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TN Senate, District 17 Choose 1

State senators are elected to four-year terms. They must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years, a resident of the state of Tennessee at least 7 years prior to an election and a qualified registered voter. Tennessee legislators are in session from January until May each year.

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Theodore (Butch) Baker (Rep)

Biographical Information

What steps should the State Legislature take to ensure a quality education for students?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What, if any, should be the role of the State Legislature in the regulation of data centers?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What is something that you would like to accomplish during the next legislative session?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What do you think the State Legislature should do about the affordability crisis facing Tennesseans

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Joni Cochran (Dem)

Biographical Information

Education BA in English, University of Louisville; MBA, Strayer University
Campaign Phone 615-314-1860

What steps should the State Legislature take to ensure a quality education for students?

The first thing the Tennessee General Assembly can do is adhere to the constitutional requirement to provide a quality education by providing adequate funding. The next thing to be done is to appoint qualified people to the Tennessee Board of Education who will set policies that support children and teachers without requiring onerous testing like we have now. The third thing to be done is to reinvigorate the teacher's union so that teachers participate in decision-making at every level.

What, if any, should be the role of the State Legislature in the regulation of data centers?

Given the threat to the environment that data centers have, I think the state legislature has a proper role in regulating where and how data centers operate in Tennessee.

What is something that you would like to accomplish during the next legislative session?

I would like to fully fund education, revise Tennessee's tax structure, repeal the restrictions on civil rights that have been passed, and enact gun sensible legislation.

What do you think the State Legislature should do about the affordability crisis facing Tennesseans

Revising how the state raises revenue will have a tremendous impact on affordability at the grocery store by repealing grocery taxes. Stopping corporations from buying up residential homes and turning them into expensive rental properties will also go a long way to solving the housing crisis in Tennessee. Ending corporate handouts and requiring big business to pay its fair share will ease the tax burden that Tennessee families currently carry.

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Lindsay Patrick-Wright (Dem)

Biographical Information

Education B.A. Rhodes College; M.L.I.S., University of Southern Mississippi
Campaign Phone 6292316170

What steps should the State Legislature take to ensure a quality education for students?

The Legislature should focus on strengthening our public schools by fully funding education, investing in teachers, and expanding opportunities for every child. One of my top priorities is making voluntary Universal Pre-K available to every Tennessee family because we know early learning improves student outcomes and helps working parents. We must also raise teacher pay, invest in counselors and mental health services, strengthen Career and Technical Education, and ensure schools have the resources they need to succeed. Instead of diverting taxpayer dollars through vouchers, we should invest in the public schools that serve more than 90% of Tennessee students.

What, if any, should be the role of the State Legislature in the regulation of data centers?

The State Legislature has a responsibility to set clear statewide standards that protect our communities while respecting local control over land use. Data centers can bring economic investment, but they also place significant demands on our power grid, water supply, roads, and emergency services. The Legislature should require transparency, ensure companies pay their fair share of infrastructure costs, establish reasonable environmental standards, and give local governments and residents a meaningful voice in siting decisions. Growth should benefit Tennessee communities—not come at their expense.

What is something that you would like to accomplish during the next legislative session?

My top priorities are strengthening public education and making Tennessee more affordable for working families. I want to stop the expansion of private school vouchers and keep public dollars invested in our public schools. I also want to begin building a path to voluntary Universal Pre-K, because every child deserves a strong start and every family deserves access to affordable early education. Finally, I will continue fighting to eliminate the state grocery tax, giving Tennessee families meani

What do you think the State Legislature should do about the affordability crisis facing Tennesseans

The affordability crisis requires practical solutions that put working families first. The Legislature should eliminate the state grocery tax, expand access to affordable childcare through voluntary Universal Pre-K, increase the supply of attainable housing, and ensure wages keep pace with the cost of living. We also need to protect access to affordable healthcare and invest in infrastructure that supports growing communities. Tennessee families are working hard—they need a government that helps

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Mark Pody (Rep)

Biographical Information

What steps should the State Legislature take to ensure a quality education for students?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What, if any, should be the role of the State Legislature in the regulation of data centers?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What is something that you would like to accomplish during the next legislative session?

Candidate has not yet responded.

What do you think the State Legislature should do about the affordability crisis facing Tennesseans

Candidate has not yet responded.