2024 Tennessee Senate and House candidates in Knox County: Meet the candidates
You've seen the ads. You've read the arguments on social media. Now get the information right from the candidates' mouths.
Knox News talks to the candidates each election cycle because it's important to hear their ideas and understand their approach as leaders before casting your ballots.
Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, we invited all local Tennessee Senate and Tennessee House candidates to sit down with us for interviews and to respond to written questions. Here's your chance to learn about who they are and what they had to say about their top priorities and issues such as school safety, mental health and infrastructure.
Tennessee Senate District 6
Domonica Bryan, Democrat
Age: 39
Occupation: Investigator with the Department of Children's Services
Elected offices held: None
Bryan told Knox News in an in-person interview that commonsense gun legislation is her top priority, especially after her daughter once feared for her own life at school following a "hard lockdown" drill. Bryan said meaningful gun legislation won't infringe on anyone's right to own a gun. Instead, she's advocating for the ability of law enforcement or the loved ones of firearm owners to ask the court system to remove the weapon temporarily if the owner is unstable. Once the owner demonstrates stability, they can ask the court to have it back. If most people want gun safety legislation but the legislature isn't following through, legislators have forgotten why they're in office, she said. Legislative seats belong to Tennesseans, not the senator or representative.
Becky Duncan Massey, incumbent, Republican
Age: 69
Occupation: Former director of the Sertoma Center
Elected offices held: Tennessee State Senate (2011-present)
Massey told Knox News she's uniquely situated to accomplish her goals because of the connections she's made as a senator thus far. She said she's spearheaded the effort to build a mental health hospital in Knox County, and continuing that effort will take strategy and getting the support of her colleagues. Because she's already been working at this, she said, she's at an advantage.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Bryan: As a candidate for the State Senate, my top legislative priority is securing our children's safe and bright future. Securing their future includes comprehensively funding our public schools, common sense gun safety legislation, and access to safe and legal abortions with Roe v. Wade restrictions. While all of these issues are crucial, if I had to prioritize, I would say that the lives of our children and common-sense gun safety legislation take precedence.
I support common sense gun legislation that prioritizes the safety of our children.
Specifically, I support due process red flag laws, which allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others. I also support comprehensive background checks, which can help prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. Additionally, I believe that safe storage laws are essential to preventing accidental shootings and ensuring that firearms are not accessible to children. These measures directly impact our children's school safety and overall well-being. By implementing these common-sense gun safety laws, we can help ensure our children can participate in everyday activities, such as going to the mall, library, or school events, without fear of being killed due to senseless gun violence.
Massey: My number one priority is to get a new mental health hospital built back in our region. Our former hospital, Lakeshore Mental Health Hospital, closed in 2012. Since then, while more people have been receiving in-patient or community based treatment than at Lakeshore, we have seen our citizens with mental health needs increasing dramatically. To accomplish this goal:
- I had the Department of Mental Health do a study on the needs. It showed we are 50 beds short now and will be 100 beds short by 2050.
- I will work with the regional legislators (from Loudon to Bristol) to enlist their support. I also will work with area stakeholders, providers and community leaders to get their support.
- We will work with the governor to secure preliminary funding to develop where the hospital will go, operationally what it will look like, develop preliminary architectural drawings and estimate the cost to build and operate.
- Then we will work to get the final funding to get it built and open.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Bryan: Iโm haunted by the thought of my children being in harm's way while theyโre supposed to be safe in classrooms.
A step we can take is passing common sense gun safety legislation:
- Universal background checks: Requires background checks for all gun purchases, including those at gun shows and online, to prevent individuals with criminal records or mental health issues from obtaining firearms.
- Red flag laws: Allows law enforcement to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals who pose a risk to themselves, or others based on a court order. For this order to be put in place, a judge or magistrate must deem it appropriate. When a person shows stability, they can have their firearm returned.
- Safe storage: Requires gun owners to store their firearms safely and securely, out of reach of children and unauthorized individuals.
These are supported by most Americans. In fact, a recent poll found that 92% of Americans support universal background checks, 85% support red flag laws and 77% support safe storage requirements.
