Scott’s Story

Scott DesJarlais grew up in rural America, where people value hard work and honesty. His father was a second generation barber, and Scott’s first job was shining shoes for 25 cents per shine. That job taught him that there’s no substitute for elbow grease.

From shining shoes, Scott graduated to washing cars at a local dealership and was later promoted to the parts department – it was a job that he kept as he worked his way through college.

Scott’s mother was a nurse of 44 years at Fort Meade Veterans Hospital. He watched how she toiled at her job but never seemed to tire of it. She said that helping people is its own reward and Scott has found that to be true. Her example of service and Scott’s love of science led him to enter into the medical field. Scott received his Doctor of Medicine at the University of South Dakota and moved to Tennessee almost two decades ago to practice general medicine.

Being a family doctor brings you very close to your community, and a few years ago Dr. DesJarlais noticed a change in the conversations he was having with his patients. Instead of talking about sports, hunting, and family, patients were concerned about the direction of the country. His clients were worried about jobs, government spending, and Obamacare. Patients who owned small businesses felt like they were being over regulated and punished for succeeding instead of being rewarded for the jobs they produced.

Scott shared in their concerns and even though he had never sought elected office in his lifetime, he won against an entrenched, liberal incumbent with the second largest margin in the U.S. during that election cycle against an incumbent opponent.

Since he has been in Washington, Congressman DesJarlais has voted for a balanced budget amendment, to repeal Obamacare, and for pro-energy bills designed to increase access to domestic production in order to drive down the cost of gasoline.

Scott has also voted for bills to spur job growth, held a firm line on deficit spending, and repeal regulations that harm businesses and those that encourage government waste.

Although Dr. DesJarlais spends a lot of his time in Washington, he makes it a priority to listen carefully in the district and cultivate relationships with his constituents. His office has answered over 58,000 communications from Fourth District residents.

With the establishment of the Job Creators’ Tour, Congressman DesJarlais has visited over 40 businesses in the district because he knows that business owners and employees know what needs to be done to turn the economy around, not Washington bureaucrats. Scott also stays in communication regularly through his unique use of Tele-Town-Halls where constituents can give their feedback directly to their representative, and meets with local organizations and residents face to face throughout the district.

Scott is married to Amy DesJarlais and lives in South Pittsburg, TN with their three children Tyler, Ryan, and Maggie. The DesJarlais family is active in the Epiphany Episcopal Church of Sherwood, Tennessee where Amy grew up.