The two men were interviewed earlier this week since the 10th Senate District had been redrawn by the Tennessee General Assembly to combine portions of Bradley and Hamilton counties.
They were asked if they agreed or disagreed that Bradley County was split to best suit the interests of the Republican Party. Both said the process is political and redistricting will probably never change. With that being said, they both expressed belief that Bradley County will be better off with two voices in the state Senate rather than one.
Both have valued personal and business ties and interests in Bradley County. Also, Bradley County represents a solidly Republican voting block of about 24 percent in the 10th Senatorial District that cannot be ignored.
When asked if they would place the will of the people in their district above advancement in the party, they both said party stature was unimportant at this point in their lives.
Asked if government should operate on a business model, both agreed government serves specific functions. However, there are elements of business such as balancing the state budgets that need to be incorporated into government.
Both candidates released their tax returns to the Cleveland Daily Banner. However, they will not be published nor referred to.
The following are excerpts from 40-minute interviews with each candidate.
