Stephen Lee Fincher
| Stephen Fincher | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 8th district |
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In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | John S. Tanner |
| Succeeded by | David Kustoff |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 7, 1973 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lynn Fincher |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Farmer, Gospel Singer, and businessman |
Stephen Lee Fincher (born February 7, 1973) is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 8th congressional district from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. The seat was vacated by retiring Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner in 2010, and Fincher defeated Democratic Tennessee state senator Roy Herron in the 2010 mid-term Congressional election. Fincher was reelected to a second term in 2012 and on February 1, 2016 he announced that he would not be running for a fourth term.
Fincher was born in 1973 in Memphis. When he was 9 years old, he joined the Fincher Family singing ministry, a gospel group led by his grandmother that travels to county fairs throughout the 8th district. They perform at more than 100 events each year. Fincher graduated from Crockett County High School in Alamo.
A seventh generation farmer, Fincher is a managing partner in Fincher Farms, a family business that grows cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat on more than 2,500 acres in western Tennessee. The company has received $8.9 million in farm subsidies over the past decade, mostly from the cotton program, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Fincher received a $13,650 grant to help buy grain hauling and storage equipment from the state Department of Agriculture in 2009 as part of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program. Fincher has received over $3.5 million from federal subsidies over the years, mostly for cotton farming.
Fincher announced his candidacy for the 8th District before 11-term Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner announced his retirement. He won the August primary largely as a result of high voter turnout in rural areas of the district.
In the general election, Fincher faced Democratic State Senator Roy Herron, Tea Party candidate Donn Janes, who earlier dropped out of the Republican primary, and Independent Mark J. Rawles. Fincher declined to participate in a series of public debates. Fincher was criticized by Herron and local media for his decision to not disclose his income tax returns, calling the criticism a "witch hunt." Fincher stated: "There is no reason for me to disclose my tax returns. These attacks are because Herron is losing and he can't handle it. He is avoiding the issues."
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