We are all still processing the passing of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25. Dolly was more than an artist to Tennessee; she was an actress, amusement park founder, restaurant owner, author and philanthropist . Everything
she did had meaning. She worked hard to make Tennessee, America and the world a better place – not just to enrich herself. People like Dolly are who we should strive to be like, and have as leaders.
Although she intentionally never input herself into the political sphere, we should take Dolly's lessons with us to the ballot box this November. Take a look at the candidates in Tennessee that best represent Dolly’s values through their policies.
Education: Jerri Green (governor)
Dolly founded the Imagination Library, which has mailed over 300 million free books to small children across the world. In Sevier County, where she was raised, Dolly created the “Buddy Program,” which provided a financial incentive for students to encourage each other to graduate. That program slashed the high school dropout rate from 35% to 6%.Through the Dollywood Foundation, Dolly also established a $15,000 scholarship given to one senior graduating from each of the high schools in Sevier County.
Similarly, Jerri Green is running on a platform of fully funding public education across the state, counteracting the state’s current plan to defund public education by spending public funds on private schools. Establishing universal pre-K, raising teacher salaries and increasing mental health funding for students can help achieve the same goal Dolly had: giving every child the opportunity to reach their dreams.
Affordability: Justin Pearson (U.S. Congress, 9th District)
If Dolly had been operating as a government instead of an individual, many of her charitable actionswould have been labeled socialist. At her world-famous theme park Dollywood, all employees have their college tuition and fees covered. In 2016, Dolly provided monthly payments of $1,000 to every family who lost their homes in the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires via her My People Fund. And in 2024, she contributed $1 million to the Mountain Way's Foundation, which supported families impacted by Hurricane Helene. Dolly was a true working class champion, singing about the 9-5 life and actually supporting individuals through financial struggles.
Similarly, congressional candidate Justin Pearsonis running on a platform to end povertyby increasing the minimum wage, doubling the Earned-Income Tax Credit (EITC), cutting taxes on working class citizens, helping eliminate the grocery tax, standing with labor unions and supporting basic income programs for working class Tennesseans.
Pearson’s platform best relates to Dolly’s selfless acts to ensure no person – no matter race, religion or gender – has to decide between paying rent or getting groceries.
Healthcare: Allie Phillips (State House, District 75)
In 2007, Dolly helped raise $1 million for a new hospital in Sevier County, the LeConte Medical Center. She also founded the Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services and the Dolly Parton Birthing Unit within that hospital while donating millions more to other hospitals across the state.
While the current state and federal government are forcing multiple hospitala closures in Tennessee, Allie Phillips is running on a healthcare platformthat is similar to Dolly’s attitude on the issue. Phillips sued the state of Tennessee in 2023 for forcing her to give birth in a non-viable pregnancy, putting her own health in danger. Now she is running to ensure all those in Montgomery County have affordable access to healthcare, taking on insurance companies and corporate donors.
Phillips' story and commitment to help others through such an incredible trial exemplify the fight Dolly had to help her community access better healthcare.
Criminal Justice: Jesse Huseth (State House, District 97)
Through a partnership with the Imagination Library, women in a Kentucky correctional facility learned to read Braille and translate books into Braille, enabling visually impaired children to participate in Dolly's monthly literacy program.
Jesse Huseth, running for State House in Memphis, is campaigning on a platform of criminal justice that is sorely needed amid the federal government’s law enforcement occupation of Shelby County. Huseth plans to start Shelby County’s own crime lab to produce DNA tests and reduce the risk of wrongful convictions. He also supports common sense gun laws like background checks on every gun purchase and red-flag laws that remove guns from people who are medically unable to carry safely.
Transportation/Infrastructure: Bryan Goldberg (State House, District 18)
Although they aren't frequently discussed, transportation and infrastructure problems surround the average Tennessean. And of course Dolly did her part to help. In 2026, she launched the first travel center in what is to be a nationwide network of higher-quality truck stops. In Pigeon Forge, city leaders established the Pigeon Forge Mass Transit trolley system to improve transportation to Dollywood and other attractions.
And in Knoxville, State House candidate Bryan Goldberg is focused on reducing traffic congestion and making it easier for all Knoxvillians to get home from work, go out to eat, drive to get groceries or head to their child’s soccer game more quickly and safely.
Carrying Dolly's legacy forward
As a private citizen, Dolly did what a fully functioning government should have done. She created jobs, gave children books, supported families recovering from disasters and invested in communities of everyday Americans, all through her own success.
Dolly may have been nonpartisan, but her actions spoke louder than words. This November, ask your leaders, “What would Dolly do?” And vote for those who would serve like Dolly did.
Jacob Francy is a born-and-raised Tennessean, youth organizer and content creator on social media. He's a college freshman who loves cheering for the Preds and Titans.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: These TN political candidates embody Dolly Parton's legacy | Opinion
