Jane George seeks Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett in 2nd District

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett will face a Democratic challenger in his 2024 race for reelection to the 2nd Congressional District. Small-business owner Jane George announced Dec. 4 she will seek the Democratic nomination.

"I'm running for Congress because we need leaders who are focused on delivering results," George said in a news release. "Right now, the House is in serious dysfunction and Tim Burchett is to blame. We need a new voice, and I'm running to help Congress get back to work for the people."

Burchett, who will be seeking his fourth term in 2024, has had an eventful year. He made national headlines for his involvement in the ouster of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy and subsequent conflicts in D.C.

A Burchett campaign spokesperson declined to comment Dec. 4 on George's announcement.

George tells Knox News a Democrat can win in the 2nd District

In an interview Dec. 4 with Knox News, George says she's seeking to be the antithesis of Burchett's ultra-conservative ideology, citing a history of civil discourse in her family as motivation to make things happen in Congress.

"My passion lies in my desire to work to create a safe political space in which the voice of the people is heard, acknowledged and represented at the highest levels of government regardless of political party," she said.

George has been doing exploratory research on what a run in East Tennessee will look like since October, and told Knox News research shows a win is possible.

"I really believe in the constituency of this district," she said. "We have a (path to winning) and it is doable."

George said she is ready to appeal to moderate Republicans in the general election. She's relying on her expertise as a business owner to do so.

"I understand fiscal responsibility, I understand the importance of entrepreneurship in a community," she said. "I know personally how regulation impacts (business owners') ability to work. From a fiscal perspective, I'm pretty moderate."

2nd District has never been won by a Democrat

She told Knox News climate change will be front and center during her campaign as well. She isn't interested in debating whether the climate is changing, but wants to work across the aisle to find a solution.

"I'm not going to have an argument with someone over whether climate change is real," she said. "The bottom line is, we know it's real. Let's start looking at solutions instead of having arguments about why it's happening."

She's had success within the Democratic Party in East Tennessee, winning the 2020 nomination for the state Senate's 6th District. She lost the general election to Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, a moderate Republican who's served in that seat since 2011.

Burchett, the former county mayor and state legislator, was first elected to Congress in 2018. He was reelected in 2020 and 2022, both times with about 60% of the vote.

"We feel very strongly that people are ready for that change," George said. "I would venture to say that there are so many who feel (Burchett) does not represent who they are, (including) moderate Republicans."

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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CORRECTION: The original version of this story incorrectly reported the 2nd Congressional District seat had never been held by a woman. Irene Bailey Baker held the seat for one year after winning a special election to fill the vacancy following the death of her husband, Howard H. Baker. She did not run in the next regularly scheduled election.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jane George seeks nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett