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Ballot Vox: Khristy Wilkinson

As part of WUTC’s coverage of the November 8 elections, we are speaking to many of the major candidates on the Hamilton County ballot. This is our interview with Khristy Wilkinson, who is the Democratic candidate for Tennessee’s State Senate District 10. 

Jacqui Helbert: Go ahead and introduce yourself for me? 

Khristy Wilkinson: Sure, my name is Khristy Wilkinson, and I am a Democratic candidate for State Senate District 10. 

Helbert: Why are you running for this office?

Wilkinson: Well, a few years ago I started getting really involved in my neighborhood. I was- I recently had had my second baby and my friends and family all live far away. And so as a way to kind of cope with the feelings of isolation and loneliness that go along with being a new mom in a...in a place where, you know, you don't have a lot of family support- I started to volunteer in my neighborhood-which is Highland Park. As I began getting more involved I started getting to know more people around the city. I started to see that some of the issues that exist in Highland Park are not unique to Highland Park. That there are a lot of families kind of struggling all over the city. And so, you know, one of the motivations for running for state senate is to try to help alleviate some of the issues that my neighbors face that just being a neighborhood leader doesn't give you the opportunity to do. 

Helbert: What do you want to accomplish if you are elected? 

Wilkinson: One of the things I think we need in the state legislature is balance. Right now we have a Republican super majority in the state senate. We only have five democratic senators- and, you know, in order to pass a bill, in order to accomplish democratic objectives- you have to have 17 votes. And we fall so short of that, that I really think that we have a lack of equitable representation in the state senate. So, you know, one of the things I want to bring is a kind of balance and a new perspective- one that doesn't...one that doesn't really exist in the senate. I'm...I'll be one of the only mothers with young children- in the state senate. And you know they make a lot of decisions about what happens with families. So it will be nice, I think, to have a good voice for families on the floor. 

Helbert: Do you feel like being a mother would help you with like multi-tasking, time management, that kind of stuff?

Wilkinson: Oh my goodness. Yes. Yes, and I think you have a unique perspective. You know, I want Tennessee to be the kind of place where I can raise my kids, send them through excellent public schools. You know, they can be here for college. They can settle down here. They can have their kids here. You know, I want Tennessee to be the kind of place where my kids don't have to leave Tennessee to go find better opportunities. You know, I want Tennessee to be the kind of place where they can really stay.

Helbert: Why do you feel voters should chose you?

Wilkinson: I am not a politician. You know. I think that we...have- 50% of the population is women. We only have 17% representation in the senate. So we have a low, you know, we need more women. I think we need more people who represent the people in the state legislature. I'm...I'm very passionate about education. I think that's going to be one of the major issues that our state legislature faces in the next several years. We've got, you know, some of the best schools in the state here in Hamilton County. And we have some of the lowest performing schools in the state here in Hamilton County. I think that, you know, we have a battle academy, we have a CSAS, we have amazing schools. We know what the best practices look like. We need to be replicating those practices across every single school. So, you know, I think that education is...is the great equalizer. It's the thing that makes all things possible for everyone. And, you know, it's something I'm very passionate about and...And I think I can really make a difference in that area. 

Helbert: What are your best qualities? 

Wilkinson: I think my passion, dedication, drive. I am really good at working with other people, I think. And compromising and using common sense and reason to solve problems. My background is in philosophy. So, you know, I've spent a lot of time thinking about very complicated issues and trying to figure out solutions to them. And so I think that it'll be good to have a rational kind of voice in the senate that, you know, someone who is also thinking about the day to day experiences of everyday people. 

Helbert: And speaking of your background, if you will just tell us a little bit about where you are from and your background. 

Wilkinson: Sure, I was born and raised in Michigan. I split my time between west Michigan, a city called Grand Rapids and metro Detroit. My parents were divorced when I was 5 years old. So I kind of bounced back and forth between them until I hit junior high. Which is when things kind of got a little bit more stable and I stayed in west Michigan. And for college I went to Wayne State University- which is in midtown, you know, right in the city of Detroit. I became the first in my family to earn a master’s degree. I studied philosophy there. Moved to Chattanooga in 2009 during, really the economic crisis and Michigan was really hard hit. My husband got a position at UTC in the library and-so that's what brought us to Chattanooga. I really...I ...Chattanooga is the place that we've put down our roots. It's the place that, you know, that is home to us. It's...I think a lot- often I say "I grew up in Michigan but I woke up in Chattanooga. I think I became kind of a...a very aware person here. And, you know, so I am very passionate about the issues in our city, in our senate district, and in our state in general.

