Republican Charlie Hatcher, a former state agriculture commissioner and dairy farmer; Democrat Chaz Molder, Columbia’s mayor; and independent Micheál O’Leary, a businessman and former local elected official in California, laid out contrasting approaches to issues affecting a district that now stretches from Williamson and Maury counties through rural parts of West Tennessee and into part of Memphis. The district no longer includes Nashville.

A fourth candidate, independent James Johnson, is also on the Nov. 3 ballot but did not participate in the forum.

Hatcher and Molder both identified affordability as an urgent concern. Hatcher said his family’s dairy operation has faced higher production costs since the COVID-19 pandemic and argued that boosting U.S. energy production and refining capacity could help over the longer term.

Molder said he hears from residents struggling with rising expenses and would work to lower costs, including by eliminating tariffs that he says are adding to consumer prices. O’Leary, asked about his priorities, emphasized that an independent representative would not be bound by either party’s leadership.

The candidates’ sharpest differences emerged over tariffs. Hatcher described them as a tool that can protect domestic industries and strengthen the U.S. position in negotiations, while acknowledging that farmers may feel the effects. Molder argued that current tariffs are increasing costs and creating uncertainty for businesses. O’Leary said tariffs may be intended to encourage domestic manufacturing but that companies often pass at least some of the added expense on to consumers.

They also addressed the strain that growth places on roads, water and wastewater systems. Hatcher cited water concerns in Columbia, wastewater capacity in Spring Hill and traffic across Middle Tennessee, calling for infrastructure priorities to be set by need and coordinated among local, state and federal governments.

Molder pointed to Columbia’s use of impact fees to help fund wastewater expansion, saying the approach lets growth pay for growth rather than shifting those costs to existing residents. He also cited state low-interest loans and federal assistance. O’Leary focused on the effects data centers can have on water and electricity supplies and utility bills, saying communities need to weigh investment against costs for people already living there.

The district’s size also prompted questions about access to a member of Congress. Hatcher said constituent services and regular engagement with local stakeholders would be central to his office, and suggested the district could require about three field offices. Molder said he would travel throughout Middle and West Tennessee and make office hours available to residents. O’Leary said he would use town halls to hear from voters when he was uncertain how the district viewed an issue, and argued constituents should judge his performance by his record.

On workforce development, Hatcher backed federal support for technical education and highlighted the need for trained workers in agriculture and forestry. Molder pointed to community colleges and career training as routes to good jobs that do not require a four-year degree. O’Leary called for stronger pathways into skilled trades and proposed targeted temporary visas to address labor shortages. Molder also said he supports rural hospitals and access to health care regardless of where people live.

Early voting runs through Oct. 29, with Election Day set for Nov. 3. The candidates’ answers addressed choices with direct local stakes, from who pays for infrastructure as communities grow to whether trade policies put additional pressure on household budgets.