Richard Briggs kicks off re-election campaign
By Ken Lay
Senator Richard Briggs is seeking a fourth term in the Tennessee State Senate.
He made it official on Sunday, Sept. 21, with a kickoff event at Marble Hall at Lakeshore Park.
Briggs, who represents District 7 in the Senate, takes pride in the legislature’s accomplishments during his tenure, including improvements in education and the opioid addiction crisis, and keeping taxes low.
“We’ve improved the opioid crisis, and we’ve had improvements in education. We don’t have a state income tax, and we haven’t raised property taxes in Knox County,” Briggs said.
“We’ve done a lot in the past, but what’s important is what we’re going to do in the future,” said Briggs, who will seek re-election in 2026. “We still have issues, and I’m really concerned about the quality of life.
“And a big part of that is our traffic patterns. No one likes sitting in traffic, and we need to make improvements in that area. We still have a lot to do.”
He addressed supporters on a humid afternoon and expressed his gratitude to those who had voted for him.
“It’s really an honor to serve the people in Tennessee,” Briggs said. “It’s an honor to be here.”
While Briggs officially kicked off his re-election campaign, he didn’t take center stage at the event.
Nearly all of the Republicans in the state senate, including Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, state Senators Becky Duncan Massey, Dawn White, Paul Bailey, Jessie Seal, Tom Hatcher, Shane Reeves, Brent Taylor, Ed Jackson, Ken Yager and others, were among those who appeared to show their support for Briggs, along with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson.
State Representative Dave Wright and city council candidate Jeff Talman also attended the event in a show of party unity.
Briggs, who previously served on the Knox County Commission, takes pride in being part of Knox County’s delegation in Nashville.
“People used to make fun of us because we talk funny, but when we go to national events, people are envious of our delegation because of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” Briggs said.
McNally said that Briggs’ experience in both state and local government has been an asset to the state senate.
“One time I needed somebody to help and I chose Rick Briggs because of his experience in both state and local government,” McNally said. “We need to re-elect Rick Briggs.”
