Tennessee House of Representatives District 37 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Tennessee, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 37 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

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• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 37

Incumbent Charlie Baum defeated Bill Levine in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 37 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlie Baum (R)	65.4	9,456
		Bill Levine (D)	34.6	4,993

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,449
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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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.

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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?

Bill Levine (D)

Expand Medicaid coverage and the availability of public health services in general

Dedicate all education funding to the improvement of public education, under the auspices of local school boards. Eliminate voucherscand support for charters except under extraordinary circumstances

Provide thorough workforce training programs; adjust the minimum wage according to a realistic cost of living index

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Bill Levine (D)

Responsible and safe gun ownership to reduce accidents and violence

Protecting academic freedom, critical thinking, and freedom of expression and inquiry at all levels of education against ideological interference

Prevent state government preemption of municipal and other local

ordinances, especially concerning the rights, privileges, and conditions of workers (e.g., fair scheduling laws, sick and paternal leave, wage theft, salary history disclosure, etc.) as well as matters of public health and safety

Empowering environmental oversight agencies to manage and rectify toxic public hazards such as the Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro

Reducing the influence of corporate lobbyists by "taking the money out of politics" Whenever possible, such as awarding impartial commissions in awarding government contracts and services

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Bill Levine (D)

If I were the mayor of a city like Chattanooga, I think the record of Andy Berks in the city's economic, cultural, and educational resurgence is exemplary, as was his response to a major crisis.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Advanced research, writing, and public speaking abilities honed from many decades working as a professor, along with broad general knowledge and ongoing awareness of politics on all levels Deep commitment to correcting and reforming current political imbalances and corruption. Acting out of principle, not pfrom qn urge for wealth or power. Diligence, 3mpathy for people struggling to live a decent life and improve their status in society

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

Bill Levine (D)

Responsiveness to the constituents, ability to provide government services and support in proportion to their share of taxes and the state demographics, resisting undue influence of corporate lobbyists and moneyed interests, passing effective legislation, acting ethically and on principles compatible with fair government at all times

What legacy would you like to leave?

Bill Levine (D)

My political career will have made better lives for the people of my county and district, whether measured in terms of economic gains, opportunities, health care, educational progress, the quality of their lives and environment, or basic trust and greater participation in government processes

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

Bill Levine (D)

Assassination of President Kennedy. Six y.o.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Summer counselor at a campfor kids with special needs. Two summers.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock. I play a simplified version of it every time I practice on the piano, which should be nightly.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Reconciling my ideals for high quality and integrity in education with the limitations and corruptions of the institutions and leadership I have served under

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

Bill Levine (D)

The legislature should act as an autonomous body to produce bils that directly respond to the concerns of their constituents. It should evaluate, check, and balance executive power and not uncritically accept whatever legislation or budget lines the governor would like to promote, even if the governor must rely on members of the same party to introduce such measures. The governor's veto is best used to override the undue influence of a faction.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Restoring and expanding on strong public education

Improving infrastructure for rural areas and state transportation on the whole

Dealing with population growth and its demands on public resources; balancing economic expansion with quality of living

Weakening the grip that the supermajority has on the legislature that works in league with a reactionary governor; appointing independent redistricting commissions to better represent consolidated areas of population change

Enabling disenfranchised groups and communities to become productive citizens; reducing economic disparities and class stratification that have been the result of regressive public policies

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Bill Levine (D)

Benefit is probably more efficient deliberation and passage of bills as well as comparable levels of representation among legislators and equal terms Disadvantage is the loss of some corrective or mediating force in the Senate to resolve disparities between the needs of rural and urban districts, for example

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

Bill Levine (D)

Not necessarily. Any citizen who's sufficiently informed on government processes and conversant with political matters should be able to serve. In fact, term limits are the best way of correcting the undue influence and corruptibility of career politicians.

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

Bill Levine (D)

Yes, both for alliances within caucuses and for civil and effective negotiations across party lines or to "agree to disagree" when a broad vote is the only means of effecting action. I clearly mean professional relationships, and cannot imagine a functional legislative body operating without such relationships.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Bill Levine (D)

Independent commissions made up of impartial specialists on voting demographics and those who respect and would maintain the integrity of community voting blocs. The process could be implemented and revised after each general election every two years and should aim for consistent principles that can trickle down into county and city elections as well.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Bill Levine (D)

Education, public health and safety, labor, ethics and other committees that revisit electoral and legislative processes

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Bill Levine (D)

Possible Katie Porter because of her commitment to rectifying disparities in tax regulations and other streams of government revenue

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Bill Levine (D)

Probably not

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?

Bill Levine (D)

On a recent canvass, an older gentleman who said he'd been a lifelong conservative told me that he could not remain loyal to the current governor because the state could once again execute the prisoners on death row after a review of the execution methods. He saw the supposedly pious governor's support of the death penalty as hypocritical.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Bill Levine (D)

Yes, assuming that the members have proven their competence in doing so and there are sufficient safeguards preventing a politically motivated abuse of this power. Same applies to the governor.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Bill Levine (D)

Yes, if those with whom one or one's allies make the compromises are reasonable and act reciprocally

See also

More about these elections:

• Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2022

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