Karen Gertz
Karen Gertz (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 20. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Gertz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Karen Gertz earned a bachelor's degree from Maryville College in 2000. Her career experience includes working as a technical writer and in quality assurance and auditing within the science industry.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20
Tom Stinnett defeated Karen Gertz in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tom Stinnett (R) | 74.8 | 24,704 | |
| Karen Gertz (D) | 25.2 | 8,312 | ||
| Total votes: 33,016 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20
Karen Gertz advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karen Gertz | 100.0 | 1,392 | |
| Total votes: 1,392 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20
Tom Stinnett defeated Nick Bright and Jason Emert in the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 20 on August 1, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tom Stinnett | 35.1 | 2,352 | |
| Nick Bright | 33.1 | 2,214 | ||
| Jason Emert | 31.8 | 2,130 | ||
| Total votes: 6,696 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gertz in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Note: On October 15, 2024, Karen Gertz edited the Endorsements survey response to include additional endorsements.
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Gertz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gertz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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From childhood onward, I have been an advocate for those who did not have a voice, those who were vulnerable, and those who were treated differently for not conforming to the status quo. I have never been afraid to stand up for what is right, and I have always believed that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what they believe, who they are, or who they love.
I want to bring these values to the Tennessee House so that everyone has a voice, knowing they have a representative in their corner who listens to their concerns and puts their needs at the forefront of decision making.- I am a staunch advocate for both reproductive rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right, including the right to abortion, IVF, and birth control. Equal treatment under the law is a fundamental right, and the rights of Tennesseans should not be restricted based on orientation or who a person chooses to love. We must do everything possible to ensure that equal rights are unequivocally upheld by Tennessee law.
- I'm an advocate for the education and safety of Tennessee children. Public schools need to be fully funded to ensure they can attract quality educators by providing appropriate compensation, along with other resources to provide the best education to students. Public funds should not be diverted to any voucher program. We also need common sense gun safety legislation to protect our children.
- I'm an advocate for the expansion of Medicaid. The refusal of our current Tennessee legislature to expand Medicaid has been detrimental to the health of hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans. The expansion of Medicaid would reduce hospital closures in rural areas and allow many of the uninsured to receive healthcare, as well as provide care for those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse issues. We must move forward with legislation that benefits the health of all Tennesseans, regardless of income.
On a local level, I am also passionate about:
- Finding a balance between the need for increased infrastructure for our growing community in Blount County, while also preserving our natural resources
- Addressing the housing crisis that is preventing so many people from purchasing homes, and also forcing Blount Countians to leave the area in the face of rising rental rates
- Enacting measures that will reduce taxes for individuals, families, and small businesses in Blount County, while increasing taxes for large corporations so that they pay their fair share
Another crucial characteristic is integrity in words and actions. I will always be honest and authentic about my stance on the issues that I find to be non-negotiable (i.e., equal rights, the full funding of public schools, etc.), and I will not change my stance on these issues to gain approval. With me, my word is my bond. In addition, I have not and will not accept any corporate sponsorships or donations, as I will never be beholden to the will of corporations; I will only be beholden to my constituents.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Tennessee House of Representatives District 20 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 29, 2024
