John Sumners Tanner is a former American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 8th congressional district, serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Since his retirement, Tanner has served as the Vice Chairman of Prime Policy Group.

The 8th congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in West Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican David Kustoff since January 2017. The district appears rural on a map, but the bulk of its vote is cast in the suburban and exurban areas around Memphis, such as Germantown, Bartlett, and Collierville, as well as Fayette and Tipton counties. This area boasts some of the highest median incomes in the state.