Mike Stein announces his run for the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 47. His announcement reads as follows:

“On August 6, I officially became the Democratic nominee for Tennessee House District 47, which covers Coffee and Grundy Counties, after winning an uncontested primary. I will face Republican incumbent Rush Bricken in November.

I currently teach senior English and ESL at Coffee County Central High School. Everything I do, in and out of the classroom, is for the betterment of this community and for my two daughters, one graduating college, one still in high school. I have spent 20 years in a classroom because I believe in showing up for people, and that belief led me to this campaign.

I am running because the people of this district are struggling with problems our current state leadership has failed, and frankly refuses, to address. Rural Tennesseans deserve representation that understands those struggles firsthand.

Cost of living is the issue I hear about most, whether at the grocery store, a school event, or knocking on doors. Tennessee still taxes groceries, and families feel the weight of rising prices on food, gas, and childcare. The grocery tax should be eliminated and the gas tax paused. Other states have done this. We should too.

Healthcare is the second pillar of this campaign. I have been treated for kidney cancer four times, still undergo annual MRIs, and remain on a payment plan for medical debt, like millions of other Tennesseans. This state has refused to expand Medicaid, leaving an estimated 150,000 residents without coverage. I also believe the state should continue raising TennCare’s income eligibility limits so more working families can see a doctor instead of relying on the emergency room. Rural counties like ours face especially limited access to specialists, maternity care, and mental health services.

Education is the third pillar, and the work I have devoted my career to. Tennessee ranks last in the nation in perstudent spending for public schools and leads the nation in teacher loss. I have seen firsthand what underfunded schools and stretched-thin educators look like. I have a policy proposal on my website to raise pay for special education assistants, whose current pay does not reflect the essential work they do.

Lowering the cost of childcare is another pillar of my campaign. Coffee County is in a childcare desert, and families here often pay more for daycare than college tuition. Tennessee is sitting on a significant surplus of federal welfare funding that could be used to supplement childcare costs through grants, putting money back in families’ pockets while helping local economies and childcare providers alike.

Throughout this campaign, I have listened to this district at farmers markets, community events, and front porches. People are tired of politics that divide us and hungry for leadership that addresses their daily challenges. That is the foundation of People Over Politics.

Change doesn’t happen on its own. We have to make it happen. More information is available at www.mikefortn47.com.”