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 second question, and answers from those candidates who chose to respond.

How will you make sure that you, as District Commissioner, represent your entire District and not just the ones in the audience during the meetings? 

BRYAN COLE: I will make make it a priority to communicate outside of meetings through social media updates, community visits, and direct outreach. I plan to be proactive – chiching in with residents not jsut reacting to those who show up. Representation means hearing from everyone, including those who may not attend meetings.

ANDY DAVIS: I don’t believe you’ve got to be sitting in a meeting room to have a voice. A lot of good folks in this district are busy working, raising families, or out on the farm. They deserve to be heard just as much as anybody else.

If I’m elected I’m not going to wait on people to come to me. I’ll go to them. That means showing up in every part of the district. Talking to folks at ballgames, in church, at the co-op, or wherever they are. I’ll make sure people know how to reach me. And I’ll pick up the phone and call them back.

When something new comes up at a Commission meeting I’ll already have a pretty good idea where my district stands. Because I’ve taken the time to listen. I’m not there to represent a handful of voices in the room. I’m there to represent everybody back home.

At the end of the day that’s the job. Listen to your people. Use common sense. And make decisions that are best for the whole district.

ERICK DILDINE: That’s a really important question, because if you’re only listening to the people in the room, you’re missing most of the people you were elected to serve.

As District Commissioner, I believe my responsibility is to represent everyone in White county because our problems don’t stop at district lines , not just the few who are able to attend meetings. A lot of hardworking people in our county are raising families, working long hours, or taking care of loved ones. They don’t always have the time or ability to show up to a meeting, but their voice matters just as much.

That means I won’t wait for people to come to me I’ll go to them. Just like in my campaign , I plan to stay active in the community by knocking on doors, attending local events, and having real conversations with folks where they are. I also want to use social media as a tool to keep people informed and give them a chance to speak up, because that’s where a lot of communication happens today.

Another thing I believe in is being accessible. If someone has a concern, they should be able to call me, message me, or stop me in town and know I’ll listen. And just as important, I’ll follow up. Too many times people feel like they’re not heard after the conversation ends that’s something I want to change.

When it comes to decisions at Commission meetings, I’ll make sure I’ve taken the time to understand how those decisions affect the whole district not just the voices in the room that day.

At the end of the day, representing District 2 means showing up, listening to everyone, and making sure every family feels like they have a voice in their local government.

DERRICK HUTCHINGS: As a current commissioner, many of the items I bring up for discussion come from my constituents; that is part of my duties in representing them. In my role as chairman, who helps set the agenda, I often get calls from citizens outside my district requesting to be on the agenda to speak about concerns, or from their commissioner. Other new business items I present come from needs or changes that I think will help improve our community. Finally, other items include requests from elected officials for their departments. I work closely with all the elected officials & often they will call me to help with needs that have arisen.

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