Grit And Grace On The Ballot

A parking-lot workout during COVID turned into a 1,000-person half marathon and, eventually, a run for state office. We’re joined by Jessica Means, a Sullivan County commissioner and candidate for Tennessee State Representative District 1, for a candid conversation about what pushed her into the public square and what she wants to fight for next in Northeast Tennessee. 

Jessica walks us through her personal story and the “grit and grace” behind her campaign: raising a large family, running a small construction business, teaching fitness classes, homeschooling, and learning county government from the inside. From there, we dig into the values that shape her leadership, including her biblical worldview, her pro-life convictions, and her belief that the family is worth defending in law and culture. If you care about conservative principles, constitutional limits, and how a voting record matches real-world outcomes, this part will get you thinking. 

We also tackle local policy issues with big ripple effects: small business growth, support for local farms, food supply security, and why she wants to ban lab-grown meat in Tennessee. Jessica shares her concerns about data mining centers and AI infrastructure, especially the impact on electricity demand, water use, and whether everyday residents get stuck with the costs. We close with practical voting information for District 1 and how to get involved. 

Subscribe for more Northeast Tennessee conversations, share this with a neighbor who votes locally, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.

To help you to navigate the home buying and mortgage process, Jonathan & Steve are currently licensed in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, contact us today at 423-491-5405 or visit www.jonathanandsteve.com. 

Transcript

Welcome To Benchmark Happenings

SPEAKER_00 0:02

This is Benchmark Company. Brought to you by Jonathan and Steve from Benchmark Homeland. Northeast Tennessee, Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, the Troy City, one of the most beautiful places in the country to live. Tons of great things to do and awesome local businesses. And on this show, you'll find out why people are dying to move to Northeast Tennessee. And on the way, we'll have discussions about mortgages and we'll interview people in the real estate industry. It's what we do. This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Benchmark Home Loans. And now your host, Christine Reed.

Meet Jessica Means And Her Story

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Welcome back, everybody, to another podcast here with Benchmark Happenings. We want to thank all of our listeners for your loyalty and for listening. And today we always have a star of the show. So today I'm so thrilled to introduce um Jessica Means. So Jessica, thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Thank you for having me. It's an honor.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

So uh we are delighted that you agreed to come on this podcast and talk a little bit about yourself. And uh, you know, we're hot and heavy getting into voting primaries, and uh a lot of things are happening, and um, I love to see people stepping into the public arena, the public square, and willing to put themselves on the line to run for a public office. And so, Jessica, you're running for State Representative District One.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 1:42

So, congratulations. Thank you. It's gonna it's a heavy lift. Yes, ma'am. And but so, Jessica, tell us a little bit about yourself and um some of your history, prior experience. Um, tell us about your I'm looking at this beautiful picture here on this uh brochure that you have, grit and grace for Tennessee.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

And I see this big, beautiful family with all these children.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Yes, ma'am. That is um that I'm a mother of six. Uh yes, I am a grandmother of two, small business owner, uh, and exercise instructor, uh, longtime homeschool mom, um, and I am a Sullivan County commissioner right now.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

And um What district are you in? And I'm first generation farmer. Uh Sullivan County. Oh, on the commission, I am a district six. Okay. District six. That's Indian Springs, Bloomingdale, Central Heights area. And uh, but this district, uh, the 11 W kind of cuts it a little bit in half. And so, and then the districting is a little different because it's a little larger. Okay, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

So, how long have you been a Sullivan County uh commissioner? Yeah, rolling in on the fourth year. Wow. Yeah, very good.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

It's been great, learned a lot. So um, it's been a really great experience. I'm really excited, really excited and thankful for what I've been able to learn so far.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Yeah that's awesome. So um, so you have a family of six children. My goodness, how do you have time? And homeschool as well.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Well, we don't homeschool all of them. We I just have a a history of homeschooling. Okay, but we do homeschool some and uh that you know that they're just independent and they do they do their thing and we just make it work. You know, you just when you decide that this is something you feel called to do, you just do it and you make it work. That's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

So um, so Jessica, tell us a little bit about your experience maybe prior to being a uh commissioner, and um I think we kind of talked a little bit about the COVID years and uh some things that you sort of that sort of prompted you to get interested in the public square.

