District 1 Race Update With Jessica Means

Your neighbors are telling you the truth on their front porches, and it does not sound like a glossy mailer. We sit down with Jessica Means, a candidate for Tennessee House District 1, to get a real-time update on a heated Northeast Tennessee race and what she is hearing while knocking on thousands of doors across Bloomingdale, Bristol, Bluff City, and beyond.

We talk cost of living and affordability first, because that is what families bring up immediately, then we zoom in on a complicated local fight: data mining centers. Jessica explains why Sullivan County passed a data mining center moratorium through January 2027 and why she believes Tennessee needs stronger guardrails before major projects strain water, power, roads, and private property rights. We also explore what “economic development” should actually mean for rural communities when permanent jobs may be far fewer than promised.

From there, the conversation moves into building a resilient local economy: supporting small businesses, protecting farmland, reducing red tape that crushes small farmers, and why “know your farmer, know your food” connects health, freedom, and community. We also raise a growing concern for parents: AI and the need for serious protections for kids in a world where online harm is accelerating.

Early voting runs July 17 through August 1, and election day is August 6. After you listen, share this with a neighbor, subscribe for more Northeast Tennessee conversations, and leave a quick review. What issue should District 1 leaders tackle first?

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

Show Opening And Mission

SPEAKER_01 0:01

This is Benchmark Opening. Brought to you by Jonathan and Stu from Benchmark Homeland. Northeast Tennessee. Jonathan City, Queen's Port, Bristol, Bronquin, 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.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Welcome

Jessica Means Returns With Updates

SPEAKER_02 0:46

back, everybody, to another episode of Benchmark Happenings. And we are so excited to bring back our guest from uh last um the last episode, Jessica Means. Um, she is running for District 1, State Representative. It's been kind of a hot and heated race, and so we thought, well, we better bring her back and get an update to see how things are going. So Jessica, welcome and thank you for being here today.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. It's always great to have conversations.

SPEAKER_02 1:20

So um give us an update.

Door Knocking And Real Conversations

SPEAKER_02 1:23

You you've had an event, fundraising event. I've seen your signs. I've, you know, Steve and I, we grew up in Bloomingdale. That's part of your district. So I was uh going to my mom's yesterday and saw your signs um on New Beeson Well, saw it up Kingsley Avenue. And so good for you. So we're excited for you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:43

Yeah, we're having a lot of great response. We've we've just uh we've just been knocking on thousands of doors, and it's it's really different when you go, and that's my favorite part because you go and you sit on a front porch and you're just simply listening to people, much better than just sending out a bunch of mail. Yeah. And I think people are tired of that. They really want just a real human in these spots. And so I'm I'm honored to be able to bring that to the table. And we've been over this also goes into Bristol and Bluff City as well as Bloomingdale and garden areas. So we've just been really working hard trying to do things the old-fashioned way.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

That's and and that's what wins. That's what wins is that personal touch, the relationship. You know, the all those mailers, um, newsflash, it's junk mail. People just throw them in the trash. And um, you know, so I'm excited for you, Jessica. And I know you're working really hard, and your heart is for the community and for the people. And like we talked on the last podcast, you know, it's it, it's we need um, there's no reason for people to stay in in elected positions for 20, 30 years because you become complacent. And so we always need um new people coming on, good Republicans who are conservative and have a biblical worldview. So, so what would you like to update us on, Jessica?

SPEAKER_03 3:18

Well, uh, yeah, I agree completely. People are really tired of career politicians, as usual. Our founding fathers never never meant for these positions to be lifelong careers. They were meant to represent the people and the time period that they are in. And, you know, when you get down there or get over where it's just it's very easy to lose touch with who you are representing. And so I feel like I have a good ear to the ground. I'm very just a lot of issues that I'm closer to, probably because I have five kids still at home. And um, but we you know, so anything that happens on a legislative level, I feel the impact of it pretty, pretty, uh, pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Yeah. So what are your constituents, what are people, what are they sharing, what are their concerns in District One?

SPEAKER_03 4:14

Well,

Cost Of Living And Local Values

SPEAKER_03 4:15

there's lots. Uh the rising cost of living, yes, uh, protecting our constitutional rights. They're uh they're worried about supporting local businesses and farms, preserving the values that make Northeast Tennessee such a great place to live, and then wanting government to be more accountable and transparent. We had an event this past uh Tuesday night, a fundraiser, and it was so wonderful. The community, it was just a great time for the community to show off. It was truly a grassroots event. Uh, we had over a dozen uh local businesses that donated their time or their venue, their venue, their resources, and just in the name of, in my opinion, crying out. They're crying out for for some new, someone who's more in tune to what's going on around here.