Helbert: What are your main qualifications for the seat that you are seeking, and why should voters chose you? 

Wilkinson: Well, as I said earlier- I studied philosophy. Which I think, you know, is kind of a degree in problem solving. You know...you are taught a lot of skills, and you practice a lot of skills of really- you know-analyzing problems, thinking about possible solutions, discourse with other people, compromising, thinking about-you know- thinking about an issue from multiple perspectives from the same time and trying to come up with, you know, and appropriate solution. A good way of thinking about the problem. And so I think that my educational training is...will be very helpful in a state legislative roll. I also, you know, I love reading. I think reading is going to be a major part of this job. I'm very interested in policy. I'm very interested in working on creating policies that actually work for people. So, you know, I think the...I think that my interests and my strengths come together in a way that will make me very adept at doing legislative work in Nashville. 

Helbert: Do you have any political or legislative experience?

Wilkinson: I don't. 

Helbert: Do you think that would be an asset, though, because you are coming in from an outsider perspective?

Wilkinson: I think it...I think that's right. You know, I think that- I think that...I think that there are a lot of people who are sort of disillusioned with politics as usual. And I think that having a fresh perspective is a really valuable thing. You know, this is a democracy. And so we have to have representation of all different kinds of people. Not just lawyers, not just-you know- health care professionals. Not just PHD's. We've got to have a wide, diverse group of voices there when we...when we are thinking about the kinds of laws that we want to bring about the best possible Tennessee. 

Helbert: What are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how would you meet those challenges? 

Wilkinson: So I think the biggest challenges facing our district are, making sure that our schools...public schools are fully funded. We've got several schools here in Hamilton County that could use a little help. We've got mandates that come down from the State legislature that don't have the financial backing for schools to actually successfully implement  them and meet them. We have to change that. So education is going to be like, I think a very very key issue coming up. Healthcare is another one. We have, you know, over...over 280,000 lack access to affordable healthcare in the state of Tennessee. Families have gone bankrupt under the burden of medical debt. Seven rural hospitals have closed. One in sixteen people in my district don't have access to healthcare. Several of my friends live in the health...health care gap. So I think that's going to be another major issue. One thing that came before the state legislature in the last session was equal pay for women. It was ultimately rejected. I think that that's going to be another thing that-that it's going to be, you know, time for us to really work on fighting for. Making sure that every single person in the district and in the state has full and equitable economic opportunities.

Helbert: Are you pro-choice or pro-life, and why? 

Wilkinson: So, I am pro-choice. As a woman I think that it's really important that women have autonomy over their bodies and choices that they make with respect to their bodies. I think that, you know, around this issue you have people who are...you know, who think that abortion should be illegal. And you have people who think that abortion should be legal. I think that it should be legal. Something that women can access safely. You know...and I...and I think it is really ultimately about a woman's decision over her own body and her own autonomy. 

Helbert: And do you have anything else you would like to add? 

Wilkinson: I think, you know, one of the major things that we are facing right now it a lot of voter apathy. People, you know, there's...there's...I mean-right after the primary there was a study that came out that showed that Tennessee was in the bottom for voter turnout. I would like to see that changed, you know. It...It’s very important that people go to the polls and help make the decision about who is going to be running- not only the country, but the state. And some of the state and local level politics, you know, those people have a huge impact on our day to day experiences. So I think, you know, I really encourage everyone to cast a ballot in this election. Because every single vote is going to matter. Especially in the Senate 10 race. It's one of the most competitive races in the state, for Senate races right now. And every single vote is going to count. So I...I just encourage you listeners to cast your ballot in November and also to encourage everyone you know to cast a ballot as well. 

Helbert: Well thank you so much we appreciate you for coming in. 

Wilkinson: Thank you for having me.