COVID Fear And A Community Half Marathon

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Yeah, so um let's see here. During COVID, some friends of mine and I got together mostly they were teachers. Um and we got together and we started a workout group where we would work out outside, we'd meet in a parking lot, and we actually called it 6FA at the beginning, meaning six feet apart. And then that group grew to about 30 women. Um, most of them were teachers, and um, there were some doctors and nurses in there and just scared, but so thankful to be able to do something that was just normal. And um, and we, you know, we had our small business, we have a construction business, and um we're just doing our thing as normal because we were deemed essential, thankfully, but you know, the like the government has that right to say, but that's another story. So um, anyways, we um started going along and it would really bother me to my core that my friends were experiencing such fear. Oh, it just it broke my heart. They they were just so afraid all of the time. And um, and I'm in I'm also an exercise instructor, like I've said, and so I've spent years, I've worked at the YMCA and King Sport. Um, I'd started teaching Zumba about 16 years ago. Oh, wow. Yeah, just wanting to get out of the house and do some things. And so I love that whole arena of of things, just trying to be proactive. And so we're getting together and we're working out, and I'm learning that they're still having their Friday night football games. But um, my friends who run half marathons in the cities, um, they're getting shut down. They're not allowed to have 5Ks or for half marathons. And these friends, that's their business, that's their livelihood, that's their small business. So I got to thinking, I grew up in Bluntville down here and uh went to central high school. And um I got to think of, well, what if what if we could have it in downtown Bluntville? Because it's my hometown. I'd love to see people come there anyway. So I got a hold. I'm like, well, what's the first step? And you know, somebody said, Well, call your commissioner. I said, What's a commissioner? And um, so I called and through a series of events got a touch with our mayor and our Sullivan County mayor, Richard Venable. And through just a few, just next step, next, just taking the next right step, um, we were able to get that half marathon in Blumpel. And there were over a thousand people that signed up for this. It was wonderful. It was wonderful. I mean, you should have seen the joy on people's faces just to be out of the house and uh to be around other people. It was, it was, um, it was very American. We had um our local fire departments came together, local EMS. They had a big flag. I mean, it was just thinking about it, it just wants brings tears to my eyes because it was no, there was no big institutions that were involved in this. This was literally my hometown, and just your everyday folks just really sick and tired of big government. And um, and so I'm just really thankful for that memory, and that memory helps me to have courage on what I'm getting ready to face coming into that. So yeah, and then I just kind of benchmarked that in my head.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Of okay, if there's something down the pipeline on in the public square that is that I could get involved in and I could help, because obviously my thinking is not the same as many others that were just kind of um going along with the code, going with the flow, just yeah. Um, then maybe I'll try to see if I can help. And so two years later, um I ran into somebody and they said, Well, if people want to pick up for commission, it's in a couple of days. And I said, Well, okay. So I went and picked up my paperwork. Uh, no idea what I was getting myself into, had no idea. I just was skipping along, just seeing what I could do to help my community. And um, and I I won. And I I still am surprised by that because I was just kind of doing the next right thing. And um and then I got into so now I've been on the county commission for several years, learned a lot that goes on in the legislative arena. And many things that happen here on a county level are because of what they do or don't do on a state level. And um, and so now that's where I'm gonna take my battle. It's okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Well, that's that's great, Jessica. You know, and it's uh when I have guests on and we talk about the COVID years, one thing I'm so thankful for is that uh something that was so terrible. Um God can always take all things to work for good, but it's for those who love him. Yes, ma'am. And and so it woke us up. And and it woke a lot of really good people up with um great intentions and a lot of people with a biblical worldview, and a lot of people don't understand what that means. They don't understand conservative principles and they don't understand aligning with a biblical worldview. And so, Jessica, tell us a little bit about your view and and the why behind uh running for district one.

Faith, Pro-Life Convictions, And Purpose

SPEAKER_01 9:32

Oh, well, my biblical worldview, um so, you know, I saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for him saving me from the pit. Um I actually um am staunchly pro-life. I actually had my first son when I was 15 years old. Wow. Yeah, he's right there on the um right there. Oh so he's the one that gave you your grandchildren. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. And the church came around and really loved me and showed me the love of Christ. And uh, I'd love to say my life was just as peachy keen as it possibly could, but um me and my flesh fleshliness, it was not like that for a while. And then when my first daughter was born, I finally surrendered my life to the Lord and decided, okay, if you're gonna, if you're gonna take a big mess up like me, then we'll go. I mean, I literally would have arguments with Paul in the Word when he would talk about how he was, you know, the worst of the sinners. I'm like, no, Paul, you've not messed, not met me yet. And um, so so then I'm getting into the word more, and you just learn that you're made in the image of God um and the value of one man, one woman. And just it is the core of every every move that I make. I try to keep that at the core. I'm so thankful to um I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have have my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