SPEAKER_02 5:11

Absolutely. That's so important, Jessica. And you do have your ear to the ground. Um, and it's obvious because you are um familiar with the issues and you really truly know what the constituents, what people want. And I think that career politicians, uh not all, but I think they forget that. And we're all human. I'm not I'm not bashing on people who have given their life to service. And I'm very appreciative of um the people who have served our communities. I'm thankful for that. But so what are uh some other things that you really think that you have just a burning desire to get out on the air today?

SPEAKER_03 5:53

Oh yeah, well, before that I just um yes, absolutely. I mean, it's a service. You're you get you get all of the the naysayers, there's a lot that go on it. And and while I've been on the so I am also, some people forget that I am serving on the county commission while this campaign is going on as well. And

Data Mining Centers And Moratorium

SPEAKER_03 6:14

um one of the biggest issues that I've been working on is data mining centers and protecting our constituents from any government overreach, once again, for in the name of investing in these data mining centers. We need to protect our farmland, we need to make sure we have proper infrastructure, that we have uh the water resources, the electrical infrastructure is there. We need to make sure that property owners are protected. And all of those things need to happen before the data mining center comes in. So back in January, Sullivan County passed unanimously a data mining center moratorium. And so that means Sullivan County is protected until January of 2027, right now, from these data mining centers coming in. This is an ongoing discussion. And so that was if you can be proactive in politics, that was the one time, that is one of the times that we have been proactive. I'm very proud of the leadership that Sullivan County had. I wish the whole state of Tennessee would lead on something like this.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

Um and the thing about it is people are are do not understand what a data mining center, what it entails. And I think if you look at the state of Virginia, what has happened there with the data mining centers, it really does not provide people. Please listen, it really does not provide uh the revenue that you think it will. It costs an enormous amount of our taxpaying dollars, and it is a huge strain on our electrical and our water resources. And our just like Jessica mentioned, we do not have the infrastructure to support a data mining center. So I hope that you're listening. Please do your research, please read. And uh, there's some been some really good articles published um here recently uh on data mining centers.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

So yeah, there might be um a hundred people to build them out, but maybe 15 employees to man them. So, you know, trying to do it in the name of economic development, I don't know that that's can entirely accurate. And I am I am not anti-business either. No. I absolutely believe we should be trying to uh have all of our our economy going well. In fact, that's a very dear piece to me, local economy, which is why we brought in all of the local small businesses to that event last Tuesday.

Local Economy And Farm Protection

SPEAKER_03 8:59

Because I really I'm just local, local, local. Yes, and I'm very protective of our farmers and farmland. And I'm a big advocate for know your farmer, know your food. Um, in fact, I was um recently endorsed by the Mahaw Institute. I was one of the first in Tennessee, first, I think, endorsement that they gave. So make America Healthy again means so much. There's there's the vaccine aspect of it, that just medical freedom, just having cons um informed consent. But it also there are some other aspects like trying to help the soil, and that we have regenerative soil and farming happening in our region.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

That's important.

SPEAKER_03 9:46

It is. So I'm excited about Make America Healthy again. I think it'll be something really great that we could use up here in Northeast Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Yes, yes, it it absolutely is. And so um let's just say that you become elected um to District One as state representative. Well, what

Goals In Nashville For District 1

SPEAKER_02 10:04

are the what are some of your goals that you would like to put forward?

SPEAKER_03 10:09

Um, yeah, so that that is a big one. I really want to build up our local economy. I want to be a voice for Northeast Tennessee over Nashville. And if there is anything that is coming on the table that is not going to help us up here in that Northeast, I'd I'm going to be really going down there to fight for us and to make sure that our values, our faith, our families, and our freedom are top priority and that they are protected above all else. I want to make sure that we keep to our constitutional rights. Well, our rights are given by God, but they're protected with the constitution. So I want to make sure that we're doing that. Um but I definitely think that data mining moratorium over the whole state of Tennessee would be really great. Yes. Um, I have some education background. I'm not sure if I told you that last time, but I'd been working with turning point education prior outside of all the politics of things. And um I just want to bring those aspects of who I am into policies. I see on the horizon my also another personal side of who I am is I've been an exercise instructor for about 15 years. And so make America Healthy again, and then you see a lot of happening in the education world. I believe those two have just collided, and they're personally something I've been on and interested in for the past 15 years. So those are some policies that I'd like to get involved in.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

So and you know, I would think that a lot of mothers with children at home, and I know you you have still have five at home, and uh so a mother of six, so congratulations. And I would think that a lot of the moms at home in District One would this would really resonate being healthy, um, providing education, and so back to in order to be healthy, we do have to protect our farms, our local farms, and soil regeneration. Those things are so important. Keep foreign investors out of our land. I I I think that we should not allow any foreign country, anyone foreign to from another country to buy our farmland. I think that needs to stay within the United States of America, within the within the borders of each state.

