Seven Candidates Eye 1st Congressional Seat

What do a Muslim who thinks Israel should become the 51st state and a college administrator who sings in a local indie rock group have in common?

They’re just two of the seven people hoping to face off in the August primary and then the November general election for the 1st District congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. David Davis, a Republican from Johnson City.

The Tennessee Division of Elections is currently reviewing their petitions and is expected to release an official candidates list soon.

Here’s a quick look at those who have submitted the paperwork necessary to get their names on the ballot:

U.S. Rep. David Davis – Davis, the incumbent, is no stranger to an election with a number of candidates. When he won the seat in 2006, he beat 12 other candidates in the Aug. 3 Republican primary, then went on to beat a Democrat and five independents in the Nov. 7 general election.

“I represent the best people in America,” said Davis, who added that he is excited to run for a second term. “I’m going to get out there and work hard.”

Davis serves on the House Small Business, Education and Labor, and Homeland Security committees. Prior to running for Congress, he spent eight years in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Michael Donihe, a Democrat from Kingsport – An avid supporter of independent presidential candidate Ron Paul, Donihe is running as a Democrat who believes this country’s monetary system needs to be changed.

“We have to have a change in our monetary system and the way we do banking in this country,” said Donihe, who believes the country should go back to the gold standard. “It’s legalized fraud. It’s destroying this country.”

Besides the country’s economic policy, Donihe is concerned that the government is infringing on the civil liberties of individuals.

He has studied information technology at East Tennessee State University and works as a custodian at the Kingsport Public Library.

Joel Goodman, an independent from Johnson City – After receiving the third highest number of votes of four candidates who ran in the 1st District’s August 2006 Democratic primary, Goodman said he’s running as an independent this year because doing so will give him more of a chance to speak his mind.

“There’s a need to get other voices out there,” he said. “We’re in dire straits and we’re doing the exact things that the founding fathers did not want us to do.”

Goodman thinks the U.S. should pull out of the war in Iraq as soon as possible, and that the  country should protect the civil liberties given to its citizens under the Constitution because they are the basis of this country.

Goodman used to run Johnson City’s Downtown Army-Navy Store, which he is transforming into an online business. He also is renovating the city’s old Clinchfield Railroad train station. A former actor, he has appeared in several off-Broadway plays and a few episodes of the TV show, “Miami Vice.”

T.K. Owens, an independent from Johnson City – Owens said he is running as an independent because he can work with both political parties.

He spent seven years working as a reporter at several television and radio stations in Northeast Tennessee – including News Channel 11 and WKPT – and claims this experience, along with an internship as a press assistant for former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, a Republican from Tennessee, qualify him for office.

Owens currently works as a substitute teacher for the Johnson City school system.

James Reeves, an independent from Gray – Reeves promised his supporters he would run again for the 1st District seat after getting 0.56 percent of the vote as an independent in the November 2006 election.

“I would like the government to leave me alone and stay out of my pocket,” said Reeves, whose top issues are controlling the federal reserve and immigration, both legal and illegal. “Hopefully, as time goes on, I show a lot of people we can put our feet down and change the tide.”

Reeves works as an auto mechanic, but is best known for leading a successful campaign to block Washington County’s $50 wheel tax increase. He also is running for a seat on the Washington County Commission in August and will forego his congressional bid if he wins that office.

Phil Roe, a Republican from Johnson City – Roe, Johnson City’s mayor, is perhaps Davis’ most well-known challenger. He criticized career politicians when he kicked off his campaign with a Jan. 22 news conference.

“I’m going to work hard for the people of East Tennessee,” said Roe, an obstetrician for 30 years. “It’s not about the politics, it’s about the people.”

He said top issues will be the economy, national security, immigration and veterans issues. Roe garnered the fourth highest number of votes when he ran in the 1st District’s Republican primary. He has served on the Johnson City Commission since 2003.

Rob Russell, a Democrat from Kingsport – Russell’s main reason for seeking the seat is a fear his children will not have the same opportunities he had while growing up. His top campaign issues are improving public education and withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

Russell also thinks the government should do more to regulate the mortgage industry. Despite these stances, Russell claims he is not a politician.

“If any Democrat in this area had real [political] aspirations they’d move,” he said, adding that a Republican has represented the 1st District for at least 100 years.

Russell has directed East Tennessee State University’s writing and communications center for the past 10 years. He also is the lead singer in a local indie rock band, Rob Russell and the Sore Losers.

Mahmood “Michael” Sabri, a Republican from Johnson City – Sabri describes himself as a Muslim by birth, an American citizen by choice and a Southerner by nature.

He said it is crucial for the U.S. to ease the turmoil in the Middle East if it wants to win the war on terror, and one way the country could accomplish that goal would be offering statehood to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sabri – who received 411 votes when he ran as an independent during the November 2006 election – also favors placing limits on campaign finance. He does not plan to solicit campaign contributions during his run for office. Instead, he is asking that his supporters donate their money to a scholarship fund at Northeast State Technical Community College, where he teaches computer science and business.

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