Published Jul 22, 2026, 12:11 PM EDT
Tennessee state representative candidate Brian Stewart has addressed claims against his service, though not all are satisfied.
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Published Jul 22, 2026, 12:11 PM EDT
Brian Stewart, a Republican running for a seat in the Tennessee Legislature against two military veterans, is being accused of fabricating his U.S. Marine service record. Stewart is one of three GOP candidates fighting his way through a primary to advance to November's general election, vying for the chance to represent Tennessee's 45th Congressional District located north of Nashville. He is campaigning against John Gentry, a Marine veteran, and Chris Hughes, an Army veteran, in a district that's home to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The purported difference between Stewart and his counterparts is that he's had to defend his military service and career. On his campaign website, he describes himself by three titles: "Conservative businessman, Marine, community leader." His campaign has boosted his Marine service record through social media posts and mailers. But that's not the entire truth, according to the Washington Examiner. They reported July 13 that Stewart enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in October 1998 and left in August 2000, citing obtained military records, with the service lasting less than 36 months and his character of service being described as “under other than honorable conditions.”
