Tommy Crangle, in a debate with fellow candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 27 seat Patsy Hazlewood, said that "illegal immigration," "Common Core," and "the rising cost of energy" are three issues he would like to address if elected.
Mr. Crangle, a Signal Mountain resident, also told the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club he wanted to work against "increasing federal regulations."
He said, "With regards to values, I've had conservative values since I was 18 years old," adding that he is a believer in "personal responsibility."
He said, "I've never felt the need to cross over and vote for anyone other than a Republican."
Answering various questions, he said he opposed Common Core.
He said, "The teachers tell me that it's almost like their whole life of teaching kids has been taken away from them."
He also said the way mathematics was taught when he was in school had served him well during his career in engineering. He said he did not see a reason to change it.
Mr. Crangle is a licensed professional engineer and a former senior executive with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
He told the club, "Democrats spend too much money and raise taxes in order to pay for it.
I think that we should be working toward smaller government."
Ms. Hazlewood, also a Signal Mountain resident, said, "I'm running because it matters who governs in Nashville. The decisions made there affect our daily lives."
The former regional director for the Department of Economic and Community Development said part of being a conservative means "fiscal responsibility."
Ms. Hazlewood said one of her main areas of focus would be job creation.
She said, "I've come to truly believe that the best way to help people is to get them a job, to provide them the opportunity for a job."
Ms. Hazlewood said that according to one study, "It takes a million dollars of investment to grow one job, and thats the focus I would like to take."
When asked about Common Core, Ms. Hazlewood said she understood the need for standards and for students here to be equal to students in other states. However, she also expressed support for teachers having freedom to teach how they choose.
She said, "We don't tell doctors how to do their medical practice. We don't tell lawyers how to do theirs. But we need to maintain those standards."
Ms. Hazlewood worked for AT&T and BellSouth for more than 30 years.