Heather McClendon (Tennessee)

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Heather McClendon (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 30. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

McClendon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Heather McClendon was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a high school diploma from Ringgold High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 2001, and a graduate degree from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in 2010. Her career experience includes working as a psychologist.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Incumbent Esther Helton defeated Heather McClendon in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Esther Helton (R)	59.7	19,473
	Submit photo	Heather McClendon (D)	40.3	13,136

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,609
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Heather McClendon advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Heather McClendon	100.0	1,974

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,974
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Incumbent Esther Helton advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Esther Helton	100.0	3,030

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,030
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for McClendon in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Heather McClendon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McClendon's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a school psychologist, a single parent to three incredible kids, and a cancer survivor. These three things not only help to define me, but they also help to inform others about why I am running and what issues I would like to work on improving. I grew up in North Georgia and attended public schools throughout my life. My parents and grandparents taught me that it is equally important to respect others as well as myself. I learned through my family's example the importance of working toward the betterment of those around us. I deeply believe our communities are lifted together as we create positive change that focuses on our access to the resources we need to live in independence and dignity.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

In Tennessee, we are 42nd in per student funding and 45th in teacher salaries. While others are talking about taking money out of the public school system, educators are working tirelessly to try to effectively teach their students. I believe our society is as healthy as the quality of our public school system. We have years of educational research showing us what does and does not work. We have highly trained teachers and support staff. Now, we need to do our part and support our public schools by increasing all Tennesseans access to fully funded schools with equitable resources for all students. By supporting evidence-based solutions, we can increase mastery learning in our students so they have the skills they need for their futures.
As a mother and an educator, I firmly believe we need to increase all of our access to the medical care we need, when we need it. We need to remove barriers to affordable care. We need to restore and protect women's healthcare, ensuring no patient ever has to wait to get 'sick enough' to get the care they need. The government has no business in the doctor's office. Medical decisions are between a patient, their medical professionals, their family, and their faith. Period.
Over 70% of Tennesseans agree: we need commonsense solutions to the gun violence in our state. Incidents involving guns are now the leading cause of death of our children. We MUST commit ourselves to creating solutions that keep our families and our communities safer. With safe storage laws, we promote more responsible gun ownership. With increased legislation related to background checks, we ensure those purchasing weapons are more likely to use them safely. With emergency risk protection orders, we create a bridge for supporting an individual at risk of harming themselves or others with getting the care they need, rather than getting their hands on a weapon. These are commonsense ideas, and they are needed for all of our safety.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

In Tennessee, we need to work deliberately to solve the issues we are facing related to our access of quality education for our children, safe and effective affordable healthcare, safe communities, and housing that is affordable for all residents.

We all deserve leaders that are interested in representing us. This means we need leaders who are interested in listening to us.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

As a child, my parents taught me that God gives all of us gifts that are meant to be shared with others to make the world a better place. My skills, talents, or gifts aren't just for me and my family. They are to be shared with others. And so are yours. This is how we collectively build a world that is healthy, safe, and prosperous for our children and future generations.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe an elected official must be concerned with actually representing their communities. Our representatives should care to engage with us and understand how we feel about the issues before they cast their vote. When our communities are passionate or concerned about decisions that are being made in the legislature, I believe they deserve the attention of their representatives.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

It is important for me to listen to others as I believe understanding others helps me to gain perspective. I think we are in desperate need of legislators who appreciate the value of listening.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe one must be honest, bold, and courageous to properly represent their communities. Honesty is important because many citizens have lost trust in their elected officials. We have much work to do to rebuild trust and work together to solve the issues we are facing. One must be bold because the issues we are facing are complicated and nuanced, and we must be willing to fully understand them AND be able to discuss them with each other. It is imperative to be courageous because there will always be pressure to do the easy thing, but sometimes it requires bravery to do the right thing.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Challenger explosion. I was in 3rd grade, and it was scary, confusing, and sad to watch the tragedy. It is the first time I remember feeling that lost sense of control.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked as a babysitter throughout high school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

How Yoga Works. I read this book when I was battling cancer. It is basically a guide in understanding how to thrive spiritually despite your surroundings or environment. This book helped me get through some very difficult months, and I have shared it with many people I love over the years.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Katniss Everdeen... obviously:)

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Double Hit Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, when I was 36. At the time, my children were 5, 7, and 10. It was a terrifying time in our lives, and we would all learn how difficult it can be to rebuild our lives after something so devastating occurs. It took a lot of hard work, dedication, and counseling support to create stability and safety in my family, and I am so proud of the work my children and I have done to create the lives we get the opportunity to live.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe the executive and legislative branches of government should work collectively but independently. Legislators should work with each other and their constituents to create good legislation that can be presented to the governor. Our government was designed to work when these two branches work alongside of each other but in a manner autonomous to each other. The process of checks and balances work to prevent a government from ceasing to function for the betterment of its citizenry.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Building trust and relationships amongst each other. At this time, there is so much polarization that is preventing us from effective problem-solving. We have many problems to address and solve, and these are not Republican or Democrat problems... they are human problems. We must work together to create solutions to the complex issues we are facing related to our access to housing that is affordable, rising costs and staggering wages, healthcare options and decision-making, quality education, and safety.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe there is an enormous need for state legislators to have varied experiences. It is important to understand the political process, but I believe it more important to have individuals who are curious and willing to work hard to understand and solve problems than it is to have people who just happen to be experienced politicians. If experienced politicians were the answer, I don't think Tennessee would be dealing with the multiple issues we are currently facing. It's time we seek solutions outside of the political breakroom.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. Like any other job, when we build relationships, we build trust. And I believe we have a lot of work to do to build trust between legislators. We need to focus on the problem and possible solutions rather than sticking on opposite sides of the aisle.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There is a wonderful lady here in Chattanooga who has lost two of her precious children to gun violence. For many of us, this compounded loss is too much to even begin to consider, and yet, she has to live with it each day. And yet, she serves our community as a beacon of light and hope. She advocates for our children and our families. She has taken her immeasurable loss and pain and turned it into something that only serves to help others. Her example of life-giving love and support is something that touches everyone who meets her. She has committed her life to making sure fewer mothers ever have to walk in her shoes. THIS is the way we create better communities, a stronger Tennessee, and a safer world.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Hahahahaha... I am bad at remembering jokes.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I will be introducing a bill to repeal the law known as the '3rd grade Retention Law' which was implemented during the 2022-2023 school year. While the law was intended to support students' mastery of Reading, there have been numerous unintended or unaccounted for consequences including increases in student anxiety across the state. Retention research is complicated at best, and we need to pass legislation that supports our highly trained teachers rather than tying their hands. I believe in mastery learning for students, and I have witnessed this law negatively impact student's emotional health. We must study this issue further and find solutions that focus on the whole child and their needs to ensure we are creating pathways for success rather than barriers to it.

