Renea Jones vying for Tennessee 4th District House seat
UNICOI, Tenn. (WJHL) — Renea Jones says if the voters of Tennessee’s Fourth District send her to Nashville, the farm owner, small business advocate and former school board member will bring more than just a strong public service background to the job.
What can lead to a lifetime hunting ban in Tennessee?
“I’ve been told I’m a unifier, that I can unite people and work out compromises,” Jones told News Channel 11. “I did that on the school board, so I do feel like that I have a skill set personally that allows me to work with people.”
Jones, who considered running for the seat a decade ago until family needs intervened, hopes to replace outgoing Rep. John Holsclaw, an Elizabethton Republican in his fifth term who has previously told News Channel 11 that he does not intend to seek re-election. As things stand Tuesday, she’ll face Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander in the Aug. 4 GOP primary.
The district, which covers Unicoi County and much of Carter County, has characteristics and needs that fit well with her skill set, the owner of Jones and Church Farms said.
“I have a skill set from small business. I serve on the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) state advisory board, so I think that opportunity has helped me learn a lot about how to advocate for small business,” Jones said.
Jones served on the Unicoi County School Board for 12 years and also got elected president of the state school boards association.
RELATED: Elizabethton Mayor Curt Alexander enters race for State House District 4 seat
“That gave me an opportunity to visit all school districts in the state. I learned a lot. You realize that the struggles and the challenges and the successes that they celebrate and face every day.”
Jones herself has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech and a master’s in crop science and integrated pest management from North Carolina State University. She said she’s been supportive of expanded community and technical college programs inside District Four as Northeast State Community College and the TCAT at Elizabethton have collaborated.
“What they’re bringing to both Carter and Unicoi County as District Four, I would love to be involved in that and making sure that that succeeds,” she said.
Her service on the state small business advisory board is important as the tourism economy expands, Jones said.
“It’s a beautiful area, and I think we can capitalize on our natural resources. Lots of folks have worked on that prior to this election and I want to continue that work.”
Jones said that in a house district with a stagnant population, the representative should support whatever types of economic opportunities present themselves.
“Right now, tourism is hot. So I think you tap into that market if you can. If something else comes up … in the next decade or whatever you would tap into that,” she said.
‘Significant deficiencies’ found in Carter County audit for 2nd year in a row
As chair of Unicoi County’s Farm Bureau, Jones recently helped shepherd a bill that would eliminate property taxes related to agricultural operations.
“I serve as a chairman of the (Unicoi) county Republican Party, and I have worked with many candidates at the local, state and federal level on their campaigns. So I feel like I have a very good sense of the government and the way government works and how I can fit into that process and make things work for District 4.”
Jones said her ability to compromise isn’t the only soft skill she thinks voters would benefit from.
“I’m persistent. I will stay with something until we get it, and I think that in the state legislature that that is very important because sometimes you don’t get a bill passed the first year.
“You have to keep working on it and make it better for the people that it is going to impact. And I think most importantly, one thing that I am very feel very strong about is you have to think about the unintended consequences of any piece of legislation and to try to minimize that negative impact when you’re passing legislation.”
The Republican primary is Aug. 1. The qualifying deadline is April 4.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
