July 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
The election is not until next Thursday, August 4 but Tom Cook has already punched his ticket to the November General Election as he will be the Democratic nominee for State Representative in District 40.
Cook, a resident of the Silver Point community of DeKalb County, is unopposed for the office in the Tennessee Democratic Primary. He will face the Republican nominee, either Incumbent Terri Lynn Weaver or Michael Hale in November. The term of office is two years.
Cook, who has lived in DeKalb County for the last four years, said he decided to get into this race after being contacted by the Democratic Party. “I was notified by the party and they asked if I was interested in becoming a candidate. I hadn’t really thought about it before then. Once I was asked to become involved I thought I would have a lot to offer. It’s a great opportunity to try and offer what I think is important with regard to change in the five counties that make up District 40,” said Cook.
A native of New Jersey, Cook furthered his education in Chicago, Saint Louis, and Nashville and made a career in healthcare as a nurse practitioner before retirement.
“I left home right after high school and went to Loyola University in Chicago for my bachelor’s degree. I went to Saint Louis University in Missouri for my master’s degree in nursing and finally finished my final degree which is a PhD which I got from Vanderbilt University. I have worked as a nurse for my whole life and retired as a nurse practitioner. I worked at Vanderbilt University for almost 40 years,” said Cook.
Some of the issues Cook said he is passionate about include healthcare, abortion rights, and more gun laws among others.
“I think rural health is a hugely important issue in all of the counties that I am running in and in the state. There are 16 hospitals that have closed since 2010 in rural areas of Tennessee. That is the second highest number of hospital closings in the country. I would like to help people take advantage of health opportunities that are out there and for them to live long and healthy lives,” said Cook.
As for guns, Cook said there should be more restrictions. “I am not interested in taking away guns except for assault weapons. We don’t need assault weapons to kill deer. Often the alternative for some seems to be that we have to focus more on mental health but in the murders that have taken place in schools where children are killed and in churches where parishioners are killed finding out about mental health after the fact has not been a useful kind of thing. I think we need more mental health opportunities to help people become their best selves, but I am also interested in gun safety. I think people need to be as interested in where they put guns and the access their children have to guns,” Cook continued.
“Other things I am interested in include serving veterans and active military personnel. I am also interested in supporting everyone who calls Tennessee home. That is the framework I come from”.
Cook said he discovered DeKalb County four years ago after deciding to relocate from Nashville to a more rural area. “ I lived in Nashville and had an opportunity with prices that went up for selling in Nashville to take advantage of that and then move to a more rural setting which I was glad to do and I am glad that I have. I love it here,” he said.
Cook, who is gay, is married and has an adopted son. “I am married and I adopted a child who is now 33 years old. I don’t have a wife. I have a husband and I am very proud of that,” said Cook.
Although a political newcomer to DeKalb County, Cook said he has held public office before.
“When I lived in rural Pennsylvania, I ran for the local school board and was not elected the first time that I ran. The second time I ran I was elected, and I was glad to be on the school board,” said Cook.