State

State Representative, 55th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Tennessee laws and the state budget in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Candidates Compare by issue

Jayla Thomas

Republican

Business consultant; small business owner · Nashville

The gist

Supports capping property tax increases on primary homes.
Supports phasing out property taxes for homeowners 65 and older.
Supports eliminating the state grocery tax.
Supports school choice with income limits and oversight.
Supports nuclear power as a long-term source of baseload energy.
Opposes utility rate hikes driven by data center demand.

More about Jayla

View sources (2)

Supports capping property tax increases on primary homes.
Policy Priorities & Issues | Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative
Campaign website · Friends of Jayla Thomas Committee · jaylat4tennessee.com
“I support an immediate cap on property tax increases for owner occupied primary residences”
Supports phasing out property taxes for homeowners 65 and older.
Policy Priorities & Issues | Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative
Campaign website · Friends of Jayla Thomas Committee · jaylat4tennessee.com
“we must begin a responsible transition toward removing property taxes on homeowners who are 65 and up”
Supports eliminating the state grocery tax.
VOTE411 voter guide: Tennessee House of Representatives District 55
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Tennessee (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“I also support eliminating the state grocery tax so families can keep more money in their pockets.”
Supports school choice with income limits and oversight.
Policy Priorities & Issues | Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative
Campaign website · Friends of Jayla Thomas Committee · jaylat4tennessee.com
“School choice is important. Families deserve options. But school choice done without accountability hurts taxpayers and students alike.”
Supports nuclear power as a long-term source of baseload energy.
Policy Priorities & Issues | Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative
Campaign website · Friends of Jayla Thomas Committee · jaylat4tennessee.com
“Nuclear energy must be at the forefront of future planning.”
Opposes utility rate hikes driven by data center demand.
Policy Priorities & Issues | Jayla Thomas for Tennessee State Representative
Campaign website · Friends of Jayla Thomas Committee · jaylat4tennessee.com
“I also strongly oppose allowing electric utilities to raise rates on residential, commercial, or industrial customers due to increased power demand”

John Ray Clemmons

DemocraticIncumbent

Attorney and mediator · Nashville

The gist

Supports repealing vouchers and redirecting funds to public schools.
Supports Medicaid expansion.
Supports regional and interstate commuter rail; opposes toll lanes.
Supports local power to accept or reject data centers.
Supports reducing or eliminating the grocery tax.
Sponsored bill requiring free school breakfast and lunch for all.In office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about John

View sources (3)

Supports repealing vouchers and redirecting funds to public schools.
VOTE411 voter guide: Tennessee House of Representatives District 55
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Tennessee (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Repeal Lee's voucher program and redirect those funds into public schools”
Supports Medicaid expansion.
Policy Priorities - John Ray Clemmons
Campaign website · Friends of John Ray Clemmons · johnrayfortennessee.com
“Medicaid expansion is long overdue.”
Supports regional and interstate commuter rail; opposes toll lanes.
Policy Priorities - John Ray Clemmons
Campaign website · Friends of John Ray Clemmons · johnrayfortennessee.com
“John Ray advocates strongly for regional and interstate commuter rail … cannot be fully solved with more lanes (and certainly not toll lanes)”
Supports local power to accept or reject data centers.
VOTE411 voter guide: Tennessee House of Representatives District 55
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Tennessee (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“Local governments should have the power to decide whether or not they want data centers in their community”
Supports reducing or eliminating the grocery tax.
VOTE411 voter guide: Tennessee House of Representatives District 55
Candidate questionnaire · League of Women Voters of Tennessee (VOTE411) · onyourballot.vote411.org
“reducing/eliminating the grocery tax”
Sponsored bill requiring free school breakfast and lunch for all.
Representative John Ray Clemmons: bills sponsored in the 114th General Assembly
Government record · Tennessee General Assembly · wapp.capitol.tn.gov
“provide a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in a school”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 5 issues covered in this race.