Natisha Brooks Running For Congress In 5th District

Photo credit: natishaforcongress2022.org

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Natisha Brooks, write-in candidate against Jim Cooper in 2020, is running for the newly redrawn 5th Congressional District. Brooks is one of three Republican candidates who had decided to run against Cooper before redistricting split Nashville among three districts.

Brooks spoke with The Tennessee Conservative this week about her bid for District 5.

Brooks says she was inspired to run against Cooper in 2020 because she believes “no-one should run unopposed.” As a write-in candidate, where only the correct spelling of the candidate’s name is counted as a vote, she saw few votes in that race but she and her team were determined to run again in 2020. 

While some in Nashville have decried the city being split between three districts because it dilutes Black voters in the newly redrawn 5th District, Brooks says that the minority vote that remains should not be underestimated. As a Black woman, she feels that she can reach those voters for the Republican party. Speaking of Keeda Haynes who ran in the Democratic primary against Cooper in 2020, Brooks said, “The Democrats had an opportunity in the last election to put forward a black woman to represent District 5 and they didn’t.”

High on her list of priorities as a prospective congresswoman are education and farmers. “Send an educator and a farmer to Congress,” she said at a recent Wilson County Republican meeting. Brooks originally hails from Gilmore, Texas and still farms sweet potatoes. An educator by trade, she helped raise three failing schools to the best in their districts, before deciding to homeschool her children and start a homeschool tutorial and consulting business. She is the chancellor of Brooks Academy and says, “Only a healthy child can learn.” Mental health is one of her top issues and she supports trade schools as an alternative to college to ensure well balanced and successful individuals.

When it comes to teachers, she believes that they are woefully underpaid, and that the PRAXIS test that all teachers must take to be licensed, should be done away with. She would also like to see teachers have the ability to make their own assessments that more closely align with the needs of their students. Brooks is currently going through the process of becoming a substitute teacher to do her part in regard to easing teacher shortages. 

On school choice, Brooks says parents should have their tax dollars that are spent on education returned to them so that they can make the educational decisions that are best for their families. Brooks went so far as to say that those families who choose to homeschool, especially who have students with learning disabilities, should receive a stipend to help them do so. She would also like to see an agricultural magnet school be started for Davidson County.

*** Click Here to Support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. We can’t cover stories like this without your support!***

Brooks is a supporter of term limits, not just for Congress but also for Supreme Court Judges. 

She is unapologetically prolife and a supporter of adoption and foster care. “Adoption is too expensive,” she said, and she would like to make it easier for families to adopt. 

Brooks is running a traditional grassroots campaign that involves getting out in communities and meeting as many of her potential constituents as possible. “I’ve worn out 18 pairs of shoes already!” she laughed. She acknowledges that people don’t expect her to be a Republican when she knocks on doors but has been welcomed by white Republicans everywhere she has canvassed. “I have gained a lot of mothers and fathers,” she said.

When asked if she has encountered any racism thus far on the campaign trail, Brooks said, “I haven’t had any white Republicans be rude to me,” she said, “but white Democrats have been rude.” 

A proud American, Brooks says, “I love proving the Universe wrong.” 

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.