Your questions, their answers Election 2026

The Main Street Journal – Sparta has been listening to the community. Over the past several weeks, readers have submitted questions they want answered ahead of the 2026 election—and we’ve taken those directly to your County Commission candidates.

Here is your twelth question, and answers from those candidates who chose to respond.

What is the biggest opportunity for White County? 

ANDY DAVIS: I think the biggest opportunity for Sparta and White County is managing our growth the right way.

We’re in a good location. We’re close to Cookeville, within reach of larger cities, and places like Center Hill Lake bring people into the area. More folks are discovering White County, and that creates opportunities for new businesses, jobs, and investment.

But the real opportunity is doing that growth in a way that protects what makes this place special. We need to support small businesses, create opportunities for our young people, and strengthen our local economy, while still protecting our farmland and rural way of life.

If we plan ahead and make smart decisions, we can grow in a way that benefits the whole community and keeps White County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

ERICK DILDINE: I believe the biggest opportunity for Sparta and White County is controlled, community-first growth that creates opportunity without losing who we are.

We are in a unique position. We have a strong workforce, a great location, and a community that truly cares about one another. That gives us the chance to grow in a way that brings in good jobs, supports our local businesses, and creates more opportunities for our kids to stay here and build a future.

But growth by itself isn’t the goal doing it the right way is. We’ve all seen what happens when decisions are made without thinking long-term. Growth should never come at the cost of our farmland, our small-town values, or the quality of life that makes people want to live here in the first place.

I also want to be clear I’m not going to be a big corporate candidate. I’m here to represent the people of White County. That means making sure growth benefits our families, our small businesses, and our community not just outside interests. We should welcome opportunity, but it has to be on terms that respect and strengthen what we already have.

The opportunity in front of us is to be intentional. To attract businesses that fit our community, invest in infrastructure that supports families, and take advantage of state resources and grants that help us grow without putting more burden on taxpayers.

I also believe our greatest strength is our people. When you look at this community, you see neighbors helping neighbors, families supporting each other, and people who are willing to step up and do the work. If we focus on that if we build around our people instead of around outside interests we can create a future that keeps White County strong for generations.

My faith teaches me to think beyond today believe in a future and to serve with a long-term mindset. I want to be part of building a county where our kids don’t feel like they have to leave to succeed, and where families can continue to grow, work, and thrive right here at home.

That’s the opportunity and I believe you and me with the help of God can get there together.

DERRICK HUTCHINGS: The biggest thing to happen in White County in the last 20 years is selling the County Landfill. We turned an 8 million dollar liability into a 40 million dollar asset. This has set the county up to save taxpayers' money for the next 20+ years. The next big opportunity for White County will be the expansion of the Upper Cumberland Airport for commercial flights. This is still a few years away, but it will be a great driver of tourism dollars into the county and the opportunity for convenient flights for our citizens.

JAVIER ORTIZ: Our biggest opportunity is growth with purpose—continuing to build our local economy, support small businesses, and strengthen our community while keeping our small-town values. If we do it right, we can create more opportunities without losing what makes White County special.

WILL RANDOLPH: With proper guidance, White County can take advantage of our natural beauty, our innovative and creative citizenry, and our growing hospitality industry to build a continued bright future. Living things grow, and growing things change, in this transitional period we must develop a long-term plan for our county so we can take advantage of this crossroads in our community. If we leverage this appropriately, we can preserve our heritage and charm. If we don’t, we risk losing this opportunity to set our county up for longstanding success, and our counties identity in the process. This vital time in our history will prove to be a watershed for our county as we start this economic transition. It must be managed with responsible constitutional governance, because the opportunities are limitless and so are the unintended consequences of failing to plan for it.

The Main Street Journal - Sparta's 2026 Election Coverage is brought to you by Tennessee Credit.