Image Credit: The Tennessee Conservative
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Tuesday, the Signal Mountain Conservative Club hosted the two candidates running in the Republican primary for House District 27, incumbent Michele Reneau and challenger Tony Hullender. And while discussing a number of topics, significant policy differences emerged between the two, particularly in the areas of medical freedom, 2nd Amendment rights, abortion, and immigration.
Hullender’s opening and closing remarks centered mainly on his personal history and life experiences, talking about his “deep roots” in the community and family history in the area. He discussed the death of his father when he was 13, his 12 years in the Army, and his journey through law school, private practice, and eventual service as a Tennessee Deputy AG in the fraud division.
Reneau used her time to highlight her accomplishments as a conservative legislator the past two years, noting the passage of 7 of 10 bills she sponsored during the 2026 legislative session. She reiterated that she did not run “to become a part of the system, but to be effective in it,” and spoke on her background as a citizen lobbyist and realtor before her election to office, emphasizing her relationship-building skills.
The forum then moved to the Q&A portion with audience members, allowing each candidate an opportunity to respond. While the questions covered a variety of topics, notable differences between the candidate’s positions were revealed in the following areas:
Immigration
- Reneau: concisely and definitively stated that she believes all illegal aliens should be deported, regardless of “criminal activity”.
- Hullender: thinks deportation of anyone who has committed a crime is “great” but wants to “be careful” with people who have not. He contended that certain industries, like construction or agriculture, could be “crippled” with mass deportations and advocated for a reform to the visa system wherein illegals already here could remain legally after paying a fee.
Abortion
- Reneau: wants to address proliferation of abortion pills, citing 1 in 9 women suffering from complications due to abortifacients and ease of access. “We do need to do more in Tennessee to address that issue,” she stated.
- Hullender: would not be a “high priority” as he believes Tennessee’s existing laws are strong enough and is not sure there are any other ways to make state abortion laws “stricter”. “I think we’re where we need to be on that,” he said.
Legislation to Disenroll Illegal Aliens from Public Schools
- Reneau: reminded the audience she voted in favor of the bill and called it “an important piece.” She reiterated that “millions and millions” of dollars through education and other social services “are going to folks who are not lawful”, placing an unfair burden on Tennessee taxpayers.
- Hullender: said he has problems with the bill because it “sounds like it hurts children” and is unconstitutional based on the Supreme Court ruling (Plyler v Doe). [Note: Bill sponsors stated the intent was to challenge and hopefully overturn that ruling].
Vaccine Requirements
- Reneau: became involved in politics in 2020 because she was “not happy with the way businesses and government were telling people what they had to do.” She “highly objects” to mandates or requirements from government or businesses relating to vaccinations, medical procedures, or “even things that you put on your body.” “That is your decision,” she declared, reaffirming her commitment to medical freedom.
- Hullender: Agreed that he did not like people being forced to take the Covid vaccine, but stated his perspective differed from Reneau’s because of his Army history where mandatory shots are commonplace. “In general, I’d say I don’t think employers in government other than the military should be able to order that. But I would reserve the right to look at it in a case-by-case basis…But like measles, I don’t have a problem with schools making the measles vaccine mandatory.”
Second Amendment
- Reneau: an “avid supporter” of the 2A, not just in cases of home or self-defense, but also as protection from a tyrannical government. She said she has voted against every piece of legislation that “remotely infringed” on 2A rights, because even the well-intentioned ones would have infringed on the rights to carry a firearm or have potentially allowed rights to be taken away. “I have been a fierce defender of it from the beginning,” she said.
- Hullender: mirrored his stance on abortion in that legislation in this area would not be a top priority as he believes state law is already “really strong”. Regarding proposed bills that could infringe on 2A rights, he again said he would look at them on a “case-by-case basis.” “Everybody’s definition of what infringement is is different,” he said. “Like, I don’t think everybody should be able to have an M60 machine gun. Some people probably think they should, but that’s where I am.”
Watch the full video of the event below for additional and more detailed discussion. To learn more about either candidate, visit their official campaign websites:
Michele Reneau- https://www.electmichele.com/
Tony Hullender- https://www.tonyhullender.com/
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
