Eva Romero, a Republican running for the Tennessee House of Representatives, outlined her background, policy priorities, and reasons for seeking office during an exclusive interview Thursday with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy.
Romero, who is running for Tennessee House District 60, said during Thursday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show that the district she is running for includes Old Hickory, Hermitage, and Donelson, describing it as “lake to lake.” The district is currently represented by Democratic State Representative Shaundelle Brooks (D-Hermitage).
Romero discussed her upbringing in California and her path from education into business and public service.
“I don’t have the brightest story growing up. It was very hard,” Romero said. “There was a lot of poverty in my area. Back in Northridge… I grew up in a bubble. There was a lot of success around me, but in the area where I grew up, there were a lot of just gangs.”
She said she became a teacher after studying history at California State University, Northridge; however, financial pressures eventually led her to leave teaching to pursue a career in real estate.
“The reason I left teaching wasn’t because I didn’t love it, I just couldn’t make a living,” she said. “Living off a teacher’s salary, dealing with the stress, going through a transition in my life, being a single mom, I found real estate.”
After meeting her future husband, oral surgeon Dr. Jaime Romero, she relocated to Tennessee.
“I was ready to leave California,” Romero said. “My husband had roots in Tennessee.”
She recalled her first visit to the state, saying she “fell in love with it.”
“I really was encouraged because I did see… I saw so much green,” Romero said. “Loved Tennessee. My husband and I decided to, after we dated for a while and I came to see it, I fell in love with it.”
Romero said building a real estate business in Tennessee required starting over professionally.
“It’s like starting all over, to be honest,” she said. “My network was very strong in Los Angeles.”
Asked about differences between California and Tennessee, Romero responded, “They’re night and day.”
“The people were just welcoming, and the warmth of Southern hospitality is real,” she said.
Turning to her campaign, Romero said public service has long been a goal.
“I always wanted to be a voice, a vehicle of change,” she said.
Romero pointed to rising property taxes as one of the major issues motivating her candidacy.
“Property taxes,” she said when asked what changes she had observed in Nashville over the past 15 years. “When you work in housing for so long, and you inspire people to own property and now that’s could be in danger.”
Romero, who serves on the Tennessee Housing Development Agency Board, said her work in housing policy influenced her decision to run.
“I see the work that’s being done in the entire state of Tennessee, not just Nashville, the entire state,” she said. “Housing accessibility in rural areas, developments that are coming to town, and how we can really make a difference.”
She described herself as “an advocate for property rights” and said conversations with residents convinced her action was needed.
“I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to use this platform,'” Romero said. “‘I’m gonna run on a different platform because I already advocate in different ways, but this could be another way. I could be a strong voice for my community.'”
Romero also discussed a petition campaign focused on property taxes.
“We put out this petition to over 20,000 people in my district,” she said. “When I started seeing the comments. The comments say, ‘Eva, please do something now. Cap these taxes. I’m 70 years old. I’m 80 years old. I’m gonna be… getting taxed. I’m not gonna be able to stay in my house.'”
She argued that tax increases have become too unpredictable for homeowners.
“I feel that if people can predict what they’re going to pay, it makes it easier,” Romero said. “But you cannot do this crazy increase. I’m talking 34 percent, in some instances over 50 percent tax increase.”
“We understand growth,” she added. “But don’t tax us out of our homes.”
Public safety was another issue Romero identified during the interview.
“One of the things I keep hearing too is our safety, specifically in Hermitage,” she said. “I’ve seen some increase in some crime, and what can we do?”
Romero said she believes law enforcement agencies need more support and resources.
“Our police officers should be supported,” she said. “It’s like our teachers.”
She also emphasized the importance of cooperation in government.
“I think it’s important to note that we have to be a voice that is heard, not just a voice that’s making noise,” Romero said. “We have to work together.”
“I want to be our community’s voice,” she added. “I want to be the right voice. I want to be the people that say, ‘Hey, what can we do together?'”
As the campaign moves forward, Romero said she plans to continue meeting voters throughout the district.
“My meet and greet tour is going to start next week,” she said. “I want to be in every district every week.”
Romero concluded by encouraging civic participation, stressing to voters, “Nashville needs you.”
“Your vote matters,” she said. “Show up. Because if you show up, I can be that voice…We can still save our city.”
Early voting for the August 6 primary elections begins July 17 and runs through August 1.
Tune in now to The Michael Patrick Leahy Show – your AMERICA FIRST news talk!
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
