United States House of Representatives District 2 Choose 1
Biographical Information
Age
33
Education
Ph.D - Civil Engineering
Work experience
Local Small Business Owner
Phone Number
(865) 297-3572
What do you think are the 3 biggest challenges facing constituents?
The three biggest challenges facing my constituents are access to affordable healthcare, an economy rigged against hard-working Americans, and crumbling infrastructure across my district. Insurance companies and big pharma continue to take advantage of those most in need, increasing consumer costs and denying care while posting record profits. The cost of living – from housing to groceries to gas – has skyrocketed, but our wages have not kept up. And our district faces nearly $7 billion in infrastructure needs over the next five years, while a housing shortage is driving up costs and pushing families out of our communities.
If elected, how do you plan to address those challenges?
I believe that quality, affordable healthcare should be accessible to all. To tackle this challenge, I will champion drug price caps, reign in insurance company abuses, and advocate for a universal healthcare option. I also believe that working hard should get you ahead, not put you behind. I will work to secure federal funding for workforce development, support a federal minimum wage increase, and close billionaire tax loopholes. Finally, I will fight for investments in a better future for our residents. I will direct federal funding to critical infrastructure projects, push for incentives to reduce red tape in construction, invest in vocational training, support clean energy manufacturing, and secure upgrades to our public schools.
What do you think Congress should do about the affordability issues facing constituents?
As a small business owner, engineer, and jobs-creator, I believe that all Americans should have access to good jobs that contribute to our society and create financial stability. Yet, the cost of living – from housing to groceries to gas – has skyrocketed, and wages aren’t keeping up. Congress must step up to help hard-working Americans. This means passing a federal minimum wage increase, funding job training programs, closing billionaire tax loopholes, and holding corporations accountable for fraud and breaking the law. A successful future for our workforce, our economy, and our country means passing legislation that supports workers, families, and innovation, not just the already-wealthy.
What steps should Congress take to ensure a quality education for students?
Education is the foundation for our future. Every child and young person deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. But today, we are failing our students and our educators. We're facing an administration that has all but shuttered the Department of Education, a national teacher shortage, unequal access to technology, and voucher programs stripping our public schools of already limited resources. To address this issue, Congress should raise teacher salaries, cap student loan interest rates, lower cost barriers for trade schools, fund affordable childcare and early childhood education, and increase transparency of federal spending on education.
What, if any, should be the role of Congress in the regulation of data centers?
Our nation’s resources, from water to land to electricity, should benefit our communities, not billionaires and their massive corporations. AI can bring innovation, but it also relies on data centers that strain our power grids, increase our utility rates, and threaten our environment. Since AI and its data centers will continue to shape our economy and environment for years to come, Congress must ensure that Americans are protected from its worst impacts. Congress should protect cities’ and states’ rights to regulate data centers, impose restrictions that protect community resources, require AI data centers to pay their fair share for utilities, and fund workforce development for those displaced by AI.
Biographical Information
What do you think are the 3 biggest challenges facing constituents?
Candidate has not yet responded.
If elected, how do you plan to address those challenges?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What do you think Congress should do about the affordability issues facing constituents?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What steps should Congress take to ensure a quality education for students?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What, if any, should be the role of Congress in the regulation of data centers?
Candidate has not yet responded.
Biographical Information
Website
http://fineforcongresstn.com
Age
64
Education
Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Advanced Marine Mechanics Certification
Work experience
Started out as a paperboy, delivering newspapers door to door. Worked in the restaurant industry, from dishwasher to head cook. Parked cars and served as a doorman at exclusive establishments in South Florida. carpet installer, scrap yard hand, worked on the family baitfish farm. Farmed 20 acres, selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs at farmers markets in the city. Stone and blue crabber, running 800 traps. Built a career as a marine mechanic both at a dealership and as a small business owner. Newspaper photojournalist in Monroe, Louisiana, Southwest Florida and at USA Today. Chestnut farmer
Phone Number
8654972582
What do you think are the 3 biggest challenges facing constituents?
The three biggest challenges facing residents of Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District not being addressed by our current elected officials are the rising cost of living, access to affordable healthcare, and transportation infrastructure. Families are struggling with skyrocketing food, fuel, insurance and housing costs, increasing taxes and limited affordable housing options. Many residents also face difficulty obtaining affordable medical, dental, and vision care, particularly in underserved communities. At the same time, growing traffic congestion, aging roads, and limited transportation options make commuting, economic growth, and access to jobs, schools, and healthcare more difficult.