Red Tape Hurting Small Farmers

SPEAKER_02 12:40

What do our farmers need, Jessica, to succeed? Our local farmers, you've talked to many of them. I know they're struggling. What why why is there such a struggle?

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Well, big corporations, I believe. Um, and there's a lot of rules and regulations. And if you're just a small guy, it's hard to um, it's hard to maintain what you have. I mean, you can't blame them for trying to start other avenues to try to start making money. They can't afford to farm on their own land because the economy is not for it. I mean, if if you can buy milk at the grocery store for a fraction of the cost, imported milk from wherever, versus down the road, it's you know, you can you can see where the hang-up could be. So yeah, I think just pushing things back to that local economy and helping them to not have to cut through all the red tape. Well, if we can cut through all the red tape for them, I think that that would be one way to really help our farmers.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

That would be great. And I think people in the the educational aspect, you know, I know when uh local farms sell milk, they have to put on there for animal animal consumption only. That's kind of a regulation in the state of Tennessee. But people need to understand that that milk is good for you, it is safe to drink, and once you get used to that milk, you will not drink anything else.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

And it's worth paying a few extra dollars when we eat healthier. We're going to be healthier overall, so there'll be less sickness, less chronic illnesses, and it just there's just so much there's just so much to um that will help when we eat our local food.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

Yeah, I mean, uh less chemicals and we're actually eating the food the way God intended us to eat it. Um just chickens, straight like eggs from outside or from your farmer down the road. Right. That's you know exactly where it's coming from. And in my opinion, that is the way that it should be.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

So yes, it should. And and uh so many people are doing that now, and I mean you can tell a difference between a farm fresh egg versus what you get in the grocery store. Even if it in the grocery store it says farm fresh cage, you know, um free range, da-da-da-da-da. It's it's not the same as, you know, Betty Sue down the street. Yeah. Yeah. Selling eggs. Yes. So what are some other things? And and I'm so ex excited about your event and the great turnout that you had, and it seems like you're getting more and more momentum here in your campaign. So remind everybody when um early voting starts.

Early Voting Dates And Turnout

SPEAKER_03 15:54

Oh, yes, July 17th to August 1st is early voting. So please get out and cast your ballot. Um, I'm not sure how much energy is going to be around this governor race or not. So they uh the last race, the county race, about 10% of people voted.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

It's a shame.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

Unbelievable. And so if if you're bothered by what's going on in the political world, just very simple thing you can do is get out and cast your vote. Make your voice heard. Make your voice heard.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

You know what? That is a right. I think, and it's I cannot believe the apathy of people not voting. It's so simple. It's very simple to do. And we had people, men and women who fought, bled, and died for that right to vote. That vote is a God-given right. It is a privilege to vote. You can go anywhere at that voting places to vote and know that you're safe. In other countries, people risk life and limb to vote. And so if I could just uh stress anything from this podcast today, is please get out and vote. And those who go to churches who are Jesus followers, please are in evangelicals, please vote.

SPEAKER_03 17:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

You you don't vote, and it's it's that really we should be the largest voting block in our local area and statewide and nationwide. We should be the largest voting block, but we're actually one of the smallest.

SPEAKER_03 17:43

Oh yeah, I agree completely. I

Corporate Subsidies And Civic Duty

SPEAKER_03 17:46

mean, the uh there was a there was the budget that was passed this past year included um $30 million to send to Starbucks. The big corporation of Starbucks is coming to Tennessee. And so the values that the Starbucks has are going to come with it.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Right. Very woke. Yes. Um very socialist democratic. Um Starbucks has tons of money. I don't understand. Um that's that really sets me afire that our state would give a corporation like Starbucks 30 million dollars.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

Well, and they've done it for they've done hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. It's just the principle of it is if Christians would rise up, we might can turn this ship around a little bit. They're make your voice heard. Just like Christine said, we have veterans out there, we need to support them by voting and just honoring them. And our first responders are out there. Uh so many people that we rely on are out there that if even if we go and vote in support of them, that that's that's great. That's what we should be doing. Civic duty.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Yeah, civic duty. And you're you have a heart for veterans. Yes. And for our first responders. And um, and I think it's important to know that they are supported.