So and so I think that's important. What you're saying is that the Bible is your guide, it's a biblical worldview, and so you place yourself under the authority of Jesus Christ in the Word of God. So that's that's awesome. And so tell us a little bit of the why behind, you know, you're stepping up. And and I love, I think it's good that uh a lot of different people run for uh any of these offices that are open. Uh, I think when we have the same people over and over, um, we all get like seda, we become apathetic, oh well, you know, he's got it. And so I think it's good that we have competition because competition makes us want to be better and to really look at our voting record. And is our voting record, does it line up with the Constitution? I mean, just because it sounds like a good thing to do, is it truly, is it truly following conservative principles? So give us a little why behind that district one and what you're up against.

Protecting Freedom After Lockdowns

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Oh yes. So I am excuse me. So I am really concerned about well, I want to run to fight to protect faith, family, and freedom. Um that's that's my biggest, um, that's my biggest uh reason. Um I believe you can have governments, you can have churches, but the one God-ordained institution is the family. And I believe every move that we make should be out of protecting that God-ordained unit. Um obviously freedom. And I gave you an example earlier about um how d deep, deeply passionate I am about protecting our freedoms and government. We want to talk about safety all the time. And, you know, yes, we want to be safe, but not to the detriment of that we uh erode our freedoms and that we um get rid of our constitutional that was the worst idea behind COVID that and it didn't produce anything good.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

All it did was cause more depression and um get our children behind in the school systems. I mean I mean uh having people out of school, I mean, really, and it I think there was just so many ways and and keeping people separated. God created us for relationship. We were created to be around each other and be with our families and not wear a mask. The masks don't work, it's been proven. We're not gonna fall through that for that again. So I'm thankful for people like you that have that passion and remember that and remember how that government overreach really impacted not only your personal life, your family, but your community.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

And I think that if we're not very aware and um adamant about put who we put into these positions, um, it's not a matter of if something else comes down the pipeline. It's a matter of when something else comes down the pipeline. And um so yeah, so I think I've got a proven background of fighting for my people, fighting for everybody here locally on a community level, um, even when I wasn't a part of any of this this world. And so that will be my number one goal is to be a voice for here locally, not just for the Nashville or the establishment. Um and I wanted to just make sure that we're preserving our Northeast Tennessee for the next generation.

Local Business, Farms, And Food Policy

SPEAKER_01 14:40

I want this to be a place that I recognize in 10 years. Um I'm very passionate about local economy. I helped to um bring in a separate space down there in Blumpble for us to reserve for small businesses. So if anybody wants to kick off Kickstart, they're business. It's like an incubator. It hasn't gotten all the way off the ground yet, but it's it's it's there and it's it will. And um, so that's that's a heart of mine. And then also local farms are a really a big passion of mine. Um when I was a kid, you would go to a little dairy farm and you would see what all they're doing. Well, government has just over-regulated so many, no, so many farms. It's it's it's really sad. And that our we we we complain about not having um our kids having the opportunities to see the things in real life. But when we we need to remove those regulations so that we can be able to have just a field trip over to some of these um farms. Yeah, yeah, to these farms. I uh have you heard of Brookhaven Farm? Yes. I love them. That's that's our inspiration. We just bought a farm about a year and a half ago. So it's not gonna be anything like that, but small farm.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah. So yeah. Well, I mean, I think about our food supply and stuff, and we need our local farmers. We need that. We need people, um, you know, uh, beef and and and you know, our chickens. And I mean, I know a lot of people are just, you know, have chickens in their backyard now just because they want their own fresh eggs.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Yeah, I I really want to ban lab grown meat. Ugh. That's something I would really like to ban in the state of Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

That literally scares me. It should. It really should. Yeah. I mean, it's not even recognizable. Yeah. And I don't understand about all this vegetarian meat or um, you know, this what's the burger called? It's it's I don't know what it is, but I'm thinking, okay, if I'm gonna eat a burger, I want ground beef.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Yeah.

