The Jody Barrett Campaign for Congress in the 7th District GOP special election started the final week of early voting with a bang.

Monday morning, Barrett announced receiving the endorsement from respected community member Camie Guenther-Green. Guenther-Green is not just a respected community member in the 7th Congressional District; she is the ex-wife of Congressman Mark Green, who resigned from the seat, triggering a special election. Former congressman Green has endorsed Matt Van Epps in the race.  

“After spending some time with Jody and Holly Barrett, I believe Jody to be the best candidate to serve TN-07 in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Guenther-Green said. “With his legislative and professional experience coupled with a deep grounding in faith, I am confident he is well prepared politically and spiritually to meet the demands and challenges of Washington, DC, without losing his heart for the people who elect him.”

Barrett, the most conservative legislator in Tennessee history, said he was honored to have Guenther-Green’s support.

“Camie’s support means a great deal to my wife, Holly, and me,” Barrett said. “She knows how important it is to have leaders in Washington who are grounded in faith, anchored by family, and driven by service. That’s exactly the kind of leadership I will bring. I’ve taken on the establishment in Nashville, and I’ll take on the snakes in Washington. Together, we will send a Tennessee tough conservative fighter who answers only to the people of our district.”

There is much more to this story than a simple endorsement. In September 2024, Ms. Green went viral after sending a group text to congressional spouses accusing her husband of having an affair. 

In the message, she claimed Congressman Green’s affair was with a younger woman and alleged that her husband had been corrupted by his time in Washington, D.C.. The letter was circulated less than a month after Representative Green initiated divorce proceedings. 

In the text message, Camilla Green alleged that her husband had been unfaithful with a woman 27 years his junior. She characterized this woman as a “predator” and stated her goal was to warn other spouses about infidelity risks in Washington. In her initial text, Ms. Green mistakenly identified the woman as an employee of the political news outlet Axios, which prompted a cease-and-desist letter from Axios’s legal counsel. The outlet stated the claim was “false and per se defamatory” and insisted on a correction to protect their reporter. Camilla later retracted the misidentification and apologized.  

The scandal drew public attention because Rep. Green had built a political brand as a pro-family conservative. The couple’s adult daughter, Catherine Green, publicly supported her mother and told the Nashville Banner that her family had noticed a significant change in her father. 

Following the public fallout from his wife’s viral text and his daughter’s statements, Rep. Green announced his resignation from Congress in June 2025, which resulted in the special election currently underway. Earlier this summer, Green announced that his post-Congress plans included forming a new company. 

Early voting ends on Oct. 2, with the election date in the Primary taking place on Oct. 7th. The general election date is December 2.

Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.