What committees interest you?

Education Administration and Education Instruction, Criminal Justice, and Health

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

It is vital that we ensure financial transparency. Our government is using our tax dollars, and we are owed an understanding of how that money is being spent.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Heather McClendon campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Tennessee House of Representatives District 30	Lost general	$35,438	$35,688
Grand total			$35,438	$35,688
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

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Candidate

Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 18, 2024

[show]

Current members of the Tennessee House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Cameron Sexton

Majority Leader:William Lamberth

Minority Leader:Karen Camper

Representatives

District 1

John Crawford (R)

District 2

Bud Hulsey (R)

District 3

Timothy Hill (R)

District 4

Renea Jones (R)

District 5

David Hawk (R)

District 6

Tim Hicks (R)

District 7

Rebecca Alexander (R)

District 8

Jerome Moon (R)

District 9

Gary Hicks (R)

District 10

Rick Eldridge (R)

District 11

Jeremy Faison (R)

District 12

Fred Atchley (R)

District 13

Robert Stevens (R)

District 14

Jason Zachary (R)

District 15

Sam McKenzie (D)

District 16

Michele Carringer (R)

District 17

Andrew Farmer (R)

District 18

Elaine Davis (R)

District 19

Dave Wright (R)

District 20

Tom Stinnett (R)

District 21

Lowell Russell (R)

District 22

Dan Howell (R)

District 23

Mark Cochran (R)

District 24

Kevin Raper (R)

District 25

Cameron Sexton (R)

District 26

Greg Martin (R)

District 27

Michele Reneau (R)

District 28

Yusuf Hakeem (D)

District 29

Greg Vital (R)

District 30

Esther Helton (R)

District 31

Ron Travis (R)

District 32

Monty Fritts (R)

District 33

Richard Scarbrough (R)

District 34

Tim Rudd (R)

District 35

William Slater (R)

District 36

Dennis Powers (R)

District 37

Charlie Baum (R)

District 38

Kelly Keisling (R)

District 39

Iris Rudder (R)

District 40

Michael Hale (R)

District 41

Ed Butler (R)

District 42

Ryan Williams (R)

District 43

Paul Sherrell (R)

District 44

William Lamberth (R)

District 45

Johnny Garrett (R)

District 46

Clark Boyd (R)

District 47

Rush Bricken (R)

District 48

Bryan Terry (R)

District 49

Mike Sparks (R)

District 50

Bo Mitchell (D)

District 51

Aftyn Behn (D)

District 52

Justin Jones (D)

District 53

Jason Powell (D)

District 54

Vincent Dixie (D)

District 55

John Clemmons (D)

District 56

Bob Freeman (D)

District 57

Susan Lynn (R)

District 58

Harold Love (D)

District 59

Caleb Hemmer (D)

District 60

Shaundelle Brooks (D)

District 61

Gino Bulso (R)

District 62

Pat Marsh (R)

District 63

Jake McCalmon (R)

District 64

Scott Cepicky (R)

District 65

Lee Reeves (R)

District 66

Sabi Kumar (R)

District 67

Ronnie Glynn (D)

District 68

Aron Maberry (R)

District 69

Jody Barrett (R)

District 70

Clay Doggett (R)

District 71

Kip Capley (R)

District 72

Kirk Haston (R)

District 73

Chris Todd (R)

District 74

Jay Reedy (R)

District 75

Jeff Burkhart (R)

District 76

Tandy Darby (R)

District 77

Rusty Grills (R)

District 78

Mary Littleton (R)

District 79

Brock Martin (R)

District 80

Johnny Shaw (D)

District 81

Debra Moody (R)

District 82

Chris Hurt (R)

District 83

Mark White (R)

District 84

Joe Towns (D)

District 85

Jesse Chism (D)

District 86

Justin Pearson (D)

District 87

Karen Camper (D)

District 88

Larry Miller (D)

District 89

Justin Lafferty (R)

District 90

Gloria Johnson (D)

District 91

Torrey Harris (D)

District 92

Todd Warner (R)

District 93

G.A. Hardaway (D)

District 94

Ron Gant (R)

District 95

Kevin Vaughan (R)

District 96

Gabby Salinas (D)

District 97

John Gillespie (R)

District 98

Antonio Parkinson (D)

District 99

Tom Leatherwood (R)

Republican Party (75)

Democratic Party (24)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 18, 2024

[1]

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Heather McClendon (Tennessee)

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 30

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2024 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

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