Mike Croley
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 am a conservationist at heart and I care deeply about our environment. No one asked for a data center to be built in their neighborhood. In fact, I read recently that more people would rather have a nuclear reactor or a landfill in their neighborhood rather than a data center.
I would require that data centers pay for their own electricity demand, build the infrastructure to support themselves, and use a closed loop system instead of water for cooling. I would also propose a 4 year moritorium on any further data centers being built in the state to give enough time to study the ramifications. I would hold these facilities to the same EPA regulations that we apply to manufacturing facilities. I am for clean air, clean water, and clean soil. I am not in favor of more data centers and I will use my office to ensure that we put a stop to their continued construction.
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?
This is a symptom of a much larger problem, we have a healthcare crisis in this country. Protecting our schools from outbreak is personal for me, my wife is a special education assistant and 3 of my 4 children are currently in public school. This is a complicated issue, but one thing that will help significantly is providing doctors and families with clear, accurate, and transparent data on immunizations. We also need to ensure that families have access to the preventative healthcare that they need.
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?
When I worked at NOAA, I saw firsthand how severe storms and flooding can devastate communities. We know these events are going to happen, so we need to do a better job preparing.
I would push for more federal funding to help local communities upgrade aging stormwater systems, strengthen vulnerable infrastructure, and restore natural floodplains that can absorb water before it reaches neighborhoods.
We also need a more resilient power grid. I would work with TVA, local utilities, and electric co-ops to expand microgrids and strengthen transmission and distribution systems.
Most importantly, we need to ensure that rural communities aren’t left behind. Small towns often don’t have the staff or resources to compete for federal grants.
Q4 Federal science funding and Oak Ridge (Science Funding / Jobs and Workforce) – Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and other Tennessee institutions depend on federal research funding. What priorities, if any, would guide your votes on funding for federal science agencies such as the Department of Energy, NIH, and NSF?
Federal research funding is one of those areas where the money we send to Washington comes right back home and creates good jobs here in Tennessee. I will make federal investment into research a priority of my office. These investments matter to our economy.
I would protect long term funding for DOE, NIH, and NSF. I also want to make sure that funding reaches beyond the biggest institutions. Schools like Tennessee Tech should have a real seat at the table through federal research grants and partnerships with Oak Ridge.
We shouldn’t be cutting the research that creates the technology and good paying jobs. We should be fighting to make sure those discoveries, and the good-paying jobs that come with them, happen right here in Tennessee.
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 think a big part of the problem is that we’ve made science feel inaccessible to a lot of people. Scientists can do a better job explaining their work in plain language, and policymakers need to do a much better job listening and understaning instead of science that supports what they already believe.
During my time at NOAA, I worked alongside scientists and saw how valuable their expertise is when it actually reaches the people making decisions. We need more direct communication between researchers, policymakers, and the communities affected by those decisions.
If we want to rebuild trust, we need transparency, plain language, and more opportunities for scientists to talk directly with the public. Good policy should start with accurate information even when that information isn’t politically convenient. Science shouldn’t be partisan.