If elected, how do you plan to address those challenges?
As a new member of Congress I can work for the vast majority of the people in our district to lower costs by supporting tax relief for working families, reducing prescription drug prices, expanding competition, and strengthening workforce training. Affordable housing could be increased through incentives for new construction and rehabilitation, first-time homebuyer assistance, and streamlined federal programs. I can work to improve healthcare by expanding access to affordable medical, dental, and vision care, especially in rural areas. I will work to secure federal funding to modernize roads, bridges, broadband, and public transit to improve safety, mobility, and economic growth.
What do you think Congress should do about the affordability issues facing constituents?
Congress can improve affordability by ending tariffs that are not specifically targeted for strategic purpose and ending our military aggression in the Middle East. Everyday costs could be lowered with tax relief for working families, increasing supply of affordable housing, expanding access to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs, investing in infrastructure to reduce transportation costs, supporting workforce training and higher-paying jobs, strengthening competition to lower prices, and promoting responsible fiscal policies that reduce inflation while protecting essential services. These steps can help families keep more of what they earn and build long-term financial security.
What steps should Congress take to ensure a quality education for students?
With every fiber of my being I will work to strengthen education to reimagine the Department of Education by working with local schools and states to expand what works, learn from top-performing nations, and keep local control where it belongs. We should support high-quality early childhood education, Pell Grants, career and technical education, stronger literacy and STEM instruction, affordable college, and workforce training. Congress should also invest in teacher recruitment, modern classrooms, mental health, special education, and safe schools. Federal dollars should support public education, not private-school vouchers, so every child has a fair shot and every taxpayer sees results.
What, if any, should be the role of Congress in the regulation of data centers?
I stand firm for a moratorium on data centers until strong legislation with real teeth, enforceable corporate crippling consequences, is put in place to protect local communities, our power supplies, our aging and fragile grid, water resources and environment. In addition the same strong legislation is needed to put guardrails on AI to prevent nefarious activity, protect jobs for working Americans, to prevent bias and misinformation by amplifying and automating human biases creating discriminatory outcomes in hiring, lending, law enforcement and generating false information in addition to the risk of economic disruption and security threats of deepfakes and sophisticated cyberattacks.
Biographical Information
Age
37
What do you think are the 3 biggest challenges facing constituents?
The integrity of our elected officials. We need people from the working class that understand the daily struggles of familes in our district.
In kindergarten, we were taught the "Golden Rule", treat others as you want to be treated. We need people who live like Dolly and have empathy for our fellow humanbeings.
We can reduce the cost of living and housing, ensure our schools are funded, that children are not going to bed hungry, our sick can recieve treatment, and our individual American Dream can be reached.
We need someone who will listen to the people, the professionals of their fields, and diplomatically bring people together to find solutions.
If elected, how do you plan to address those challenges?
Listen. That's the biggest issue I see with our officials. They do not listen to the people. Partisan politics are preventing us from having a better life and better government. I believe there are people in our district with excellent ideas and solutions, but are ignored.
I will present ideas, not force them on you. We need to know our voice is being heard.
Currently, money is louder than the people. We must end Citizens United to reclaim our voice.
If elected, I will listen to the people, not the money. I will accept no PAC donations nor seek a career in politics. I do not seek office for financial gain, I just want my family and hometown to have a better future.
What do you think Congress should do about the affordability issues facing constituents?
We need to listen to professionals in their industries and analyze how we can be more efficient.
One issue with food and goods is the consolidation of massive corporations that no longer have to compete with pricing. We need more small farmers and business owners
Oil costs are subject to actions across the globe and stability is at constant risk. We need energy production domestically to ensure national security and financial stability.
Home ownership is a struggle for many Tennesseans. The price of materials increased and the cost passes to the buyer. Additionally, Wall Street has outbid many first time buyers with bottomless pockets to spend.
We need someone willing to listen and help form solutions, not corporate profits.
What steps should Congress take to ensure a quality education for students?
Fully fund public education. Give teachers a better salary and part of a public pension to ensure they are not burdened further while educating our future generation.
By spending 1% less on bombs and bullets, we could afford this.
What, if any, should be the role of Congress in the regulation of data centers?
Personally, I dont want data centers anywhere.
The local government is the deciding factor for what business can be conducted and construction / zoning in their jurisdiction.
Federally, we could set national guidelines and taxes, but this is a local issue and a good example of why all levels of government matter. Elect people who will ban data centers in your local office to truly keep them from being built.