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Democrat

Adam Kurtz

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Democrat

Adam Kurtz

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Tennessee Democratic Governor nominee?

$18.6K

AUG 7, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Overview

Current roleMusician (pedal steel guitarist, guitarist)

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyProgressive Democrat

LocationTennessee

BackgroundMusician (pedal steel guitarist, guitarist)

EducationPolitical Science degree (school not publicly specified)

Notable personal detailsAdam “Ditch” Kurtz is a Nashville-based musician and activist who has filed to run as a Democrat for Governor of Tennessee in 2026. He is a pedal steel and guitar player in the Nashville music scene and has performed with a range of artists while also leading projects of his own. His campaign presents him as a grassroots candidate who rejects corporate money and emphasizes education, healthcare, and economic issues.

SourcesShow

ditch4governor.com tnfirefly.com maurydems.org linktr.ee apnews.com ballotready.org en.wikipedia.org everything.explained.today octagonai.co tndemocracynetwork.org independentpoliticalreport.com polymarket.com kalshi.com nashville.gov sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com publications.tnsosfiles.com publications.stripes.com cdn.ballotpedia.org newschannel5.com nashville.citycast.fm musicmecca.org capecharlesmirror.com doctor.webmd.com pbs.org thima.org secure.actblue.com wpln.org wordandway.org suttonsmart.com facebook.com ballotpedia.org yahoo.com nga.org fec.gov govinfo.gov congress.gov clerk.house.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports policies to lower costs for working Tennesseans through expanded public spending (free or affordable healthcare, free pre-K and child care, raising the minimum wage) and seeks to eliminate the grocery tax while opposing corporate influence in policy such as unchecked tax incentives for large corporations. Advocates directing new revenue (e.g., marijuana tax revenue) toward public schools and emphasizes small-donor, no-corporate-money campaigning.

Healthcare

Supports universal, affordable (including free) healthcare and frames healthcare as a basic human right; calls for expanding access and addressing rising premiums and loss of coverage in Tennessee.

Immigration & Border

Adam “Ditch” Kurtz’s campaign materials express support for immigrants and say he wants to respect immigrant neighbors, but they do not provide specific immigration or border policies such as asylum, enforcement, or legalization pathways. Public interviews and local coverage note he discusses immigration as part of his platform, but concrete policy proposals are not detailed in the available sources.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 19, 2026

Adam Kurtz is in the news as one of the Democratic candidates running in Tennessee’s gubernatorial primary ahead of the Aug. 6 election. Recent voter guides have profiled the race and the candidates’ positions on issues like education, health care, immigration, and the state legislature. Earlier coverage also placed Tennessee’s broader political focus on congressional redistricting, but Kurtz’s direct news value right now is his place in the governor’s primary field.

ditch4governor.com+36

Articles

KNKnoxville News-Sentinel2 days ago