SUMMARY: The newly formed Tennessee Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education includes no House Democrats, with Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton appointing four Republicans while Lt. Gov. Randy McNally appointed one Senate Democrat. House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons criticized this exclusion, citing harmful Republican-supported policies like vouchers and charter schools. Despite recent improvements in student test scores and teacher pay raises by Republicans, Clemmons emphasized that diverse perspectives are essential for effective education solutions. House Democrats have requested that Sexton replace a Republican member with a Democrat before the committee’s July 24 meeting.

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by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
July 22, 2025

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder confirmed this week he is “strongly considering” entering the 5th Congressional District race as a Democrat, potentially setting up a 2026 race with Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles.

If he enters the contest, Molder would join Metro Council member Mike Cortese, who has announced his candidacy and filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, adjunct professor Joyce Neal and healthcare executive Jim Torino in a Democratic primary. Political activist Maryam Abolfazli, who lost to Ogles in 2024, has made overtures about running again.

“We deserve a congressman who wants to go to Washington to make local headlines for the right reasons, instead of attempting to make national headlines for the wrong reasons,” Molder said in a statement to the Lookout. “Our current congressman’s latest antics of attacking Belmont University are disturbing, and are becoming too familiar to all of us in the 5th Congressional District. For these reasons, I can confirm I am strongly considering this race – not because of encouragement from outsiders, but because of encouragement from those who live inside the district.”

Game on: Fields fill for Tennessee’s open 6th and 7th U.S. House seats; a Democrat in District 5

Molder’s statement references Ogles’ call for a U.S. Department of Education investigation of Belmont University and cut in the school’s federal funding for allegedly renaming a diversity, equity and inclusion program as “Hope, Unity and Belonging” to keep it intact, despite a federal law and executive order requiring DEI programs to be eliminated.

Ogles also urged a Homeland Security investigation of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his criticism of a federal sweep of a South Nashville neighborhood that led to the deportation of nearly 200 people.

Molder won the Columbia mayoral election in 2018 and captured re-election in 2022. He grew up in Columbia in Middle Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee and University of Memphis law school before returning home and practicing law.

Molder, whose wife, Elizabeth, is a public school teacher, formed the Columbia Mayor’s Youth Council in 2019 as part of an effort to improve conditions for young people in the city.

The Tennessee legislature redrew the state’s congressional districts three years ago, splitting Davidson County among the 5th, 6th and 7th districts and removing the 5th District as a safe district for Democratic candidates. The move caused longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper to step away from Congress.

Cortese is the most visible candidate to enter the race. In an announcement at the Tennessee Democratic Party’s annual Three Star Dinner, he criticized Republicans and Democrats alike, saying members of both parties have cozied up to special interests instead of representing the working class.

“I’m running to fight for the people who make this country work and just want the damn thing to work for them too,” he said at the event. “The people who make things, fix things, grow things, and keep this whole damn thing running – we’re taking that opportunity back.”

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article primarily reports on Democratic candidates entering a congressional race, highlighting their critiques of Republican incumbent Andy Ogles, particularly his actions involving education and immigration issues. The language includes quotes critical of Ogles’ policies, such as calling for federal investigations into local institutions and officials, which suggests a slight lean toward the Democratic perspective. However, the article maintains a factual tone, provides background on all candidates, and includes criticism of both parties, reflecting mostly balanced reporting with a moderate left-leaning emphasis due to its focus on Democratic viewpoints and concerns.

SUMMARY: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing in the deaths of six workers at Impact Plastics during flooding from Hurricane Helene in Erwin, Tennessee. Prosecutors say workers were not ordered to stay and had over an hour to evacuate, mirroring earlier findings by state safety officials. The victims died after floodwaters overtook a semitrailer they had climbed onto for safety. Though the criminal case is closed, civil suits continue. Families of the deceased dispute the findings, insisting there was no real chance to escape. Impact Plastics’ president welcomed the investigation’s outcome, stating the “true and accurate facts are now known.”

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