CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – All three members of the local state House delegation are up for election in November, and candidates are actively campaigning. To help voters with their decisions, Clarksville Now is publishing their written responses to a series of questions on key issues.
The candidates for Tennessee House District 68 are Aron Maberry, a Republican, and Garfield Scott, a Democrat. Here are their responses on five key topics. Both candidates, presented here in alphabetical order, were asked to respond in 100 words or less.
1. Infrastructure
What should be done to improve funding for state roads and highways in Montgomery County, including Interstate 24?
Maberry: Montgomery County must receive its fair share of state transportation funding to keep pace with our rapid growth. We have already secured nearly $1 billion of investments for Interstate 24, Trenton Road, Cunningham Bridge improvements, and Highway 237 (Rossview to Kirkwood), but we cannot let up. I will continue pushing TDOT to accelerate these projects, improve interchanges, and address dangerous bottlenecks. We must also plan ahead instead of waiting until congestion becomes unbearable. Better roads mean safer travel, shorter commutes, and more time at home with our families. It is our top priority to get our “unfair share” of infrastructure funding.
Scott: Tennessee needs infrastructure solutions that benefit everyone, not systems where the fastest or most reliable option depends on someone’s ability to pay. Rather than relying on Choice Lanes, I support exploring responsible, long-term infrastructure investments and asking large commercial developments that benefit from taxpayer-funded highways and improvements to contribute their fair share. I also support exploring new revenue sources, including legalizing and taxing cannabis and dedicating a portion of that revenue to transportation like “pot for potholes.” Tennessee’s growth should help pay for itself while keeping our roads accessible to everyone.
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2. Schools/education
What should be done to improve education in Tennessee, and do you support school vouchers?
Maberry: I believe in supporting students in public schools and families choosing a different educational path, because what matters is what works best for each child. I consistently support Education Freedom Scholarships and expanding school choice. Tennessee is making record investments in public schools, including $339 million in new funding this year. … As a member of three education committees, we study outcomes and adjust policy. That work has helped Tennessee rank among the top 25 states for fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading proficiency. … We’ve also limited K–5 screen time, expanded recess time and in 2027 will implement a bell-to-bell cell phone ban.
Scott: Improving Tennessee schools starts with investing in the people and resources already serving our children. I do not support diverting public education dollars to private-school vouchers. Instead, we should recruit and retain excellent teachers by paying them competitively, provide targeted tutoring and early intervention when students fall behind, address chronic absenteeism, and ensure schools have the resources to meet every child’s needs. I believe strong public schools create strong communities. When every child has access to a quality public education, regardless of ZIP code or family income, our students, workforce, economy and entire state benefit.
3. Public safety
What are your priorities when it comes to improving, or ensuring, public safety?
Maberry: Public safety begins with supporting law enforcement, protecting victims and holding criminals accountable. This year, Tennessee passed the nation’s most comprehensive laws addressing illegal immigration, strengthening cooperation with federal authorities and ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for those legally eligible. I have also fought for those who protect us, including passing legislation providing a workers’ compensation PTSD presumption for law enforcement officers and first responders. I will continue working to combat illegal drugs, strengthen school security, address repeat violent offenders and ensure our growing communities have the personnel and resources necessary to keep Tennessee families safe.
Scott: My public safety priorities begin with supporting the people who serve our community, the police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, 911 dispatchers and other first responders. We need to ensure they have the resources, training and mental-health support they need. Public safety also means addressing problems before they become crises. We should strengthen mental-health and addiction services, continue confronting the opioid epidemic. I want to also support programs that connect people with help early. Keeping our communities safe means being prepared to respond when something goes wrong, while also investing in prevention so fewer of our neighbors ever reach that crisis point.
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4. Affordability
Costs of living are rising in high-growth areas of the state. What would you do to address the need for more affordable housing?
Maberry: Housing affordability requires increasing supply while protecting homeowners from being taxed out of homes they already own. Tennessee should reduce unnecessary barriers to responsible development and invest in infrastructure supporting starter and workforce housing. We must also address rapidly rising property-tax bills caused by reassessments. I support reforms that limit how quickly local property-tax collections can grow without voter approval and exploring assessments based more closely on purchase price and improvements, not simply a neighbor’s inflated sale. Families should not face unaffordable tax increases simply because property values around them rise. I will work with leaders to keep homeownership attainable.
Scott: Clarksville’s growth should create opportunities for families, not price them out of their community. We need to increase the supply of affordable housing, encourage construction of starter homes, and use incentives and public-private partnerships to expand housing for lower income families. I also support limiting large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes and competing with families trying to become homeowners. Affordability goes beyond housing, too. As someone who comes from generations of local farmers, I understand how rising costs affect families and producers alike, which is why I also support eliminating Tennessee’s grocery tax.
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5. Healthcare
What solutions do you support to improve access to healthcare across Tennessee?
Maberry: Improving healthcare access requires more providers, greater competition and expanded services, especially in rapidly growing and rural communities. In 2024, I campaigned on bringing a new hospital to Clarksville. I am proud that we did not get just one, we essentially got three: TriStar Clarksville, Ascension Saint Thomas and Vanderbilt’s takeover of Tennova. These investments will allow more residents to receive quality care close to home. Tennessee must continue removing unnecessary barriers, strengthening mental-health services, supporting rural hospitals, expanding preventive care and addressing workforce shortages while protecting patients from rising costs and excessive government bureaucracy.
Scott: Every Tennessean deserves access to affordable healthcare, regardless of their income, ZIP code, or how they vote. I support expanding Medicaid in Tennessee, which can help working families access care while reducing the uncompensated-care burden on hospitals, particularly in rural communities. We must also address the rising costs facing Tennesseans who already have insurance, including premiums, deductibles, and prescription drugs, while strengthening access to primary and preventive care. Healthcare shouldn’t become affordable only after someone is seriously ill. We should build a system that helps Tennesseans get the care they need earlier, closer to home, and at a cost they can afford.
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About Tennessee House District 68
District 68 covers roughly the east third of Montgomery County, including Sango and communities on the east side of Clarksville:
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How to register, how to vote in November
The State General and City of Clarksville election will be Tuesday, Nov. 3, with governor, Congress, General Assembly, city mayor and half the City Council on the ballot.
The voter registration deadline is Oct. 5. Early voting will be Oct. 14-29.
Tennessee voters are required to show a valid photo identification. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the Tennessee state government, or the federal government are acceptable, even if expired. College student IDs are not accepted.
For more information on voting, including registering to vote, go to the Montgomery County Election Commission website, visit their office at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 404, email vote@mcgtn.net or call 931-648-5707.
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