Nashville, TN – Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson continues her 95 County tour, speaking with local Tennessee press about her decision to run for office, the challenges Tennessee families face everyday and the urgency she feels to make Tennessee a better place to live.
As Senator, Gloria Johnson will continue to fight for a livable wage for all Tennessee families, expand access to affordable healthcare, and protect Tennessee women’s right to make her own healthcare decisions.
See coverage below
The Daily Memphian On the Record: Democratic Senate nominee Gloria Johnson
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GLORIA JOHNSON: I’ve seen more excitement across the state about this election year than I’ve seen before. It’s so energizing and so exciting to see that people are really eager to go and vote.
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GLORIA JOHNSON: […] It is time that Tennesseans had people tell them the truth and had people fighting to give power back to the middle class instead of ensuring that the power stays with the wealthy and the corporations.
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GLORIA JOHNSON: I absolutely hope that we do have debates because the people deserve to hear from their representation about the policies they care about. […] all the things that I care about deeply are favored by Republicans, Democrats, and independents in Tennessee.
Verbally Effective with Ena Esco: Gloria Johnson: Fighting for Tennessee’s Future
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ENA ESCO: How did your experience with education really propel you into politics?
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GLORIA JOHNSON: It’s really funny when you talk about politics, especially when you talk about women in politics. You tend to find that women get involved when they feel like someone’s coming after them or something they love or something like that. So, for me, it was coming after public education. What I saw was the Tennessee legislature trying to take away a teacher’s seat at the table, take away their collective bargaining rights, their say in what happens in public education. When I saw that start to happen, I knew I was going to have to […] fight back to make sure our kids have the best public education possible.
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ENA ESCO: I’m thinking about how Tennessee has always been a red state. […] Could we be turning purple or blue? What do you think?
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GLORIA JOHNSON: So in 2018, Marsha Blackburn only won by 200,000 votes. We know that there are 300,000 Democrats that haven’t voted in the last few cycles. We get those folks out to vote, we win this seat for the people, and I can promise you I will always be for the people. I don’t live in a mansion. I live in a tiny two-bedroom cottage style house that I’ve had for 30 years. I live paycheck to paycheck just like the majority of Tennesseans and I think that it’s time that we had somebody who understood Tennessee families and their fights representing them in DC.
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GLORIA JOHNSON: All politics is local. […] Everybody comes out because it’s the presidential election, but all of those same politics are down to the local level and they’re so important. Typically, those are the things that affect you most at home and that you see the most.
The Erwin Record: Democratic Senate candidate makes Erwin campaign visit
[Bryan Stevens, 9/3/24]
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Rep. Gloria Johnson, who represents Knox County’s District 90 in the Tennessee General Assembly, visited Erwin on Tuesday, Sept. 3, as part of a goal to visit all 95 counties as part of her campaign to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
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Johnson said that she got into the race on behalf of hard-working Tennesseans. “Tennesseans deserve a senator working for hard-working men and women, not corporations and lobbyists,” Johnson said.
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Johnson said that her opponent is against many of the things most Tennesseans want, including a $35.00 insulin cap, reduced drug prices for seniors and a child tax credit.
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A former teacher, Johnson said that education remains a priority for her.
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She is also an advocate for a solution to gun violence. “I’m a gun owner…, but I believe that there should be protections in place to keep our families and children safe.”
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“We want to go where they feel comfortable,” she said. Johnson said voters in rural counties are often grateful for a chance to be heard. “I need to know what legislation they feel is needed,” she added.
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“I want to work to make sure healthcare and prescription drugs are affordable, and people don’t have to work two jobs to afford healthcare.” Johnson also said that Blackburn does not want to raise the federal minimum wage. “It’s impossible even for an 18-year-old to live on $7.25 an hour,” she said.
About Gloria Johnson
State Representative Gloria Johnson has dedicated her life to serving Tennesseans, fighting for justice and standing tall for all who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice. A special education teacher of 27 years, Gloria was fed up with elected officials attacking the rights of public school students and teachers.
As a member of the “Tennessee Three” she demanded Republican politicians in Nashville stop with the BS and pass gun safety measures to prevent future shootings. Gloria is running for U.S. Senate because she knows it is time to shift power back where it belongs: with working and middle class families.
As Senator, Gloria will put Tennesseans first by fighting to lower costs for Tennessee families, expand access to affordable healthcare, protect reproductive freedom, pass common sense gun safety laws, and increase funding for our public schools.
