Tennessee Voices, Episode 247: Robby Starbuck, Republican congressional candidate, District 5

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News reports suggest that the GOP-dominated Tennessee legislature plan to split Nashville-Davidson County into multiple congressional districts early next year as part of the decennial Census-based redistricting process.

For the last 10 years, District 5 has encompassed all of Nashville and also Cheatham and Dixon counties. The district is one of two of nine that is represented by a Democrat, currently Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville.

Splitting the district could create another Republican-leaning district. Regardless of what happens, Republican Robby Starbuck plans to run in District 5.

Robby Starbuck, a Republican candidate for Congress
Robby Starbuck, a Republican candidate for Congress

A filmmaker who said his family lost everything when they left Cuba for the United States, he is running on a platform on defending freedom and against defunding the police, among other issues. National right-wing GOP figures, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, have endorsed Starbuck.

On this episode of the Tennessee Voices podcast, Starbuck talked his background, his ideas and why he thinks Latinos are the future of the Republican Party.

If you missed my past episodes with other Tennessee U.S. District 5 contenders, find them below:

Tennessee Voices, Episode 62: U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper

Tennessee Voices, Episode 131: Odessa Kelly, executive director, Stand Up Nashville

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About Tennessee Voices

The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.

Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.

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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Nashville's future Congressman be Republican? With Robby Starbuck