Outside of legislation, Iโm in favor of increasing funding for school resource officers and mental health services, implementing evidence-based violence prevention programs and improving communication and coordination between schools, law enforcement and mental health professionals.
Massey:
- Nothing can ever be 100% safe as risks are a part of life. This can include hurting themselves in an accident, getting in a fight with another student, being bullied, being sexually abused, being discriminated against or being a victim of a school shooting. I will continue to support efforts to address any and all of these either legislatively or with state funding. In the past few years, we have funded significant amounts statewide for school safety grants for local schools systems. These can be used for metal detectors, bullet-resistant film for windows or any other school safety measure that the locals decides best fits their needs. Also, there was funding for school resource officers throughout the state.
- While I have sponsored and passed increased mental health supports, like clarifying the duty to warn law and antibullying legislation in the past, I will be specifically be looking at new legislation that will strengthen these areas.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Bryan:
- Infrastructure upgrade: We must prepare our roads, highways and public transportation systems for increased traffic. This means widening roads, adding more lanes and improving public transportation options like buses and trains. This will include ensuring we are good stewards of the $6.2 infrastructure money that we will receive from the federal government.
- Affordable housing and community development: With so many new people, we must ensure there are enough affordable housing options. This means building new homes, apartments, and condos priced right for our new neighbors. We would also be willing to construct multi-income developments where we provide incentives for developers to set aside 10-15 percent of developments for income-based housing.
- Essential education and job training: With the growing population, it is imperative that we equip our schools and job training programs to meet the increasing demand. This involves hiring more teachers, building new schools, and offering training programs in high-demand fields like tech, health care, and manufacturing. These initiatives are crucial to ensuring a skilled and competent workforce for the future. With the building of new schools, I am committed to providing our students a fully funded, safe learning environment.
Massey:
- First, roads and infrastructure. As chairman of the Transportation and Safety Committee, I am working with TDOT on expanding interstate roads in Knox County which is badly needed. TDOT is currently developing the design plans and costs. We will then work to get it funded. They will also look at the need for a bypass around Knox County. I will be working to get funding for capital projects at our airports.
- Next, jobs and the economy. Tennesseans have been hard hit by the inflation and itโs important we look for ways to help. This could be by recruiting businesses with good paying jobs, reducing taxes or reducing regulations for businesses so they donโt have to increase their prices. I am working on passing the Promising Futures bill, similar to the Tennessee Promise. This would provide โlast dollarโ scholarships for child care/early education so people can afford to work.
- Third, education from Pre-K through higher education. I have always supported doing everything we can to provide the best education opportunities to meet our students needs. We have to train our workforce of tomorrow, and our youth are our future.
Tennessee House District 14
Amanda Collins, Democrat
Age: 46
Occupation: Former school psychologist
Elected offices held: None
Collins told Knox News in an in-person interview her top priority is to work exceptions for rape and incest into Tennessee's abortion legislation. The legislature recently approved exceptions for molar and ectopic pregnancies, so she believes it's possible that exceptions could be expanded. She wants to encourage lawmakers to think about reproductive rights from a parental rights standpoint. If a child is the victim of rape and becomes pregnant, she wants that child's parents to have every option at their disposal to do what's best for them.
Jason Zachary, incumbent, Republican
Age: 46
Occupation: Technology consultant
Elected offices held: Tennessee House of Representatives (2015-present)
Knox News emailed Zachary six times and texted him twice. He did not respond.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Collins: Providing additional exceptions to Tennesseeโs abortion trigger ban and decriminalizing medical care offered in all current corresponding exceptions for medical professionals. Women, families and medical professionals should feel safe to get pregnant and/or practice in Tennessee. While the 2023 General Assembly added exceptions to the 2022 trigger ban in cases of molar or ectopic pregnancies to remove a miscarriage, save the life of the mother and โprevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman,โ there are still no lawful exceptions in cases of rape, incest or fetal anomalies incompatible with life outside the womb. That is a difficult and heartbreaking situation for any parent. And providers are still required to defend their decision-making under penalty of law.
