NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Mark Cochran (R-Englewood) today announced he is seeking reelection to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2020.
“It has been an incredible honor serving the citizens of District 23, and I will never stop fighting for additional resources to support our citizens and our communities,” said Cochran. “I pledge to continue to uphold the conservative, Tennessee values and principles that make our region and this state the envy of our entire nation.”
Rep. Cochran was first elected to serve the men, women, and families of McMinn and Monroe Counties in 2018. Because of his strong leadership abilities, his peers asked him to serve as Majority Treasurer for the 111th General Assembly. In this Republican leadership position rarely held by a first-term lawmaker, Cochran is responsible for receiving and safeguarding all Caucus funds, ensuring accurate reporting to the Campaign Registry and making quarterly reports to membership on the status of funding.
Cochran has also fought to reduce burdensome taxes and regulations on Tennessee businesses and their employees. He is a powerful voice for the unborn and a staunch defender of the second amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Currently, Cochran and his Republican colleagues are working to enact constitutional carry in Tennessee.
In 2019, he cosponsored House Bill 1138, which eliminates the amusement tax on small gyms, fitness studios, and similar entities across Tennessee. This measure levels the playing field for these facilities so they can compete against their larger counterparts which obtained an exemption from this burdensome regulation in 1986.
Additionally, Cochran has sponsored and cosponsored several pro-life initiatives during his tenure in our General Assembly. These include House Bill 966, House Bill 77, and House Bill 1029. These bills support parents who have lost an unborn child by recognizing the sanctity of life, and they solidify Tennessee’s status as a strong pro-life state by enhancing safeguards for the unborn.
“We are blessed to live in a strong pro-life state, and these measures increase protections for our most precious gifts,” added Cochran. “I will never stop fighting for the unborn and will always support those parents across Tennessee who have suffered the immeasurable loss of a child.”
During the 2020 legislative session, Cochran joined with his colleagues as the Covid-19 pandemic threatened public health and safety across the state to pass House Bill 2818. This important measure holds students, teachers, and schools harmless as it relates to TNReady testing, teacher evaluation growth scores, final grades, school and district accountability assessments, BEP-related requirements, and post-secondary readiness assessments for the 2019-2020 school year.
Cochran also attached a crucial amendment to the bill that waived the state requirement for portfolios and added language to allow flexibility for student teachers who were unable to finish their term in the classroom.
“What we are seeing in communities across our state and our nation during this ongoing public health emergency is unprecedented,” added Cochran. “I am proud to stand with our teachers, students, and schools and to safeguard them under these extraordinary circumstances because I know they will be a major part of Tennessee’s comeback. We will continue to ensure these important groups have the resources they need to remain successful.”
Rep. Cochran says he is grateful for the overwhelming support he has received during his time in office and humbly asks for the citizens of District 23 to support him once again this year. He remains committed to ensuring Tennessee is the best place in the entire nation to live, work, raise a family and retire.
Mark Cochran serves as Majority Caucus Treasurer for the 111th Tennessee General Assembly. He is also a member of the House Consumer & Human Resources and the House Education Committees, as well as the House Consumer and the House Curriculum, Testing, & Innovation Subcommittees. Cochran resides in Englewood and represents House District 23, which includes McMinn and part of Monroe County.