The three Republicans running for Hamilton County mayor were tasked Sunday with establishing just how conservative they are at their second public event on the same stage.
In what was pitched as a conversation rather than a debate at Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, the three candidates competing in the May 3 Republican primary touched on topics such as critical race theory, pandemic-related mandates and government "tyranny" in general, where moderators specifically mentioned how outgoing Mayor Jim Coppinger handled the pandemic.
"I'm not going to sit here and throw Jim Coppinger under the bus," said candidate Matt Hullander, of Chattanooga. "Would I have done things differently? I don't know, probably."
He added that "government has no place in making personal decisions for my family or yours."
(READ MORE: Education, schools dominate first Hamilton County mayor debate)
Hamilton County Commission chair Sabrena Smedley, of Ooltewah, said she was vocally opposed to mandates and "wore the county mayor out every single day."
"I will never force businesses to shut down, nor will I tell employees they can't go to work and provide a living for their family," Smedley said.
The third candidate, Weston Wamp of Chattanooga, also touted how aggressive he was with pushing against mandates that left many businesses to close. But the worst of the pandemic was when children were required to wear masks, he said.
"We still, against all science, continued to mask kids," Wamp said. "It's probably the greatest single policy failure of my lifetime."
Candidates were also asked about economic development and the ramifications of business closures and some requiring their workers to be vaccinated.
"I will never mandate vaccinations," Smedley said. "Nor will I ever support wokeness or any company disrupting our economy or value system. I don't do business with those companies."
Wamp said concerns about a tyrannical government stem from the fact many people may believe there's only one over-arching government.
"It has to be implemented at a local level," Wamp said. "And so we just won't, and in many cases that's exactly what happened here."
Hullander said that as a longtime business owner, he knows the problems with government playing a role in businesses.
"I'm the candidate up here that paid payroll for 20 years, so the less government that can be involved in business, the better."
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Candidates at the forum were also asked about public education and curriculum, a heated debate in conservative politics covering topics such as school choice and teaching about race.
Wamp made a point to reframe the question, emphasizing that as mayor his main power would be related to school budgets rather than to influence curriculum.
"The county doesn't run public education - far from it," Wamp said.
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Wamp went on to say that he would work to create a Hamilton County Volunteer Corps, which would bring in community members such as churchgoers to help work with children and provide them with meals to combat food insecurity.
Smedley, citing her government experience in pushing for increased funding, touched on the importance of school choice.
"I support parents having a choice when it comes to making decisions for their child's education," Smedley said. "That was so important to me as a parent, I knew I had one shot."
Hullander, who like other candidates has made a strong push for vocational schools, said children are under pressure to follow paths to learning that are deemed traditional.
"I think the stigma of having to get a four-year degree has been part of the problem for a long, long time," Hullander said.
Hullander said he'd also like to create a position in the mayor's office that would entail having a liaison to work with the county's public schools to find out their needs and connect students with programs such as apprenticeships.
The winner of the primary will go on to a general election in August.
Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.