Protecting the growth and safety of Tennessee through health care should be a bipartisan issue. Therefore, I will work with interested expert parties and fellow lawmakers to craft legislation that not only carves out these human and parental rights exceptions to the current law, but clearly codifies specific situations in which lawful termination is allowed without penalty and/or affirmative defense for medical providers.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Collins: As a parent of school-age children in Tennessee public schools and a former school psychologist, I am not 100% confident that my children are or will be safe at their schools. Tennesseeโs 2021 permitless carry law prohibited requiring safety and storage training before owning weapons, even though responsible gun owners, law enforcement and most Tennesseans support safety classes, extreme risk protections and safe storage requirements.
Looking specifically at student-on-school violence, limiting weapon access is not enough. We also need statewide therapeutic support for mental health and behavioral red flags, before a student makes or acts on a threat.
Finally, we need to make sure that our most vulnerable students, including those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and students struggling with anxiety and depression, are made to feel safe and welcome in schools. Unfortunately, recent legislation has targeted some students with systemic harassment in their educational settings, which sets up a hostile dynamic for kids and educators.
Legislation for common sense gun laws, expanding mental and behavioral support for all public school students and eliminating school policies that target certain student groups will be part of my plan to make Tennessee schools safer in 2025.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Collins: Housing, public transportation and schools. In 2024, Knox County is already short of affordable housing for trained early-career professionals and mixed income families. And our public transportation infrastructure is Knoxville-city only and does not serve outlying communities like Rocky Hill, Westland, Northshore Town Center, Farragut, Turkey Creek, Ebenezer or Concord. Those are all growth communities within my district. When staff cannot live near their workplace or are required to have transportation to get there, small businesses suffer and will be less prepared to adjust nimbly to changing demographics.
Combined with the fact that Knox County Schools has been starved for state resources for almost 20 years, we will simply continue to play a losing game of catch-up rather than planning ahead for smart, community and business-friendly growth. State legislation can support community needs-assessments and assistance in planning that is unified all the way from neighborhoods and towns, to the city/county and state levels that grow Tennessee communities and businesses while maintaining our aesthetic, protecting the environment and promoting eco-friendly tourism opportunities.
Tennessee House District 15
Justin Hirst, Republican
Age: 51
Occupation: X-ray product specialist
Elected offices held: None
Hirst told Knox News in an in-person interview that preserving the quality of life in Tennessee is going to be difficult. He noted the economy will become an issue for Tennesseans as more people move into the state, and he's "not a fan" of making building decisions to accommodate new residents. As more people move to East Tennessee, he said, the cost of rent will continue to rise. He's especially concerned about an alleged influx of undocumented immigrants coming to Knoxville, which he says would hurt the housing supply.
Sam McKenzie, incumbent, Democrat
Age: 58
Occupation: Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory employee and small business owner
Elected offices held: Knox County Commission (2012-2020), Tennessee House of Representatives (2021-present)
McKenzie told Knox News in a phone interview his top priority is to revive the state's respect for education by defeating Gov. Bill Lee's voucher program and reinvesting in public education. He called it the "linchpin" that will improve Tennessee's healthcare and create more job opportunities for residents. He also hopes to "rehumanize" citizens released from incarceration who have paid their debt to society. He hopes to do this by making it easier for formerly incarcerated people to vote, but specified his vision only applies to nonviolent offenders.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Hirst: My top priority is to maintain our quality of life here in Tennessee. Weโre already doing a lot of things right, like low taxes and a balanced budget, and that has made us a top destination for those fleeing failed policies in other states.
Tennesseans also enjoy the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution, but during the recent pandemic it was demonstrated how poorly prepared we were to deal with destructive policies from outside our state. COVID-19 response policy damaged children, destroyed small businesses and coerced people into taking an experimental injection. Even now we have a vice presidential candidate who believes the government can punish people for speech they donโt agree with. I support the ongoing effort in the House to better guarantee our rights.
