Bryan Langan
DemocraticQ1 Data centers and the TVA grid (Energy / AI / Environment) – Data center electricity use in the Tennessee Valley has grown roughly sevenfold since 2020, and in the Memphis area, gas turbines powering AI data centers have raised air-quality concerns. What specific policies, if any, would you support to protect Tennesseans’ electricity bills, grid reliability, and air quality as data centers expand?
I would like to see a moratorium on all data centers in Tennessee. Over half of our waterways are already impaired and it is imperative that we protect our resources for future generations. When elected I will have to work with the GOP, who is pushing data centers. I will do everything I can to curb the growth of them in our state and protect our natural resources. I will also introduce amendments to any bills allowing data centers that will require any costs for energy and infrastructure requirements including water treatment be paid for by the data centers to ensure those costs are not passed on to hardworking Tennesseans and our resources are protected.
Q2 Childhood vaccination (Public Health / Trust in Science) – According to the Tennessee Department of Health, roughly 80% of Tennessee counties fall below the 95% kindergarten vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as measles. What policies, if any, would you support to manage vaccine-preventable diseases in Tennessee?
Work to rebuild the trust of the public and allay their vaccination fears by utilizing outreach and education programs.
Q3 Flooding and extreme-weather resilience (Environment / Climate) – Two years after Tropical Storm Helene, East Tennessee communities are still rebuilding, and a 2026 winter storm left hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans without power. What specific steps, if any, would you take to prepare Tennessee’s communities, infrastructure, and power grid for severe weather?
We must invest in improving and weatherizing our infrastructure, including expanding redundancy in the system. We can also invest in some more basic changes. For example, in many cases, power outages can be prevented just by having buried lines. To properly address this issue, it will take a multi-faceted approach including working to stifle the climate change that is producing these more powerful systems by investing in nuclear and renewable energy to transition Tennessee away from fossil fuels.
Q5 State Science Education (K-12 Science Education) Secondary science (biology, chemistry, and physics) is one of the subject areas where Tennessee schools most often face teacher vacancies or rely on teachers with emergency credentials, and Tennessee lost a larger share of its teachers between 2023 and 2025 than any other state. What specific state policies, if any, would you support to recruit and keep qualified science teachers in Tennessee classrooms, particularly in rural and high-need districts?
We are currently last in per student spending and need to build approximately 60 new schools just to handle the current population. On top of that we need to upgrade 157 of our current schools. I would also end the voucher program to put that money back in to our public schools and increase our overall investment in education. I will work to upgrade our schools to prepare our students for the future. I will also fight to increase our teachers pay to a wage that is competitive with any state and allows them to live in their district. I would also consider housing incentives to help recruit and retain teachers in rural and high-need districts.
Q6 Trust in science (Policymaking Process / Trust in Science) – Distrust in science has been on the rise among the general public and policymakers, which has been associated with changes in federal funding for scientific research. In order to bridge this gap, how do you think scientists and policymakers can work together to strengthen their communication?
I believe we must work to earn their trust by showing up and fighting for the people. We must work to make a difference in their day to day lives and also utilize education and outreach programs to inform the public of the benefits of scientific research in their communities to help bridge the gap, build trust and reduce potential fears.