NewsChannel 5 submitted questions on some of this election's biggest issues to all major party candidates for Tennessee's U.S. Senate race and U.S. Congressional Districts 5, 6, and 7. These are their answers. The questions appear here as they were presented to the candidates and their answers are unedited. It is hoped that being able to read the candidates' stances on issues in their own words will produce a more informed electorate.
TN Rep. Gloria Johnson is running as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
1. What are three priorities you will take with you into office?
As Senator, I will work to expand access to affordable healthcare, including lowering prescription drug costs, ensure all hardworking Tennessee families have access to a livable wage, and protect a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions free from government interference.
I’m running to take the power out of the hands of the corporations and special interest groups and place it back where it belongs: in the hands of middle and working families. In the Senate, I will work with whoever it takes to make sure Tennessee families have access to affordable healthcare, raise the federal minimum wage, and pass legislation that protects a woman’s right to reproductive freedom.
2. How would you grade the federal response to flooding in East Tennessee and what measures would you support as a member of Congress to help Americans hit by natural disasters?
The federal government is working as hard as they can to deliver relief to victims of Hurricane Helene. Unfortunately, Senator Marsha Blackburn voted against funding for FEMA to provide relief to Tennessee families.
As a Senator, I'd push for our state leadership to swiftly file disaster declaration, for increased funding for disaster preparedness and infrastructure upgrades, for extended support for long-term community recovery, for investment in climate resilience to address root causes, and more equitable distribution of aid across all affected communities.
We must do better for Tennesseans and all Americans facing natural disasters. I'll fight to ensure our communities have what they need to recover from this devastating hurricane.
3. What should America's role be in the Israel/Gaza conflict and how would you support that role as a member of Congress?
The United States must hold itself and our allies to a standard that honors international law.
We need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and we need to bring all the hostages home. The longer innocent people are being killed, the further away we get from a two-state solution. The continuation of violence won’t make anyone safer, we need humanitarian relief and diplomatic efforts that bring real solutions.
4. In the two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many have suggested a new federal law guaranteeing a legal right to an abortion in all 50 states. How would you vote on such a law? What role do you see the federal government playing in abortion policy?
I have always fought for and will continue to fight for a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions free from government interference. As Senator, I would continue to support a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions with her doctor, not politicians. We must restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.
As a Senator, I'd also fight to guarantee access to birth control and IVF. We must do everything we can to protect individual rights and healthcare access, while fostering a society where every family has the support they need.
5. What should Congress do to address immigration policy?
Congress must enact comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens border security and responds to the humanitarian crisis at the border. Yet Washington politicians including Sen. Blackburn have spent years kicking the can down the road and obstructing solutions.
First, we must secure the border and stop fentanyl trafficking. We also should protect DACA recipients and fix our broken immigration system for the long term.
Meanwhile, my opponent Marsha Blackburn plays politics with the border rather than solve this crisis, opposing a bipartisan plan backed by the BorderPatrol to stop fentanyl trafficking and put thousands of new CBP agents on the border. We must put politics aside to solve this crisis.
6. American families have seen large price increases on essential household items. What can Washington do to curb inflation on necessary goods like food and fuel?
There’s no question - costs are too high, and we need a Senator willing to work for Tennessee families rather than corporate special interests. Sen. Blackburn has taken more than $10 million from corporate special interests, and has let them get away with price gouging Tennesseans.
We need to crack down on big corporations taking advantage of working families with high prices. I’ll fight to lower medication costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices on more prescriptions and extending those savings to all Tenneesseans and capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month for everyone. We can lower grocery prices by cracking down on price gouging by the big corporate chains. And we need to lower housing costs by investing in more affordable housing to increase supply and stopping Wall Street hedge funds from buying up homes and raising rents to make larger profits at our expense. In addition, the majority of Tennesseans of all parties support raising the wage, and anyone working a hard 40 hour work week deserves a living wage, we must raise the wage.
7. What would you say has been the most important achievement in your career?
My most significant achievement has been working as an advocate for Tennessee public schools as an educator and as a state representative and lifting the voices of those who need it most.
As a state representative, I fought to fully fund our public schools and raise teacher pay, sponsored a bill to reduce class sizes, and opposed the school voucher bill that will defund Tennessee’s public schools. I also have worked for real solutions for our public schools by passing the Community Schools Act.
