Compare Randal Cooper and John Rose, Tennessee candidates for Congress, District 6
The Tennessean Editorial Board invited all Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress in Tennessee to fill out its survey for the 2022 midterm elections. All the eventual nominees provided their biographical information and answered 10 questions. Below find the answers for this particular race. Early voting ends on Nov. 3 and Election Day is Nov. 8.
More: Learn about candidates running in the Nov. 8 Tennessee general election | Editorial
Democratic nominee: Randal Cooper
Republican nominee: John Rose (incumbent)
About Randal Cooper
Age: 51
Neighborhood, town and/or city: Nashville
Education: Georgia Tech
Job history: Mechanical Engineer
Family: Married to Laura, dad to Philip, age 5
About John Rose
Age: 57
Neighborhood, town and/or city: Cookeville
Education: Vanderbilt University Law School - JD (1990-1993) Purdue University - MS, agricultural economics (1988-1990) Tennessee Technological University - BS, agribusiness economics (1983-1988) Cookeville High School - Diploma, salutatorian (1980-1983)
Job history: Boson Software LLC, President (2005-present) Rose Farm, Farmer Transcender Corp., President and Co-Founder (1992-2000)
Family: Wife: Chelsea of 11 years. Sons: Guy (5) and Sam (1)
Ten Questions about your Candidacy
What office are you seeking? (Include district)
U.S. House of Representatives District 6 (both)
Why are you running for this office?
Cooper:
When the Tennessee Legislature gerrymandered Nashville into three different districts to try and gain an extra seat in Congress, I realized that nobody was running who represented true progressive values. I want to make this country a better place for my son to live, where he will be safe in school, and won't be burdened by massive government debt from Republican tax giveaways, where he will have freedom of expression and will be able to make a good living to provide for his family, and most importantly, that he will continue to live in an America that's a democracy.
Rose:
As the father of two young boys (ages 5 and 19 months), I am running for office because I want to leave a better future for our children. For the first time in our country’s history I believe this American tradition is at stake. A majority of Americans believe the country is headed down the wrong path, and I want to do everything I can to prevent that from happening so that our children have the same opportunities that we did.
What makes you qualified to hold this office and better qualified than your opponent(s)? (Please specify if you are unopposed, but feel free to answer)
Cooper:
As an engineer, my job is to identify and solve problems, and not pay back big money donors. While that makes me a bad politician, it means that when I'm in office I can focus on making things better instead of trying to pay political favors. It also means I can listen to the constituents in my district and vote in their interest, instead of in the interest of a big corporation or lobbying group.
Rose:
As a Nashville business owner and farmer in rural Tennessee, I understand the challenges of a diverse district such as ours that includes a major metropolitan area, thriving suburban cities and some of our state’s most beautiful small towns. I have successfully built two small businesses here in Nashville, one recognized five years in a row by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s Music City Future 50 list for being one of the fastest growing businesses in the region. For the past 25 years, I have operated an 8th generation family farm in DeKalb and Smith Counties. I also served as Tennessee’s 33rd Commissioner of agriculture managing a statewide staff serving our state's largest industry. As a Vanderbilt trained lawyer, licensed since 1993, I possess a critical understanding of our Constitution and laws. I believe I have the education, knowledge, experience and perspective to represent our district in Congress. As your Representative in Congress, I have never stopped listening to your concerns even when we may disagree. The amount of knowledge I have gained in the last four years serving in Congress combined with my life experiences and my desire to leave a better future for our children makes me best suited to continue representing Middle Tennessee in Washington.
How can you make the biggest impact on your community through this position?
Cooper:
A member of Congress has the responsibility to act with honesty and integrity, to set an example of how an honorable person should behave. The biggest impact someone in this position can have is to show what the difference is between being powerful and being good. There are a lot of powerful people in Washington, and a lot of people who want to be powerful. There are precious few who want to be good.
Rose:
I can make the biggest impact on our community by providing world-class and effective constituent services, which help each Tennessean when they need me most. As a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, my job is to not only serve as your federal representative on all matters within the House of Representatives but to also help my constituents navigate the large and complex federal government. I have helped countless Tennesseans with trouble getting a passport, receiving their tax return, and helping secure federal grants for community projects like water infrastructure and road repaving.
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If you are elected (or re-elected), what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office?
Cooper:
Narrowing down to two or three priorities is a luxury when there's so much that needs to be fixed, but we need to secure free and fair elections, guarantee everyone's right to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies, and protecting workers by guaranteeing them affordable healthcare and living wages. We also need to be fighting inflation, which is a result of decades of lax federal monetary policy coupled with a highly regressive tax structure--basically giving money away for big corporations and then letting them take profits without paying back into the system that allowed those excessive profits in the first place.
Rose:
Lowering gas prices and the cost of living, defending our country from crime, illegal immigration, and foreign adversaries, and holding our federal government accountable.
