Mezianne Vale Payne
Mezianne Vale Payne (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Tennessee. She lost in the Democratic primary on August 2, 2018.
Vale Payne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
- See also: Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Tennessee on November 6, 2018.
General election
General election for Governor of Tennessee
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bill Lee (R) | 59.6 | 1,336,106 | |
| Karl Dean (D) | 38.6 | 864,863 | ||
| Sherry Clark (Independent) | 0.2 | 5,198 | ||
| Mark Wright (Independent) | 0.2 | 4,687 | ||
| Patrick Whitlock (Independent) | 0.2 | 3,631 | ||
| Yvonne Neubert (Independent) | 0.1 | 3,070 | ||
| Heather Scott (Independent) | 0.1 | 2,969 | ||
| Mark Brown (Independent) | 0.1 | 2,841 | ||
| Joe Wilmoth (Independent) | 0.1 | 2,444 | ||
| George Blackwell Smith IV (Independent) | 0.1 | 1,550 | ||
| Cory King (Independent) | 0.1 | 1,502 | ||
| Tracy Yaste Tisdale (Independent) | 0.1 | 1,396 | ||
| Justin Cornett (Independent) | 0.1 | 1,217 | ||
| Chad Riden (Independent) | 0.0 | 1,096 | ||
| Robert Sawyers Sr. (Independent) | 0.0 | 1,059 | ||
Vinnie Vineyard (Independent) ![]() | 0.0 | 1,012 | ||
| Rick Tyler (Independent) | 0.0 | 981 | ||
| Gabriel Fancher (Independent) | 0.0 | 869 | ||
| Sean Fleming (Independent) | 0.0 | 814 | ||
| Alfred Rapoza (Independent) | 0.0 | 800 | ||
| Jessie McDonald (Independent) | 0.0 | 755 | ||
| Toney Mitchell (Independent) | 0.0 | 739 | ||
| Mike Toews (Independent) | 0.0 | 726 | ||
| Matthew Koch (Independent) | 0.0 | 652 | ||
| Jeremy Allen Stephenson (Independent) | 0.0 | 613 | ||
| Tommy McAnally (Independent) | 0.0 | 609 | ||
| Jaron Weidner (Independent) | 0.0 | 588 | ||
| William Helmstetter (Independent) | 0.0 | 496 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 11 | ||
| Total votes: 2,243,294 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Karl Dean defeated Craig Fitzhugh and Mezianne Vale Payne in the Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 2, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Tennessee
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karl Dean | 75.1 | 279,324 | |
| Craig Fitzhugh | 19.4 | 72,263 | ||
Mezianne Vale Payne ![]() | 5.4 | 20,253 | ||
| Total votes: 371,840 | ||||
= 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
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee on August 2, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bill Lee | 36.7 | 289,699 | |
| Randy Boyd | 24.3 | 191,940 | ||
| Diane Black | 23.0 | 181,719 | ||
| Beth Harwell | 15.3 | 120,910 | ||
| Kay White | 0.4 | 3,181 | ||
| Basil Marceaux | 0.2 | 1,270 | ||
| Total votes: 788,719 | ||||
= 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
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Mezianne Vale Payne participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on July 24, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Mezianne Vale Payne's responses follow below.[1]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | Medical Cannabis, Single Payer, and College Tuition, programs[2][3] | ” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Health Care. As a Critical Care RN, I have saved many lives in Tennessee. I know from personal experience that not having medical insurance, access to good healthcare, and education, will cause generational poverty. I have the latter of success for every family suffering from the lack medical insurance, and living in poverty. I did it myself.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[3]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Mezianne Vale Payne answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
| “ | Former First Lady Michelle Obama. She is a strong woman, who knows her mind. She was an amazing first lady, and held herself with grace, and dignity.[3] | ” |
| “ | RFK: His Words For Our Time[3] | ” |
| “ | honor, good character, transparency, truthfulness, and an advocate for their constituents, not campaign donors.[3] | ” |
| “ | Critical Care RN's have to be solution oriented, and adaptable to rapid changes. We are also very inventive, and tenacious. These are a few qualities I will bring to the Governor's seat.[3] | ” |
| “ | To get the peoples work done everyday. Tennessee should work for her people. Right now the people work for Tennessee. To actually do the job, not kick the can down the road. Put in term limits on day one to rid us of career politicians.[3] | ” |
