Representative Darren Jernigan Contact information

Early Life and Education: Darren Jernigan was born on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1969 while his father served during the conflict in Vietnam. The family moved back home to Tennessee six months later and has been in the Hermitage/Old Hickory area since 1979. Darren grew up all over District 60 and has been a resident here for over 40 years.

He attended Dodson Elementary in Hermitage before transferring to DuPont Elementary in Old Hickory in 1981. Darren continued through the public school system, attending DuPont Hadley and DuPont High School until it closed. He graduated from Hunters Lane High School in 1988.

Darren’s higher education continued at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. During his sophomore year at Austin Peay, Darren was injured in an automobile accident while riding in the backseat, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. After two years of rehabilitation, he returned to Austin Peay and finished his education, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree with double majors in Political Science and Public Relations.

In December of 1994, Darren was accepted to the Center for Cooperative Studies in Britain, where he studied International Health Care Reform in London, England. Upon graduation from Austin Peay, Darren moved to Washington D.C. to learn the mechanics of government, working at the U.S. Department of State and Congress.

In 1997, Darren returned home to begin work on his Master’s Degree at Middle Tennessee State University. While attending school, he worked at the Veterans Administration in the Office of Public Affairs. Darren received his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice in May of 2000.

Career and Public Service:

• In 2001, Darren was appointed Commissioner of the Old Hickory Utility District, where he served for six years.
• In 2002, he was elected as the Metro Davidson County Democratic Committeeman for District 11.
• In 2007, Darren was elected to the Metro Nashville Davidson County Council, representing the Hermitage and Old Hickory area for District 11. He was re-elected to the Council in 2011.
• In 2012, Darren was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing the newly drawn district incorporating Donelson, Hermitage, and Old Hickory. In 2022, the district was redrawn once again, but District 60 saw only slight changes, still incorporating Donelson, Hermitage, and Old Hickory.

Darren is currently in his 5th term and sits on seven committees, including Vice Chairman of the Civil Justice Full Committee. He is married to Michelle Morse Jernigan and has four children and a daughter-in-law: Harris, Carson, El, Amanda Lee, and Claire. All four children graduated from McGavock High School, with two having graduated from the UT system in Knoxville and Chattanooga, and two currently enrolled at UT Knoxville.

Darren does not consider himself a “politician”; he is proud to serve his community and considers himself a public servant.