Matt Adams, the Democratic candidate for Hamilton County mayor, knows from his eight-year stretch in the U.S. Army that the best commanders are often the ones who listen.
“They’re the ones who say, ‘I’m at the head of the table, but each one of you at this table knows more than I do. Each one of you at this table are smarter in your subject matter area than I am, and if I try to make a decision without your input, then the mission has potential to fail,'” the 26-year-old paralegal told the Chattanooga Times Free Press in an hour-long interview Monday. “I’ll be the first to say that if elected county mayor, that’s how I want to lead.”
Adams enlisted on active duty when he was 17, working in national security law as well as criminal prosecution and defense. He is now in the U.S. Army Reserves and serves as a senior administrative paralegal. He is a freelance paralegal on the civilian side.
Crime, public transportation and education continue to be among Adams’ top concerns as he enters his final few weeks of campaigning. He and Republican Weston Wamp are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Jim Coppinger, who has opted to retire after serving in the role since 2011. The general election is Aug. 4.
Adams said education has always been an overarching focus of his campaign, particularly the need to fix deficient physical and digital infrastructure, but as he’s talked to voters, Adams said his platform has expanded to also include boosting teacher pay.