Country artist shares why he's throwing his star power into race to replace top Republican

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Country artist John Rich is "rollin'" into Tennessee's upcoming special election with his own endorsement in what's shaping up to be a crowded GOP primary race.

Rich, who makes up half of the iconic duo Big & Rich, is campaigning alongside his longtime friend, state Rep. Jody Barrett, as he runs to replace former Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District.

"I've known Jody, believe this or not, since we were seniors in high school together. We actually graduated the same high school," Rich told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"We kept in touch, stayed good friends. But in the past four or five years, Jody has been a state rep in Tennessee. And so issues that were happening in Tennessee, Jody and I would join forces, him kind of on the inside of the political world and me standing on the outside with a really big platform and big audience. And we would work together, hand in hand, arm in arm, to make things happen."

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Barrett is one of 10 Republicans running to replace Green in the Oct. 7 primary.

The general election is scheduled for Dec. 2. But in the deep-red 7th District, which President Donald Trump won by more than 20 points in 2024, it's likely the winner of the GOP primary will come out on top.

Barrett, along with state Rep. Gino Bulso, state Rep. Lee Reeves, and former Tennessee General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps, were the only Republicans invited to debate their candidacy earlier this week by Americans for Prosperity Tennessee, according to Tennessee Lookout.

Rich told Fox News Digital that in addition to appearing alongside Barrett at campaign events, he's also promoted the conservative House hopeful to Trump himself.

"I've actually texted the president a couple of times about Jody. I said, 'You're going to want this guy in Congress. I mean, this is one of your guys.' And so I'm hoping President Trump, maybe he weighs in on this race," Rich said.

He added, however, that it's possible Trump stays away from endorsing until after the primary is over.

Barrett has supported Trump on a broad range of issues, though he notably broke from the president's COVID-19 vaccine initiative, called Operation Warp Speed, during the Monday night debate.

"We have millions of Americans now who are vaccine injured, dealing with the results of this vaccine mandate," Barrett said at the time.

Nevertheless, Rich said Barrett has connected with Republicans in Tennessee, and he praised him for occasionally challenging establishment GOP aims and decisions in the state.

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"What I love about real conservatives is we will call out people in our own party if we think they're making a mistake, if they're on the wrong path," Rich said. "Whereas on the left, they just fall in line and do whatever they're told every single time. Jody has proven that he will stand up for what his people want."

He said at another point in the interview, "He's legit. I mean, we start talking about what's a conservative look like? It's this guy. And again, when you've known somebody since you were 17, and now you're in your early 50s, and they're the same guy, that's pretty rare."

Barrett has also been endorsed by the House Freedom Fund, the political arm of the House Freedom Caucus.

"Jody Barrett's strong conservative record of leadership, not only standing up to Democrats, but also his own party when the RINOs get out of line, is exactly what House Freedom Fund looks for in a candidate," Allison Weisenberger of the House Freedom Fund told Fox News Digital.

Barrett himself told Fox News Digital he was "honored" to have Rich's endorsement.

"John Rich is my lifelong friend, a proud Tennessean, a country music legend and one of President Trump's strongest supporters in our state. Having his endorsement means a lot, because he has never been afraid to speak the truth and stand up for conservative values," Barrett said.