Rookie season

A surprising number of doctors and businessmen are setting aside their stethoscopes and spreadsheets to run for Congress—and they’re running well | Emily Belz

Stephen Fincher: Aaron Hardin/The Jackson Sun/AP

On Stephen Fincher's 2,500-acre farm in Frog Jump, Tenn., it's time to harvest the cotton and soybeans. The corn is still coming in. But after 18 harvests, which follow seven generations that his family has farmed the land, Fincher will have to miss most of this one while he campaigns for Congress.

"I love farming, I love Frog Jump, but I love my children more," Fincher said, explaining why he would ever want to leave his fields for Washington. He has three children, ages 14 down to 7. Since he operates his own family business, he is fed up with the federal government's ever-expanding debt and regulation of the private sector. Fincher is running as a Republican for the seat held by retiring Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn., and he already handily defeated two much wealthier candidates in the GOP primary in August—the most expensive House primary in the country. His conservative Democratic opponent, state Sen. Roy Herron, also has more cash than Fincher, but the race is a toss-up, according to Cook Political Report.