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Houston Wolf

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Houston Wolf
Democratic Party
Elections and appointments
Last election
August 4, 2022
Education
Bachelor's
University of Central Oklahoma, 1992
Personal
Birthplace
Bartlesville, OK
Religion
Christian
Profession
IT specialist
Contact
Campaign website
Campaign Facebook
Personal X

Houston Wolf (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 97. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 4, 2022.

Wolf completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Houston Wolf was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1992. His career experience includes working as an IT specialist. He is an active member of the Grassroots Council of the Shelby County Democratic Party.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97

Incumbent John Gillespie defeated Toniko Harris in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Gillespie
John Gillespie (R)
 
56.7
 
12,083
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Toniko Harris (D)
 
43.3
 
9,219

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 21,302
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97

Toniko Harris defeated Houston Wolf in the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97 on August 4, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Toniko Harris
 
50.2
 
2,855
Image of Houston Wolf
Houston Wolf Candidate Connection
 
49.8
 
2,835

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,690
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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 97

Incumbent John Gillespie advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97 on August 4, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of John Gillespie
John Gillespie
 
100.0
 
7,897

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 7,897
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Houston Wolf completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wolf's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a longtime resident of this area who has decided that enough is enough. The insanity that Republicans are perpetrating on Tennessee in the legislature must be addressed, and the only way to do that is to run for office. Our current Representative is part of the problem, rather than part of the solution, which is why I am running.
  • We must maintain and improve our public education system, which is a mainstay of our civilization. Rather than taking money OUT of the system with private school vouchers, we shoud be investing more money in schools, supporting our teachers, and NOT banning books!
  • The Federal Government has a program that allows Tennessee BILLIONS of our taxpayer dollars to help our neediest residents pay for medical insurance. Our legislature has for years refused this money, because it is part of the Affordable Care Act. We should IMMEDIATELY begin accepting these funds so that we can get these Tennesseans health care.
  • Working Tennesseans deserve a fair wage that allows them to support their families.
I am most passionate about early childhood education. My mother was a teacher, and she provided me with the head start that I needed to succeed in school. Many children don't receive such support in their formative years, and it puts them behind when they begin school. We MUST ensure that ALL of our children receive the quality education that sets them up for future success.
My political role model is State Representative Dwayne Thompson, from District 96. Not only is he a good representative, he is a great person. He is ALWAYS in his district, attending events, addressing issues, and solving problems for his constituents. He is on the right side of the issues, but is able to work with the Republican majority in the legislature to get things done.
"The West Wing," for its depiction of a government that works as it should--dedicated, idealistic (but not naive) officials who are trying their best to make government work for all of us.
Empathy, staying in touch with constituents, and a strong desire to do the right thing.
I am a good listener. I enjoy talking with other people and hearing their perspectives, and then working together on solutions. I'm good at finding common ground, even with people I disagree with.
Showing up, being aware of the issues at hand, and a guiding philosophy that all of our decisions should work to the greater good.
A Tennessee that does better by its citizens, especially the disadvantaged.
I'm not sure how "historical" it was, but the first event for which I have an "I remember exactly where I was when I heard it" was when Elvis died in 1977. I was watching "The Brady Bunch" when they broke in to announce it. I wasn't a particularly huge Elvis fan, but the memory is quite distinct.
My first job was as a paper boy for an afternoon daily, starting at age 10. Some of the things I learned were how to manage my time, the importance of being organized, and the value of working hard. Also, that saving money was as important as earning it, and a lot harder!

My parents were staunch Republicans, and raised me as such. I struggled to reconcile my internal beliefs with the philosophy they tried to imbue in me, and finally realized that the problem was not with my beliefs or the inability to make them match those of my parents, but with the philosophy of "every man for himself" that lies at the core of so many Republican principles. Once I came to this realization, it was like a light coming on. I'm a Democrat at heart.
Well it's certainly not what we currently have in Tennessee, where the legislature and Governor are in lockstep in moving Tennessee backwards. Ideally, each branch of government would act to counterbalance the worst impulses of the other, within the framework of our Constitution.
We MUST do a better job of preparing our children, and our state, for the future. We need to improve our educational system so that students emerge as engaged citizens, fully able to participate in self-government and to meet the needs of an evolving economy. I have every faith that our young people will rise to this challenge, if we just give them the tools they need.
The obvious benefit is that it's much simpler and easier to manage. "Easier" is not always better, though. Sometimes we need the balance that having two separate houses provides.
I'm not sure how much benefit is derived from experience, especially as it relates to our current legislature. Having experience has not prevented them from banning books, punishing the LGBTQ community, and a host of other bad ideas. I'd rather have legislators who have experience at life, and the ear of the people, with a desire to do what's right for the most people, not just those who shout the loudest.
Absolutely it is. At the end of the day we are all humans. It is much easier to understand someone else's position when you have a relationship with them, know their history, and their circumstances.
I think a non-partisan commission is the best idea, for both local and state redistricting. We should appoint a group of respected citizens and instruct them that they may not, under any circumstances, consider political party when they are going through the process.
Oh, yes. I'd very much like to be on the committee that works on early childhood education, for reasons mentioned above.
Dwayne Thompson, for reasons noted above.
No.
Only in the most exceptional of circumstances should the legislature grant the use of emergency powers--only during true emergencies. Even then, the "overseeing" part is critical. Too often when these arrangements are made the legislators fail to practice oversight, and executives make avoidable mistakes, or overreach.
Compromise is absolutely necessary, not only in policymaking but in pretty much every walk of life. I will never compromise on my principles, of course, but being able to see things from another perspective and getting a deal done are essential skills for anyone, including politicians.

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.

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External links

Candidate

Tennessee House of Representatives District 97
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 1, 2022.


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