Terry Jo Bichell
Terry Jo Bichell ran for election to the Nashville Metro Council to represent District 34 in Tennessee. Jo Bichell lost in the general election on August 1, 2019.
Jo Bichell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: City elections in Nashville, Tennessee (2019)
General election
General election for Nashville Metro Council District 34
Incumbent Angie Henderson defeated Terry Jo Bichell in the general election for Nashville Metro Council District 34 on August 1, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Angie Henderson (Nonpartisan) | 65.6 | 3,022 |
 | Terry Jo Bichell (Nonpartisan)  | 34.2 | 1,575 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 12 | ||
| Total votes: 4,609 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Terry Jo Bichell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jo Bichell's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1)Transit: Identify and implement specific transit-oriented projects, based on the results of the South Corridor Study, that can offer alternatives to commuters traveling through District 34 and decrease transit time. 2) Schools and Safety: Find solutions to improve our public school system and decrease response time for emergency responders to the district. 3) Accessibility: Increase communication with the citizens of my district and the satellite city governments, so they can reach their council representative easily and quickly to voice their priorities and ideas, as well as learn about city programs and offerings.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Research-based policy. As a scientist, I want to know what actually works, not what we think will work. What policies really work to make citizens' lives better? What kind of transit policy has been most economical and successful in similar-sized cities? How have other cities with fractious school boards repaired the process? How have other cities handled short-term rentals to benefit neighborhoods and city life? How have other cities handled scooters to increase safety but allow more transportation alternatives?
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my hero because she is steadfast, honest, humble, resilient, intellectually rigorous, and committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our society.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
My favorite movie of all time is "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" by the Coen brothers. Sad to say, there's a relevant quote for any current campaign event, almost every day. It is hilarious and tragic.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
The most important characteristic for an elected official is the ability to think unselfishly, to be able to judge what is best for the whole community, not for one sector, or one party, or one donor.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
As a scientist and the mother of a big family, I have a combination of empathy, honesty, and objectivity. I am a problem solver, and I look at facts, not ideology, to find the best solution to any problem, keeping the needs of the whole community in mind.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
I think that the core responsibility of any elected official is to educate constituents about issues and programs, listen to constituents' needs and situations, and make decisions based on their best interests. Most of the council decisions concern zoning, land use, and budget decisions.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I would like to help bring transportation options to Nashville. Our city urgently needs mass transit to promote our economy, increase equity, improve public health and decrease pollution.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
When I was four years old, my father put me on his shoulders so I could see President Kennedy drive by in a convertible in a parade in San Antonio, TX. A day or two later, Kennedy was assassinated and the whole country went into morning. I will never forget how proud we were to see our president, and how devastated we were when he was killed.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was as a receptionist at an osteopathic hospital in Kirkwood, Missouri. I started as a volunteer at 13, got a work permit to be paid officially at the age of 15, and worked there until I graduated from high school at 18. I was the first person who the patients met when they came in to be admitted, or to visit family members, or to go to therapy, and I was very proud to help them get where they needed to go.
What happened on your most awkward date?
My most awkward date was when I was 19 years old and my date took me out for a romantic fancy dinner at a Japanese restaurant where I ate sushi for the first time. I didn't know what the wasabi was, and I took a big bite of it. It was so spicy I almost passed out.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love having a full house, with everyone cooking all day together in a crowded kitchen, each one making a dish. Then, after dinner, everyone laughing and relaxing and playing games late into the night.
What is your favorite book? Why?
My favorite book is My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, which is a historical mystery novel set in Ottoman Turkey. I learned about history, art, love, politics and forgiveness from this beautiful book and I have always loved Turkey since I was an exchange student there in high school.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
If I could be any fictional character, I would want to be Harry Potter, of course. Wouldn't anyone?
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My favorite thing in my home is a large smooth pink river clamshell that my great-grandmother found when she was a young girl, in the late 1800's, in South Texas. I use it as a soap dish and I think about her being born in a covered wagon in Alabama on the way from Virginia to Texas in 1876 every time I wash my face.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
The last song that got stuck in my head was "Medicine Man", by Odell Fox.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Our son, Lou, was born with a severe brain disorder. When he was a baby, we knew something was wrong, but we didn't know what it was. Both of us were medical (Dave is a heart surgeon for babies, and at that time, I was working as a nurse-midwife in San Diego, and also as an instructor at a maternity hospital in Mexico). I was afraid that the baby had something fatal. I was working in Mexico when Dave called to tell me that he had received the test results, and the baby was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Angelman syndrome. For me, that was a huge relief. It wasn't fatal. It was just terrible. Now that I had a name for the disorder, I could start working on it. Dave tutored me in molecular biology and I flew to Finland a month later with the baby on my hip. I got to know all of the most important scientists in the field and realized that there were medications that were working in mice that were not even being tested in humans. Collaborating with these scientists, I helped organize the first clinical trials for a treatment for Angelman syndrome. The medications we tried, that had worked in the mice, didn't work in the kids. And my son was growing up. Something had to be wrong with the science. So, in 2009, when I was almost 50, I realized that I might as well work on the problem myself, so I went back to school to get a PhD in neuroscience from Vanderbilt. It was long, hard work and I still had kids, chickens and livestock to raise. While I was a student, I contributed to science, especially to circadian rhythms, and somebody else cured the disorder in a revolutionary new way in mice. So, by the time I graduated, the new problem to be solved was to get the newest treatments through clinical trials. Because I understood the science, but also liked people, I was drafted to lead an alliance of pharmaceutical firms, university researchers and family foundations. My job was to get those competitive groups to work together to find the best ways to measure whether or not the new treatments were working. I found a way to show most of the competing parties that we could all reach the finish line faster together. The medications haven’t made it through the FDA yet, but the process is well underway, fast-tracked by the collaborations I created. That is the politics of science, and that skill is what I want to bring to Metro Council.
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
The Davidson County Metro Council has the power to change the property tax rate every year.
What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?
I think the most important skill for a councilmember which would help solve the problems of our city, is the ability to compromise, by listening to all sides, finding out the facts, and making a way for stakeholders to collaborate together on solutions.
What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?
There are so many members of the Davidson County Metropolitan Council that residents can actually have a meaningful relationship with their councilmember, and each district is a distinct and unique part of the city as a whole.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?
I think it is important for members of the Metro Council to have experience on local commissions, businesses or institutions.
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.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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