Affordable Housing And Homeownership

SPEAKER_02 19:21

And uh, you know, I think about affordable housing in our area, it's just such a it's it's such a need when you have a uh just in Johnson City alone, the median average income is 40,000 per family. And people are struggling to buy a home. And so, you know, being able to provide affordable housing to where people can put skin in the game and have a loan, have a nice new home, those things are important too that we need to support, and especially in your district.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Oh, yes. It's a huge need. Yes, ma'am. We have uh we have a huge cost of living issue. Affordability is a huge issue that I'm hearing at the doors all the time. So when things are becoming unaffordable, and then you hear the government is spending sending hundreds of millions of dollars to big corporations, the math is just not adding up.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

No.

SPEAKER_03 20:13

So, but I am thankful for businesses like you all who are striving to to make this affordable housing issue um to help with that. The benchmark home loans is really trying to help with the affordable housing. And I'm really thankful for you all.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

Absolutely. And that's one of the reasons Steve and uh Jonathan uh started land two homes is to provide, you know, brand new manufactured homes on a one-acre lot, turnkey solution. They'll even do the loan, and it's providing people a beautiful new home, extremely well built. And a lot of people they want an acre lot. They like that, they want to be out away from neighborhoods because on that acre lot, you might want to have a little garden or something, you know, that you can take care of. But but thank you for that. It it's it is a heart that we have to serve um those who need it, and um, you know, we would just like to be able to have more of opportunity to be able to do that as well.

SPEAKER_03 21:17

Absolutely. Yeah, thank you for doing it.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Yeah, well, thank you for what you're doing. And uh so is there any uh parting words or things that you would like to share?

SPEAKER_03 21:29

Well, yeah.

AI Guardrails And Protecting Kids

SPEAKER_03 21:31

I'm a mother, uh grandmother, uh first generation farmer. We we just we just have been there for almost two years, but we're really trying hard to pick up farming and to run with it. Um small business owner and a Sullivan County commissioner right now. I'm working to protect kids. That is one thing you asked me earlier about legislation. I believe that AI is a huge issue and we need To get it, we need to take it seriously.

SPEAKER_02 22:03

Yes. Needs to have guardrails around it. It's wonderful. And I mean, I I love using it. I know my husband uses it. People are starting to use it now. And but I can see it can do a lot of good, but then it can do a lot of harm.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

So absolutely. The example I give people is if you want to go build a house and you want to in the physical world, you have permits, you have regulations, you have rules you have to go by. And the same thing should be happening for for AI. Um, you got child pornography at an all-time high, childhood suicide, mental health. Everybody knows the research shows that it is it can be very damaging. So those are those are just some issues that I find very important. And I really would love to make our area the safest, cleanest, most affordable place in Tennessee where families can come and live and work and raise their kids and their families. Um and uh just like I said, I want to pick up the torch where Charlie Kirk left off. I want to continue to fight for faith, family, and freedom here at home. Not just what Nashville wants, but what Northeast Tennessee wants. Yes. Because it's not just about the Nashville laws, it's about the kids that we raise here in our homes and in our schools. And I will always fight to protect both. And uh like we talked about earlier, August 1st or July 17th, August 1st is early voting. Please

Volunteer Donate Vote And Final Ask

SPEAKER_03 23:40

get out and cast your ballot. We have a great grassroots team that we have growing on our means campaign. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you volunteer. Um, if either if either of those are good, and if you'd like to contribute, we'd go to votejesscameans.com and you may donate there. And we'd be so thankful for any contribution. And August 6th is election day. It is the the black and white is right there. So um please get out again and cast your ballot. And then if if above all else, I'll be praying for this community and I ask for your prayers as for my family and myself and all the people on this campaign. It can be very overwhelming with gratitude with the people like yourself who have reached out and are allowing uh us to have a voice, and I just thank you for that.

SPEAKER_02 24:36

Well, you're welcome, and thank you, Jessica, for what you're doing. So um anyway, I think it's been great. Um, great getting to know you, and um we wish you the best, and uh we wish you much success and that you win this district one race um for Tennessee. Thank you. Thanks. Vote Jessica. Vote Jessica. That's it, that's it. We'll end on that.

Wrap Up And Mortgage Info

SPEAKER_01 25:03

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.