Matt Burchfield
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?
Begin with a moratorium on new building. Our current legislator interests are compromised by Corporate PAC influence. We need to regulate noise and emissions heavily. Specialized utility rates for the high usage data center owners, aimed to keep the costs away from citizens. Mandatory water monitoring and reporting as well as regular independent water reviews.
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?
We need accessible healthcare facilities in low income and rural areas. We expand medicaid to help our at-risk families. We need be creative and expand hyper-local outreach programs. This can be done in partnership with healthcare organizations like Vanderbilt. We also need to be willing to be more stringent against vaccine opt-outs.
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 have massive development without enough support via impact fees or taxes from developers and corporations using that infrastructure. County and municipal governments are strained, while still trying to keep property taxes low. It starts with funding. We need state representatives willing to have developers and corporations pay their fair share. We also need to not be afraid to regulate and hold to environmental standards.
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?
It starts with teacher pay. The state has made gains in starting teacher salaries, but the reality is that it still doesn’t keep up with the cost of living in Tennessee, especially when teacher workload is taken into account. I also feel the class averages and maximums are too high in the 6-12th grade ranges. A 35 student workload on one teacher is too much.
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?
This is more philosophical and the solution is not easy. We need policy makers who are solution and logic minded first. So many of our state problems can be attributed to corporate influence, ethical issues, and a lack of support to funding education. If we end corporate influence and move policy towards creating a better educated populace we can reverse course in Tennessee.