NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Long-time Tennessee lawmaker and former Speaker of the State House Beth Harwell has announced she's running for Congress.
Harwell is campaigning for the Republican nomination for Tennessee's newly drawn 5th Congressional District. The district spans across parts of Davidson, Wilson, Williamson, Maury, Lewis and Marshall County.
She served as a state representative for the 56th District for 30 years until 2019. Harwell also led the House as speaker for eight years.
Harwell said she's spent the last few months listening to what voters want to see changed.
"One thing that all these counties have in common, whether they are rural or urban, is a tremendous amount of growth. The one thing I think almost all people are interested in, whether they are rural or urban, is that inflation is eating up more and more of their paycheck. So it's harder to buy a home. It's harder to buy gas for your car. All these things matter to folks," Harwell said.
She also said voters are also concerned with security at the border as well as government spending and debt.
"The border issue is huge in Tennessee. I know that we are not a border state but when you look at it, all the states are border states because they are bringing people over here illegally and then dispersing them throughout the nation. So, that's a huge issue for our state," Harwell said. "I also say fiscal responsibility is a huge issue for our state. People are tired of the insanity of the spending and the debt that we see at the federal level."
All nine Tennessee Congressional Districts will have an election later this year.
