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Allison Gorman for State House District 26
I’m a native Tennessean and a graduate of the UT School of Journalism. I work as an editor and a writer. My husband and I have lived in Chattanooga (District 26) since 1997 and raised our three daughters here.
As a member of the State House, I will be a progressive voice for the people of Tennessee.
Why “progressive”? Because party labels are limiting and progress is good. Tennessee can do better than bottom 10 for teacher pay and per-pupil spending, and top 10 for violent crime, chronic disease, food insecurity, and medical debt.
Policy Points
Public Education
Tennessee’s public schools are poorly funded. Our public-school teachers are poorly paid. Against the wishes of most parents and school boards, our governor and many state legislators are pushing for statewide vouchers, which would send tax dollars to private schools. Vouchers harm public education, benefit wealthier families, and reward the billionaire-backed “school choice” industry. I believe every Tennessee family should have the choice to send their child to an excellent, well-funded neighborhood school.
Health Care
Hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans don’t have private health insurance but also don’t qualify for government insurance. As a result, Tennesseans are sicker and have more medical debt than most Americans, and our rural hospitals are closing because patients can’t pay their bills. Tennessee has turned away $22B, our own federal tax dollars, that would have addressed these problems. We should join the forty states that have expanded Medicaid. It’s the right and smart thing to do. When people can’t get the health care they need, we all pay.
Reproductive Rights
Tennessee bans abortion from the moment of conception, with no exception for rape, incest, nonviable pregnancies, health of the mother, or pregnant children. Girls and women are being traumatized and physically injured by this law, as hundreds of Tennessee doctors warned would happen. Most Tennesseans don’t support this ban. I am dedicated to keeping politicians out of our doctor’s offices, and allowing a woman’s health to guide important medical decisions throughout her pregnancy.
Gun Safety
Most Tennesseans support reasonable regulations that make it harder for children to find guns, criminals to steal guns, and dangerous or unstable people to buy guns. Unfortunately too many of our legislators answer only to the gun industry, whose goal is to sell more products. Tennesseans—including children—are paying the price. Between 2011 and 2021, as our gun laws got looser, the number of Tennessee children killed by gunshot wounds increased 180 percent. Every Tennessee family deserves to live in a safe, vibrant community free of gun violence.
Economic Policies
As many Tennesseans struggle to pay rent and buy groceries—we have the second-highest average sales tax in the country—our state government keeps giving huge tax breaks to wealthy corporations that don’t need them (but have PACs and lobbyists). In 2024, the Tennessee General Assembly voted against cutting Tennessee’s grocery tax. Instead they approved a $1.9B corporate handout, most of which will flow out of state. I believe wealthy corporations should pay their fair share to reduce the tax burden on working Tennesseans and small business owners.
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Public Education
Like most Tennesseans, I understand the value of education. I want to see our K–12 system funded fully and strategically and our teachers well paid, so every Tennessee family will have the choice to send their child to an excellent public school in their own neighborhood.
Health Care
Forty states have now expanded Medicaid. So should Tennessee. Accepting federal tax dollars to get more people health insurance is an economic winner and the right thing to do. Every Tennessean should be able to get medical treatment and fill a prescription when they need to.
Reproductive Rights
I’ll work to restore reproductive rights in Tennessee to the reasonable, medically responsible limits allowed under Roe v. Wade, and to reduce abortion rates the most effective way: by improving access to reliable forms of birth control and to science-based sex education.
Gun Safety
Tennessee’s current gun laws are endangering all our lives. I’ll support what most Tennesseans want and what many have been begging for: safe storage laws, background checks on all gun sales, a red flag law, and the restoration of a permit requirement, including gun-safety training.
Economic Policies
Most Tennesseans get little ROI for their tax dollars. I’ll support tax policies to improve the lives of Tennesseans, not improve profits for corporations and shareholders. I’ll also work to protect renters and homeowners from predatory development and other factors fueling our affordable housing crisis.
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