Candidate Directory
To view the Candidate Directory for the Tennessee District 32 Special Election, click here.
Randell Stroud
House District51
New
Independent
Nashville
SURVEY QUESTIONS
Would you support or oppose legislation that would prohibit abortion except when necessary to prevent the death of the mother?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation that would make either sexual orientation or gender identity/expression a new protected class under Tennessee’s civil rights laws?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose a bill to amend Tennessee’s marriage statute to expressly authorize the issuance of marriage licenses to two people of the same sex?
Undecided
Would you support or oppose legislation that would establish a $15 per hour minimum wage in Tennessee?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation to allow the state to defend public K-12 schools that are sued because they designate the use of locker rooms and bathrooms on the basis of biological sex instead of the gender by which a student identifies?
Support
Do you support or oppose the proposition, advanced by a certain business coalition, that the bill described in question 5 is “discriminatory” and “would harm our economy and damage our state’s reputation”?
Undecided
Currently, a majority of the Justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court select the state’s Attorney General and Reporter. Would you support or oppose an amendment to the state Constitution that allows the Legislature to elect the Attorney General and Reporter in the same manner that it elects the Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer?
Support
Would you support or oppose an amendment to the state Constitution that allows the Governor to appoint the state’s Attorney General and Reporter subject to confirmation by the Legislature, as now happens with the appointment of the state’s Supreme Court Justices?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation, like Insure Tennessee proposed by Governor Haslam in 2015, that would expand Medicaid coverage in Tennessee beyond the Medicaid-eligible population?
Oppose
Do you support or oppose the decision by the state’s Department of Health to disregard the state’s current adoption laws and allow a child’s original birth certificate to show that the child has two mothers simply because one of the women is married to the child’s biological mother?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose a bill that would prohibit the state or local governmental entities from either giving preference to or discriminating against a business entity in awarding of grants or contracts based on whether the business has made sexual orientation or gender identity a protected status under its personnel policies, assuming that either of such statuses is not otherwise required by federal law?
Oppose
Would you support or oppose legislation to award all of Tennessee’s Electors in a presidential election to the Party of the candidate who wins the national popular vote?
Oppose
Do you support or oppose legalizing horse racing tracks in Tennessee at which bets can be placed on races?
Support
There is a school of thought that the Constitution is a “living” document, meaning its various provisions are evolving and should be interpreted in the context of contemporary societal mores. Would you support or oppose a nominee to the Tennessee Supreme Court if there is credible evidence that the nominee believes the state or federal Constitution should be viewed or interpreted as a “living” document?
Support
Would you support or oppose legislation to ensure that an adoption agency with a sincerely held belief that marriage is only one man and one woman would not lose its state license to make adoption placements if it only placed children in homes into which the marriage was of one man and one woman?
Support
ESSAY QUESTIONS
Explain your view of state government’s role in relation to economic growth and/or job creation.
Government's role in business is to make sure that no foul-play is involved such as theft, extortion, or environment hazards. However, the government has no right to bailout failing companies, issue subsidies, or control the types of clients they can see. I believe in pure unadulterated free-market capitalism with as little government regulation as possible. Currently it costs about $500 to legally run a lemonade stand in the USA. The redtape must be cut!
What are your thoughts about a parent of a child in a low performing public school being provided a voucher equal to the amount of the state’s per-student expenditure that would be applied toward the child’s private school tuition?
Yes. I do support giving low-income families the option to use vouchers for private school. If a parent is unhappy with a public school curriculum, the parent should have the right to withdraw their tax support from public schooling and be reimbursed in the form of a voucher which could be applied to private school tuition. School choice is an important tool parents to use to ensure that their children are not being brainwashed by a single obligatory educational system. While the voucher system isn't perfect, it's a great first step towards giving parents choice in regards to how their children are being educated.
What is one of the most satisfying things you have ever done or accomplished and what made it so satisfying to you?
My greatest accomplishment was being able to play a major role in getting John Arriola, a former county clerk, fired for forcing citizens to pay for an imaginary gratuity fee in regards to marriage licences. My efforts landed me in the local newspaper and made me realize that one man truly can make a difference. My small protest enouraged others to speak out and it made a real impact in my community. That experience shaped me in a major way.
What personal qualities or experiences do you think will best serve you in your role as a state legislator?
I am very multifaceted. A boxing coach, a long-time paralegal, owner of a human rights organization, and publisher of many books covering issues like family law, bankruptcy, and international law. I am also very sympathetic to the racism problem in America. I was born to a white family, went to black schools, and was adopted into a Cambodian family, where I was later taught how to box by Latino migrants. I have owned two businesses and have addressed the United Nations. I have been both rich and homeless. My life experiences reflect a diversity that no other candidate has! My legal training has also taught me to see both sides of every issue as a "Devil's advocate". My broad horizons will ensure very pragmatic ideas and proven solutions will be passed. I am also humble enough to change my mind on issues if presented with compelling evidence.
What bill that passed in the last General Assembly would you have voted against and why, or what bill that was not passed in the last General Assembly do you wish had passed and why?
I truly wish that a shared-parenting law would have been passed. Our family law system bankrupts fathers and tears families apart. The norm should be a default 50/50 split. Our current family law system increases suicide rates and poverty, especially towards fathers. It is a system that encourages fear, corruption, incarceration, abandonment, and conflict. It is rife with corruption and dirty lawyers and judges lining their pockets with busy work and loads of cash. Title IVD states that for every dollar collected in child support, the federal government rewards the state with a dollar of its own. Alongside with the prison industrial complex, those who cannot pay-up are still generating money for the state during incarceration. It's a vicious system that offers no opting out of. It is in need of a complete overhaul. It is a criminal court disguised as a civil court. I also believe that the legislators should get out of the marriage business. I do not support government regulaltion of hetero or same sex marriage.