McKenzie: Since becoming a state representative in 2021, my top legislative priority has been and continues to be removing barriers to voting. Current law and policy make it arduous for people to restore voting rights due to owing court costs and/or child support. I will continue work to make it easier for those who have been incarcerated and help them get this essential right back.
The secretary of state and the state elections coordinator made it even harder for people to gain their right to vote back by requiring them to first get their right to carry a firearm (which is currently being challenged in court) before they can restore their voting rights. Iโm not advocating for people being irresponsible. Iโm advocating for a payment plan that will provisionally allow people to vote as long as they make court approved payments on what is owed.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Hirst: The most effective approach to outside threats is physical barriers such as fencing, and eliminating schools as soft targets by maintaining a police presence and allowing the option of arming other vetted and well trained staff. The use of metal detectors and X-ray scanners is an effective safeguard against internal threats, but these items are costly and require staff. (Full disclosure: I work in the security X-ray equipment industry.)
Finally, I suspect the use of SSRIs may be a factor in some becoming violent. These drugs lend themselves to obsessiveness and hypervigilance and at least as far back as the early 2000s researchers acknowledged the potential for serotonin building up until a cathartic event occurs. I would propose legislation to determine if there is an association of this drug with mass shootings.
McKenzie: I do not. There has been much improvement in school safety, but the main issue is ease of access to firearms. The Democratic Caucus has put forward meaningful legislation that can make an impact on school safety that the other side refuses to hear. Too many guns are stolen from unsecured vehicles. We should have safe storage laws with accountability. I am a big proponent of bringing back the training that was formerly required.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Hirst: Itโs well-known that Iโm no fan of irresponsible development, so I feel fortunate Tennessee already has a framework that gives local governments massive control over how growth occurs. (This is why I was so involved in the Knox County Commission races this summer.)
I also support existing legislation that eases housing pressure by dis-incentivizing the transportation and presence of undocumented immigrants in our state and obligates local law enforcement to alert the federal government when an undocumented immigrant is detained. Despite my antiquarian inclinations, I have to admit an influx of new residents can provide opportunities as well. In my own experience, the recent emigration from places like California and New York has brought in a disproportionate number of people with broad business experience and may set the stage for a wave of new industries if we play our cards right in the Legislature.
McKenzie:
- Housing: The cost of housing has been increasing with the influx of people who want to live here. The amount of apartments has steadily increased in Knoxville, but so has the cost of renting. Affordable housing is desirable in our community, so those who work here can afford to live here.
- Transit: The surge of new people moving to our area will cause congestion, and we need to be more forward thinking about how we are getting from place to place. I would like the KAT system to be funded so that people can opt for transit which will reduce the number of vehicles on the road. We also need to look at rail, as Amtrak is interested in connecting the south by rail.
- Schools: Access to high-quality public schools will prepare us for a better future. I want our constituents to be able to stay in the community after finishing school. We need to make it desirable for people to stay.
Tennessee House District 16
Michele Carringer, incumbent, Republican
Age: 62
Occupation: Advertising
Elected offices held: Knox County Commission (2012-2020), Tennessee House of Representatives (2021-present)
Knox News emailed Carringer six times and texted her twice. She did not respond.
Lauren Carver, Democrat
Age: 29
Occupation: Horticulturist
Elected offices held: None
Carver was unable to give Knox News an in-person interview due to circumstances beyond her control.
Sean Eastham, independent
Age: 25
Occupation: Talent manager at KARM stores
Elected offices held: None
Eastham told Knox News he knows as an independent he could be considered an underdog. But he's running because he wants to give voters in his district a choice that doesn't necessarily fit the mold of the Republican or Democratic parties. He hopes to prepare Knoxville for an influx of people coming to the area by bringing more jobs that pay more to the community, while also making sure they treat employees well and ensure longevity.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Carver: My top legislative priority is to restore reproductive rights to Tennesseans. My plan to achieve this is to work with existing House Democrats and new House Democrats to get Roe v. Wade codified or make amendments to our current laws to reflect free and open access.
