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August 29, 2007
Brock Steady: District 10 Candidate Series
I sat down to lunch with State Senate District 10 candidate Oscar Brock today, and chatted about that upcoming election (duh), local and state political history, and the (rather sorry, we seemed to agree) state of political discourse in all jurisdictions, including nationally.
I certainly didn't get to ask all of the questions I wanted to, and not all of the ones I did ask were pertinent to the election, but I did come away with a basic sense of where this candidate is grounded. He sits on the Republican State Executive Committee, which is a four-year term elected by party primary voters. He is not a member of the radical religious right, but is a fiscal conservative. His ideas for fixing education involve employing some "way out of the box" thinking. Other topics mentioned were healthcare (TennCare in particular) and, of course, jobs in the area.
One can't go wrong with education, healthcare, and jobs; these are the kinds of issues that engage the average person, and that practically every serious candidate will list as important goals. But it is Brock's approach to campaigning that stands out from many recent elections. Brock says that he will not go negative on his primary or general election opponents, whether or not such is mutually agreed to (though that would be his preference). He cited the 2006 U.S. Senate race between Bob Corker and Harold Ford, Jr. as an example of the divisiveness he wishes to avoid. "The community still hasn't healed" from that one, he said.
On the other candidates in the race, Brock would not go on the record much (and neither have I perfected my "pesky reporter" skills), but he alluded to the Democratic saturation in South Pittsburg, and indicated that the winning candidate will likely emerge due to having the broadest appeal.
The Republican candidates in the primary race with Brock are 2006 gubernatorial candidate Mark Albertini, Oscar Brown (whose nominal coincidence continues to confound), Marion County GOP chair Travis Layne, and frequent Soddy-Daisy candidate Basil Marceaux.
The Democratic primary slate comprises attorney Andy Berke, former Community Education Alliance and Hope VI director Ken Jordan, physician Lee Whitaker, and attorney and talk radio host John Wolfe. Karate instructor Walt "Combat" Ward had qualified, but has since dropped out of the race.
As I was writing this, a call came from the Berke campaign — and this was no robo-dialer, but an older "church lady" who really poured on the sweetness.
October 4 is only a little over a month away, and early voting for the primary elections starts two weeks from tomorrow.
State Senate Elections | By joe lance | 10:21 PM