| “ | One First Nations People Communities (formerly known as Native American Indian Reservations) in each section of the state. My legacy will be righting Andrew Jackson's biggest wrong, and bringing our Lakota brothers, and sisters, home. See my platform for this on my web page.[3] | ” |
| “ | I was in ten years old, and home from school with strep throat, on the day of Ronald Reagan's first inauguration. We only had four channels back then, and he was on all of them. Totally changed my life. I am a democrat that Loves Ronald Reagan, JFK, RFK, FDR, and Abraham Lincoln.[3] | ” |
| “ | In an ice cream store on the south side of Birmingham. I had it for six months.[3] | ” |
| “ | A young man went in for the kiss and got my nose. You ever have a tongue go in your nose? It was most awkward.[3] | ” |
| “ | I am a messianic jew. That means I am a jew that believes Jesus Christ is the messiah. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I do not celebrate with decorations, and presents. I celebrate the birth of Christ. The meal we share as a family, and good times with loved ones. Shopping can happen anytime of the year. Family gatherings can not.[3] | ” |
| “ | Dune. The prequels, and the original set from the 1960's. They are about planets, and space, post earth. Amazing stories![3] | ” |
| “ | Wrath, son of Wrath. From the Blackdagger Brotherhood series.[3] | ” |
| “ | My bed. Its a temper-pedic.[3] | ” |
| “ | I'm in love with the coco. I heard it riding in the car with my son. It will not leave my brain all these years later.[3] | ” |
| “ | My husband passed away from leukemia in 1990. He had no medical insurance because he was diagnosed one day before it went into effect. I am ashamed that in the year 2018- we still have people uninsured, and stuck in generational poverty because our politicians are to afraid to do their jobs.[3] | ” |
| “ | That means instead of having 3 critical care patients whose life depends on my skills, there will be 6.7 million (plus) lives in my hand. I know that my job will affect their lives everyday, and I want to make sure those lives are healthy, and happy. I will not let you down fellow Tennesseans.[3] | ” |
| “ | Reforming our prison system. The headquarters for America's private prison system is in Nashville. They will not like me. Private prisons need people in cells, to make money. This encourages longer, unfair, prison sentences for our minorities. When the state pays the bill- community service, and probation are used more. It is time to reunite families of non-violent cannabis offenders, pardon them, and get them out of the system.[3] | ” |
| “ | The governor cannot implement new programs if they are not involved in the budgeting process. I take this seriously. I will give Tennesseans a balance budget every year.[3] | ” |
| “ | Only use it in the most dire circumstances, and never abuse it. Getting involved with budgeting, and working with both parties, can remove the need for that veto. My plan is to be as sparing as I can with veto's, and compromise on bills with the house, and senate, in Nashville.[3] | ” |
| “ | I do believe it should. The Governor is the executive of the state, and needs every tool possible to effectively govern.[3] | ” |
| “ | Friendship is the word I would like to use. Compromising, friendly, and honest. If I am elected I will have both parties to the governors mansion for lunch once a week. We are going to be working long, hard hours together. Compromise will be another aspect of the relationship. Just remember the buck stops at my desk. I will be a strong leader for Tennessee.[3] | ” |
| “ | The beauty of the land. No state income tax, and the volunteer spirit of her people. I have saved many lives in Tennessee, and formed wonderful friendships here. The people don't get any better than Tennesseans. I went to college in ROLL TIDE Tuscaloosa, with my UT tag on my car, and my big orange UT jacket in the winter. Never missed an opportunity to ROCKY TOP in Tuscaloosa. I love this state so much, I chose it out of all 50 to move too.[3] | ” |
| “ | If I am not elected, I worry what will happen to out state. We have infrastructure needs in every section of the state. When I moved here the roads in Tennessee were number one in the nation, & I think Phil Bredesen was governor. Now we are last in the nation for roads. I worry the patients will go to jail over the medicine they need. I am a Jewish woman- we worry - a lot! My worries for Tennessee are to numerous to list here.[3] | ” |
See also
| Tennessee | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Mezianne Vale Payne's responses," July 24, 2018
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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