Eastham: My top priority is to address the crisis of homelessness we are experiencing in Knoxville. I believe the solution has three layers. First, we need to make housing work for everyone. While supply is a clear obstacle, the issue is compounded by the high cost of building materials and the lack of land in Knoxville that can be developed without tearing down existing structures. Incentivizing growth outside of Knoxville's city limits while improving public transportation will help alleviate pressure as we wait for building costs to stabilize.
Second, wages must grow at a rate consistent with the costs families face. With Tennessee's influx of residents from higher-income states, lifelong Tennesseans are being priced out. The minimum wage in Tennessee is long overdue for an increase, along with other measures to prevent our workers from being exploited. Third, the existing mental health care infrastructure in East Tennessee is failing massively. Increasing the availability of resources for those experiencing mental health crises, reducing costs for those who cannot afford care, and improving public transportation for those without their own vehicles will reduce the strain on individuals seeking care and our jails which are currently having to provide services they are not equipped for.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Carver: I do not have children or grandchildren, but I know school safety has become damaged due to lack of common sense gun laws in our state. To rectify this issue, I plan to enact common sense gun laws such as red flag laws, storage laws, requirements for supplemental education and training, etc.
Eastham: While I do not yet have my own children, I fear for our students and the realities they are faced with in school. To affect the change needed for the peace of mind of our students, parents and teachers, I have a few key legislative priorities. First, the plan I highlighted to improve mental health care infrastructure in Knoxville will specifically seek to support vulnerable populations, including children who need mental health care. Second, I believe that legislation setting clear procedural expectations to secure our schools will increase student safety by enforcing safeguards between outsiders and students. While gun control warrants its own conversation, I will address it briefly here. I believe we need to do more to prevent guns, legal or otherwise, from winding up in the hands of those who should not have them.
The onus ought to be on gunowners to ensure their weapons are stored securely and are not accessible to anyone who is not authorized to be using them. Finally, in addition to more salient threats to our students' safety, our schools are being inundated with nicotine products and other paraphernalia which must be excised, with stiffer penalties in place for those providing them.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Carver: Keeping up with that influx will require sweeping measures to maintain our city and county. Priorities that are top of mind are protecting current residents with affordable housing, capping rental rates in accordance with determined guidelines, supporting a light rail/metro transportation system that is both sustainable and effective with net neutral carbon emissions to mitigate the climate effects of more people living in the area, legalization of cannabis to create a robust sales tax earnings to re-invest in schools and infrastructure to provide residents with a livable and robust city/county.
Eastham:
- I will support housing developments that work for everyone, with a variety of multifamily homes, apartments and single-family detached homes.
- I will ensure that our infrastructure will be able to accommodate such a significant increase, particularly with regards to interstates, highways and high-traffic city streets. With a greater population, I would also like to see a greater variety of options for travel. I have already commented on improving public transportation, but I would also like to see Knoxville grow in terms of walkability, with safer and more numerous sidewalks.
- I will cultivate a business climate in East Tennessee that will be sustainable as our population continues to expand. This will help guarantee that our current residents are not priced out by those moving in from higher income areas.
On the topics I touched on above (and truthfully, in all things), I will seek the guidance and opinions of experts in each respective field.
Tennessee House District 18
Elaine Davis, incumbent, Republican
Age: 57
Occupation: Retired
Elected offices held: Knox County Commission (2008-2008, Democrat), Tennessee House of Representatives (2022-present)
Davis did not give an in-person interview.
Bryan Goldberg, Democrat
Age: 41
Occupation: Manager of BELFOR office
Elected offices held: None
Goldberg in an in-person interview told Knox News the "ethos" of his campaign is that most Tennesseans want moderation and for people to talk to each other in a respectful manner in the legislature. He acknowledged his position as a Democratic candidate to be part of a Republican supermajority by saying he wants to take a different approach. He said each party has people who are meant to be "champions," and he wants to be in the background, with his name on legislation, rather than attached to soundbites.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Davis: I passed legislation to work toward the goal of staffing a nurse in every school for a ratio of one nurse for every 750 students. Current Tennessee law requires only one registered nurse per local education agency. However, in practice, most budget for a ratio of one registered nurse per 2,500 students.
