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Friday, October 30, 2026Oct 30

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Tennessee House District 27 candidates differ on issues

photo Patsy Hazlewood, center, and Tommy Crangle, candidates for the Tennessee state representative District 27 GOP nomination, debate Monday during the Pachyderm club meeting as Scott McColpin, right, looks on.

Republican voters in Tennessee House District 27 may be able to make their Aug. 7 decisions based squarely on issues.

Candidates Tommy Crangle and Patsy Hazlewood say they are both conservatives — but they don’t see eye-to-eye on everything. The two candidates met Monday at their first one-on-one debate sponsored by the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club.

Crangle says he wants to work to end Common Core curriculum, kill the state’s tax on dividend income and make Tennessee an uncomfortable place for undocumented immigrants.

Hazlewood says Common Core needs some adjustments — but standards for education are good. The Hall tax on investment income should be phased out — gradually. And the state should be a very easy place for undocumented workers and students to start paying taxes.

On education, Crangle, a retired engineer, said flatly he hates Common Core. He doesn’t understand what is wrong with the traditional way of teaching children math.