Tennessee is headed toward a historic November election as Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green compete to become the state’s first female governor.
As voters prepare to choose the state’s next leader, affordability, public education, housing and wages are emerging among the issues advocates and elected officials say should receive greater attention.
State Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, said the rising cost of living is among the most pressing concerns facing Tennessee families.
“I think at the top of that agenda must be tackling the affordability crisis in our state,” Oliver said. “That starts with eliminating the four percent grocery tax that we have in this state. We should not be taxing a basic necessity that everyone needs.”
Oliver said families are spending increasingly large portions of their incomes on necessities including housing, groceries and childcare.
She also called for Tennessee to reconsider its wage policies. The state does not have its own minimum wage and follows the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
“We must look at raising the minimum wage to a livable wage in the state,” Oliver said. “It is still $7.25 in the state, and that’s ridiculous when you look at gas prices now approaching over $4 a gallon.”
Education is another issue expected to receive attention during the campaign.
James McCarroll, Jr. senior pastor of First Baptist Church-Murfreesboro and vice chair of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, said Tennessee’s next governor should prioritize public schools and reconsider the state’s school voucher program.
“Making sure that they really reconsider the voucher program, and make sure that the funds for education in our state are going to the proper schools, which primarily point to public education, which is suffering greatly with the voucher program,” McCarroll said.
Housing affordability and availability are also concerns.
McCarroll said state leaders should examine the effect of corporate ownership of residential properties and work to ensure federal resources reach Tennesseans who need them most.
He called for “doing some key and critical work in making sure corporations aren’t coming in swallowing up housing.”
“The third thing is making sure federal dollars being allocated to our state are going to the most vulnerable populations,” McCarroll said.
The governor’s race comes as Tennessee continues to struggle with voter participation despite having more than four million registered voters. Oliver noted that the state has historically ranked near the bottom nationally in voter turnout.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The race between Blackburn and Green guarantees that Tennessee will elect a woman as governor for the first time in state history, adding another milestone for women in Tennessee politics. Women make up six of the state’s 18 major-party nominees for the U.S. House this year, including five Democratic nominees and one Republican.
Oliver is also launching Stand Together Tennessee, an initiative she said will address redistricting and advocate for progress on education and health care.
As the general election campaign moves into its final months, the historic nature of the governor’s race will provide the backdrop, but concerns about household finances, schools, housing and wages are likely to help shape the decisions voters make at the polls.