I have been advocating to resolve this serious concern for 20 years. I have a son with Type 1 diabetes. His body produces no insulin. He was diagnosed at age 1 and is now 24. He was not safe at school without a site-based nurse there to administer his insulin. He is not alone. There are numerous students with chronic illnesses, severe allergies and other conditions that require a medical professional.
Goldberg: I think the voters deserve honesty. If elected, I would most likely find myself as a new member of a super-minority party. Being in that position would curtail the likelihood of much of my legislative efforts making it out of committee.
However, I will not let that possibility dampen my voice or efforts to fight for Tennessee families by advocating for the elimination of the sales tax on groceries, adding a rape and incest exception to our stateโs abortion ban, restoring the requirement of passing a permitting class for concealed carry and fighting against the voucher movement and for public schools. I will work in a bipartisan manner to advance the restoration of a mental health hospital to our area and advocate for my district in regards to TDOTโs road priorities to alleviate our growing congestion.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Davis: Our students need to focus on being successful students. The quantity and quality of their care impacts the quality and quantity of their days.
Goldberg: As a parent of two elementary students at Cedar Bluff Elementary, I believe this issue keeps our school administrators, resource officers and security personnel up at night. It certainly keeps my wife and me on edge.
I would like to see our state pass and fund laws requiring specific physical safety measures in schools, such as improved building security, controlled access to campuses and the presence of additional school resource officers.
I also believe we need legislation that supports enhanced funding for mental health professionals within each school, ensuring that students have access to counselors, psychologists and social workers to address behavioral and emotional issues. If combined with common sense gun laws such as safe storage laws, we would be sending a message that we value the safety and well-being of our children. If we come up short, what message are we sending to Tennesseeโs kids and their parents?
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Davis: Tennessee is a welcoming state. We are top in the nation in lowest debt burden, long-term fiscal responsibility and we have very low taxes. Our values are attracting a lot of newcomers. I am proud of Tennesseeโs leadership and I will work hard to continue this tradition.
Goldberg:
- My main focus will be infrastructure. We need to address the funding model for TDOT. The bulk of TDOTโs funding comes from state gasoline and diesel taxes. Outside of Memphis, Ford is building an enormous electric vehicle and battery factory and VW is on a mission to transform its electric vehicle footprint. If we are not careful and honest, we will see Tennessee at a road infrastructure funding deficit while also at its greatest demand for improvements and expansion.
- Growth will not be equalized across the state, and as proponent of small government, the state needs to undo the regulations it has placed on cities and municipalities when it comes to addressing localized density and development issues.
- Properly funding public education will enable our state to position itself in an ever changing economy. As a national security concern, we need manufacturing jobs and capacity in our state, but we must not sell Tennessee as a place for those industries singularly as a โlow wageโ state. We need to work on our public school curriculums so that Tennessee can also produce the needed workforce for the jobs of tomorrow
Tennessee House District 19
Dave Wright, incumbent, Republican
Age: 62
Occupation: Advertising
Elected offices held: Knox County Commission (2008-2018), Tennessee House of Representatives (2018-present)
Wright declined to participate.
Tennessee House District 89
Cary Hammond, Democrat
Age: 48
Occupation: Accountant
Elected offices held: None
Hammond told Knox News in an in-person interview that despite what some Republican officeholders have said, people in her district do care about abortion and women's rights. She said she's spoken to Republicans who fear their kids won't want to live in Tennessee and that OBGYNs are declining to practice here due to strict consequences for performing abortions. She also said it's clear from the lack of action following the Covenant School shooting that the legislature isn't listening to what Tennesseans want. In terms of the population influx, Hammond is a proponent of mixed-income housing developments where units have varying levels of density. Building up, she said, is the way to usher in growth and development without hurting the environment.
