Students in District 4 are concentrated in schools with fewer resources. Our schools have 90% or more students of color and spend $733 less per student per year than public schools with 90 percent or more white students.

Education is the pathway to achievement in every aspect of life. Every child has the right to receive the best education. Meeting the needs of the children in District 4 includes not only providing a high quality education, but equipping children with the cognitive tools, state-of-the-art technology and learning environments they need to succeed.

Commissioner Mackey fights for equity in our schools and for fair distribution of funding, so that the children of District 4 will have what they need to create a future of their choosing.

Nearly 40% of District 4 will experience a year in poverty at some point during their lives. Communities of color face disproportionate economic challenges and barriers to opportunity. We need better paying jobs and opportunities for the citizens of District 4.

We need leaders to fight for the resources and support systems that will bridge the earning and learning gaps affecting families and businesses.

Commissioner Mackey fights for decreasing the wage gap between black and brown people and their white counterparts, while also providing for job seekers to seize new opportunities at work by learning the skills they need to get hired, promoted and contribute to today’s workforce. He voted to invest millions into our public school system and was a vocal advocate for the placement of Mary Ann Garber Vocational School in East Chattanooga.

Black and brown men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men found guilty of the same offenses. Add to this the violent acts of police brutality, criminal justice reform is needed now more than ever.

Commissioner Mackey fights to strengthen the bonds of trust between our local communities and our police, propose and amend policies that end local mass incarceration and provide resources and assistance to end the plague of recidivism.

Our community is in a housing crisis and we need more safe, affordable housing options for the people of District 4.

Higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, less access to healthcare and higher incarceration rates are all contributing factors to higher rates of homelessness in our community.

Commissioner Mackey fights for affordable housing in District 4 and supports policies that ensure every family has a roof over their head and the means to provide for the needs of their families.