Data Mining Centers And Power Strain

SPEAKER_01 16:45

Well, and something else that I did is um we put in in Sullivan County a data mining moratorium, which basically says, and and it's still ongoing, that no data mining center can just come and plop something in your backyard without your knowledge. We have to have a study. We have to make sure that if they come, that they are they are really going by our rules with this because I'm not sure how up to date you are. I'm not so up to date as on that. Well, it can they can really use up all our resources. Um, they're just one data mining center can use anywhere between 15 to 75,000 uh electric watts, the same as 75,000 homes. So goodness. Yeah. And then it can the amount of water that it will suck up is just uh what are they doing?

SPEAKER_02 17:36

What what is a data mining center?

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Well, there's a lot of different definitions for it, but it's a center that basically collects data for AI to then put it back out and to make AI sharper and stronger. So the argument will what people will say is, well, you like your you like your AI, you like your Amazon delivery on your porch. And I'm like, Yeah, and I don't have anything in my backyard, and I'd like to keep it that way. Exactly. So yeah, you you look into them. It's a it's I believe that's what's coming on the horizon, and I believe we need to be aware of that and have a good plan for the state of Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

And I mean, literally, we don't have the infrastructure to support that.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

I mean, our power power systems and all that just we don't have that.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Um there was a bill that um I believe passed this past session, legislative session, that says that they would have to pay for their own power and pay for their own bills. Um I'd like to see how that's gonna get rolled out. Um because, you know, power companies they can benefit from it. Um that's a good business customer for them. But my concern is uh wanting to make sure that you don't get the offset of what that electricity is going to have, like your normal everyday citizen.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Right, right. Well, and continuing raising our taxes.

Budgets, Voting Dates, And District Map

SPEAKER_02 19:08

I mean, but that's that now one thing I would love to see is more um fiscally responsible, like just even these counties. You know, I would love to see a full budget. Where does the money go? How does Sullivan County spend their money? How does Washington County spend their money? I mean, I think those are important. And um, well, Jessica, so remind us again about voting and where can people find you and support you?

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Oh, yes, okay. Um, yeah, so early voting is July 17th to August 1st.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

And election day is August 6th. Please get out and cast your ballot. It is very important, especially this uh this election. Um I will be you could if you're in Bristol, there's the Slater Center. Um, there's about 15 precincts that you could go to on election day. There, but Sullivan County offices have early voting, and so does the Slater Center in Bristol, King Sports Civic Auditorium. So yeah, I'm on the other side of the hill than where we are right now. But um, yeah, anybody in Bloomingdale, Lind Garden, Bluff City, Bristol, um they can all vote for me.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Okay. I was gonna ask you to define that district one for Tennessee as state representative. So it's Bloomingdale, Lind Garden.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

North High School will have that, have that at the polls on August 6th. Yeah, Bloomingdale, Lindarden, Central Heights area, Gravelly, West Carter Valley, and it goes all the way around where the pinnacle in Bristol is. All of uh just about all of Bristol, downtown Bristol, then it curves around and goes into East High School zone, uh Bluff City Elementary, and then it stops about 19E coming up the Bristol Highway.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

So yes, and I ask for your vote.

SPEAKER_02 21:04

Yeah, and what's important about this vote, anybody that's listening, is this is the decision of who's going to be on the Republican ballot for District 1 for state representative between you and your opponent.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Yes, my opponent has been in office for almost a decade, um, 24 years uh political career. And, you know, I'm just I'm new, I'm fresh, I'm here, I'm ready to work, I'm ready to hear from my constituents, and I ask for your vote.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

That would be great. Well, Jessica, thank you again, and uh we wish you the best. Jessica means grit and grace for Tennessee. Vote and support Jessica for District One uh State Representative. So God bless you, Jessica, and thank you for being here today. God bless you, thank you.

Final Thanks And Mortgage Hotline

SPEAKER_00 21:54

This has been Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Jonathan Tipton and Steve Reed from Benchmark Home Loans. Jonathan and Steve are residential mortgage lenders. They do home loans in Northeast Tennessee, and they're not only licensed in Tennessee, but Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. We hope you've enjoyed the show. If you did, make sure to like, rate, and review. Our passion is Northeast Tennessee. So if you have questions about mortgages, call us at 423-491-5405. And the website is www.jonathansteve.com. Thanks for being with us, and we'll see you next time on Benchmark Happenings.