Justin Lafferty, incumbent, Republican
Age: 53
Occupation: Small business owner
Elected offices held: Tennessee House of Representatives (2021-present)
Lafferty declined to participate.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Hammond (from written response): My top legislative priority is to restore womenโs reproductive healthcare to the extent possible within the political makeup of the Tennessee General Assembly. If the current supermajority holds, it is imperative to reach across the aisle with the aid of public pressure to amend the current abortion ban to include exceptions for instances of rape, incest and health of the mother. If pro-choice candidates are able to break the supermajority, we will push to repeal the law altogether. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the tragedies already taking place in states with similar laws โ no woman should lose her life, health or financial stability due to a pregnancy.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Hammond: No child is currently safe while the supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly refuses to enact sensible gun safety legislation. The majority of Tennesseans agree that responsible gun ownership should include a safe storage requirement for all firearms in vehicles or in homes, and extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, to remove firearms from those deemed a risk to themselves or others.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Hammond: It is already evident that the influx of newcomers to Knox County and surrounding areas has puts immense pressure on available housing and affordability, increases traffic congestion and overburdens our schools. Our first priority must include building more housing, including new single and multifamily dwellings, apartment complexes, and condo/townhome units that require much less land than traditional single-family detached homes. Secondly, we need to ensure that we have sufficient community infrastructure including new schools, supermarkets, restaurants, healthcare options and greenspaces. Lastly, we should invest in public transportation options outside city limits including, but not limited to, expanded bus services and park-and-ride options.
Tennessee House District 90
Gloria Johnson, incumbent, Democrat
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired educator
Elected offices held: Tennessee House of Representatives (2012-2014, 2018-present)
Johnson said in a phone interview that some of her top priorities are expanding Medicaid and preventing Gov. Bill Lee's voucher program from becoming a reality across the state. She said it will bankrupt Tennessee and defund public education, which she views as the bedrock of American democracy. She referenced a disconnect between Republican officials spending money to elect pro-voucher candidates, and what their constituents actually want from them.
What specifically is your top legislative priority and what is your plan to accomplish it? (from written response)
Johnson: My top legislative priority is to bring down costs for working families and increase wages. After more than a decade of Republican control, Tennesseeโs middle class is shrinking, and our families are struggling under some of the highest inflation rates in the country. We need lawmakers who are laser-focused on helping working families build a good life.
In the House, I will introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage and ensure health coverage for every working family in Tennessee. These initiatives have bipartisan support, and I am ready to work with anyone โ Republican or Democrat โ to get results that will make a real difference for our communities.
Do you feel 100% assured that your child, grandchild or family member is safe at school? If not, what specific legislation will you pursue to ensure that they will be? (from written response)
Johnson: No, I do not feel 100% assured that children are safe in school, and that is unacceptable. Gunshot wounds are now the leading cause of death for children in Tennessee, and if it were a toy killing that many kids, this legislature would have acted immediately. But because it's firearms, too many people are afraid to take on the gun lobby. I'm not afraid of lobbyists. What I fear is having to console another family who has lost a child to senseless violence.
We can and must do more. A great place to start is with a red flag law, which would allow law enforcement and family members to ask a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone displaying dangerous behavior. A majority of Tennessee gun owners like myself support this common-sense approach to preventing gun violence in our schools, stores and workplaces. Itโs time to put our childrenโs safety above special interests.
There will be 251,068 newcomers in East Tennessee by 2040. What are your top three priorities prepare for the influx? (from written response)
Johnson: We must focus on rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure to keep up with this growth. After more than a decade of Republican control, our roads, bridges, sewers and stormwater systems have all fallen behind, and state government needs to get back to basics.
First, we need to fully fund our public schools. Tennessee ranks among the most underfunded school systems in the nation, and thatโs simply unacceptable with more families moving in every day.
Second, we have to address the $34 billion backlog in transportation projects. Roads are failing, and congestion is only going to get worse unless we invest in modernizing our infrastructure.
Third, we need to build more affordable housing. As the population grows, so must our supply of housing to ensure people can live and work in the communities they love. I will be a voice pushing to tackle these issues head-on, because waiting for roads to fail and schools to burst at the seams is not an option.