Former Ag commissioner running for Black seat

John Rose

John Rose, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to run for the 6th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who recently launched her bid for governor.

Rose is president of Boson Software, an information technology training software company. A native and current resident of Cookeville, Rose served as agriculture commissioner during the last few months of Republican Gov. Don Sundquist’s second term, and he owns one of the state's oldest working farms, established in Smith County in 1790 prior to the formal existence of Tennessee.