Lowering gas prices and the cost of living: Tennesseans are paying the price for President Biden’s reckless spending and anti-energy policies. I have no doubt that the trillions of additional dollars President Biden and Congressional Democrats have spent since gaining complete control of Congress and the White House have fueled the flames of record-high inflation. This unnecessary and costly deficit spending must end, and Congress needs to put our fiscal house back in order. Additionally, America is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that we should take advantage of to lower the price of gas and diesel fuel we rely on to power our economy.
Defending our country: There were a record 2.37 million illegal border crossings in Fiscal Year 2022 (Customs and Border Protection use the Fiscal Year to keep records). This doesn’t even include the more than 600,000 “got-aways”. Combined, that’s more than triple the population of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson counties combined. Every corner of our communities felt the impact of this humanitarian crisis. Whether it's the fentanyl killing our children or the billions of dollars being diverted from other issues to process such an eye-popping number of illegal immigrants. We must secure our southern border by finishing the border wall, ending catch and release, and reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy to get illegal immigration under control.
Holding the government accountable: It has been more than ninety days since a Biden Administration official has testified in front of the committee on which I serve, the House Committee on Financial Services. This is unacceptable as the American people deserve to have their voices heard in regard to how the Biden Administration implements laws. For example, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed climate change rule would pose tremendous costs to local, small farms across Tennessee. The SEC commissioners should be compelled to publicly testify on the rule’s impact and answer questions as to how they expect small farms with limited resources to comply with such a burdensome and costly rulemaking.
What are you hearing most from voters about what they want you to accomplish, if elected?
Cooper:
Voters in my district are angry about the Republicans and the Supreme Court taking away their constitutional right to abortion, and these same Republicans plan to take away even more rights: Birth control, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion. We see the Supreme Court, time and again, ruling against free and fair elections, and the people's right to choose their government.. The constitution establishes checks and balances for a reason, and it's to prevent overreach by any one branch of government in this manner. The people I talk to want that fixed, and I aim to do everything I can to correct it.
Rose:
Tennesseans want their shot at the American Dream. They want a house in a safe neighborhood or community. They want a good paying job. They want to send their children to quality schools. They want good roads and high speed internet. And, the last thing they want is for Washington to get in the way. Yet, that is where we are. Student loan payoffs for the elite few, 87,000 new IRS agents hired, children being indoctrinated with the liberal agenda at school, corruption at all levels of government, our National Security at risk thanks to crises such as the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and a wide-open border, and the list goes on. Voters tell me, unequivocally, they want less government and more freedom. I agree with them and that goal is central to every decision I make.
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What else do you want voters to know about you that will help them make an informed decision on Election Day?
Cooper:
Tennessee's Sixth District hasn't always been dominated by hard-right Republicans. It was the district that sent Al Gore to congress--even after being gerrymandered for the 1982 election. The last twelve years notwithstanding, the 6th district has a history of sending common-sense candidates of both parties to represent them, and I believe they will do that again, given the right choice. My parents (both schoolteachers) raised me to do the right thing even when it wasn't popular, and to try to set a good example for others.
Rose:
As a Christian I am guided by biblical morals and believe that this nation is a nation under God. Faith fuels my drive to serve Tennesseans with honesty and integrity. I pray that my earnest and faithful devotion to this great state may enable you and your family to fully and freely pursue your version of the American Dream.
Tell us about a mentor or guide who made a difference in your life and what wisdom would you impart to the community?
Cooper:
When I was in college I became friends with Eugene Walter, who was often described as a "renaissance man" due to his storied career--Air Force cryptographer, writer, interviewer, actor. He taught me to always be open to new possibilities, to not live in fear of the unknown, and to always be curious.
Rose:
Millard Vaughn Oakley, a rags to riches, Tennessee success story, who I had the privilege of knowing during his life. He passed earlier this year but will live on as a Tennessee folk hero known for his extraordinary generosity much of which we may never hear about. We come from different political parties, but shared a deep love for Tennessee that transcended politics. That friendship serves as a constant reminder to me that with America’s best interests in mind, cooperation and bipartisanship is possible.
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Will you commit to being civil in how you present yourself and the way you interact with opponents and others? (Our definition of civility is being a good, active, honest and respectable citizen)
Both candidates answered yes.
A fun question: What are one or two attractions (restaurants, parks, venues, etc.) that visitors cannot miss if they come to your community?
Cooper:
I live in East Nashville, and our attractions are well-documented in publications from The Tennessean to The New York Times--The Basement East, East Side Bowl, Tomato Art Fest. But there are marvelous places all around the 6th District, from the Stardust Drive-In in Watertown to Fall Creek Falls State Park. The 6th District covers a wide range of geography and viewpoints--but there's a lot of great places for everyone to share.
Rose:
Ralph’s Donuts in Cookeville. Tennessee State Fair, annually in the district in Wilson County.
Call Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Compare Randal Cooper and John Rose for Congress, District 6
