1987 founded an independent firm, Fleischmann and Fleischmann. He became active in the local legal community, serving as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association and chair of the Chattanooga Lawyers Pro Bono Committee. These roles established his profile in East Tennessee before he sought federal office.
When longtime Republican incumbent Zach Wamp retired to run for governor, Fleischmann entered the open 2010 race for Tennessee’s 3rd congressional district. None of the candidates in the crowded 11-way Republican primary had previously run for elected office. Despite being outspent by former state GOP chair Robin Smith, Fleischmann won the primary with 30 percent of the vote, defeating Smith by 1,415 votes.
Chuck Fleischmann Career
Early Career (2011–2012)
Fleischmann won the 2010 general election with 57 percent of the vote against Democrat John Wolfe and independent Savas Kyriakidis. He was sworn in as the U.S. representative for Tennessee’s 3rd congressional district in January 2011, taking his first official vote for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
In his first reelection campaign in 2012, Fleischmann defeated Scottie Mayfield and Weston Wamp in the Republican primary, 39 percent to 31 percent to 29 percent. He went on to defeat Democratic nominee Mary Headrick in the general election by a wide margin, establishing himself as a durable incumbent.
Breakthrough (2014–2018)
On November 4, 2014, Fleischmann defeated Headrick again with 62.3 percent of the vote. His 2016 rematch against Democrat Melody Shekari and independent Rick Tyler drew 66.4 percent support, and in 2018 he beat Democrat Danielle Mitchell and Tyler with 63.7 percent. These three consecutive double-digit wins cemented his hold on the district.
Fleischmann’s policy profile expanded during this period. In 2011 he introduced the Stop Green Initiative Abuse Act to repeal a federal weatherization program, citing a Tennessee Comptroller’s report that funds had been wasted or misspent. He also voted for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act and earned an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America.
In December 2020, Fleischmann joined 126 House Republicans in signing an amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit that challenged the 2020 presidential election results. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the signatories, and Representative Bill Pascrell urged that they not be seated under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.
Republican Era (2019–Present)
Fleischmann won his 2020 race against Democrat Meg Gorman with 67.3 percent of the vote and repeated that margin in 2022, defeating Gorman again with 68.4 percent. In the 2024 election, he defeated Democrat Jack Allen with 67.5 percent of the vote, extending his tenure into a new term.
A vocal supporter of nuclear power, Fleischmann heads the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus. His district includes the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, and in 2024 he proposed new Department of Energy funding for advanced nuclear projects, including small modular reactors. In 2023 he led all of Congress in self-appointed earmark spending, securing $273.3 million for his district in the 2024 federal budget, with most of the funding directed to the lock replacement project on the Chickamauga Dam.
Notable Events and Milestones
Fleischmann made headlines in October 2021 when Business Insider reported that he had violated the STOCK Act by failing to properly disclose stock trades in DraftKings Inc. and Zimmer Biomet. In July 2024 the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that he had declined a town hall debate with Jack Allen and Stephen King and had not debated an opponent since October 2014. In September 2025, Fleischmann said he intends to “never” host a town hall.
Chuck Fleischmann Career Wins
Chuck Fleischmann has won every congressional election he has contested since first entering the U.S. House in 2011, building a record of consistent double-digit victories in Tennessee’s heavily Republican 3rd district.
Congressional Election Highlights
Fleischmann’s first general election victory came in 2010 with 57 percent of the vote. His strongest showings came in 2020 (67.3 percent), 2022 (68.4 percent), and 2024 (67.5 percent), each against Democratic challengers Meg Gorman, Meg Gorman, and Jack Allen, respectively.
Other Wins & Achievements
Fleischmann was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He served as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association and as chair of the Chattanooga Lawyers Pro Bono Committee before entering Congress.
Chuck Fleischmann Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Fleischmann was raised in Illinois by his father, Max Fleischmann, Jr., and his mother, Rose Marie (née Salvo). He became the first member of his family to attend college. His diverse heritage includes Italian, English, and Austro-Hungarian roots, with some Jewish heritage on his grandfather’s side, and he is a distant relative of the famous magician Harry Houdini.
Personal Life
Fleischmann married Brenda M. Fleischmann in 1986. The couple has three sons and lives in Ooltewah, Tennessee, an unincorporated community east of Chattanooga. Fleischmann is a practicing Roman Catholic.