Loading this candidate’s profile from the FEC filings and campaign records.
Where They Stand is a nonpartisan guide to everyone running for Congress: their money, their own words and how incumbents voted. Find your ballot →
Candidates › TN-01 race › 2025–2026
Kristi Burke
D Democratic nominee for U.S. House, TN-01
Has not served in Congress
- On the ballot
- On the general election ballotNov 3, 2026 · Tennessee US House 1
- Where to vote
- Find your polling place (opens in a new tab) · More ways to vote
- Top priorities
- HEALTHCARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT
- PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST BE FULLY FUNDED
- TAX FAIRNESS FOR WORKING PEOPLE
- INVEST IN EAST TENNESSEE AND RURAL AMERICA
- PROTECT AND EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY
- Money
- $222.6K raised, $195.3K spent, $27.3K cash on hand (through Oct 14, 2026). Where it comes from
- Who gives
- 63% of individual money from donors at $200 or less · 78% from Tennessee · largest committee giver THE CENTER FOR FREETHOUGHT EQUALITY PAC, $250
- Backed by
- Gloria Johnson · Jerri Green · Center for Freethought Equality and 5 more. As the campaign lists them
27 priorities from votekristiburke.com, in the order they are listed there. Every heading and the text under it is copied exactly, as one passage for each page it is from, and links to that place on the page; hover a source to see which passage it opens.
I support a universal, single-payer system. Medicare for All would ensure every person is covered, regardless of income, job, or circumstance. Healthcare should never depend on employment or ability to pay.
No one should go bankrupt, suffer, or die because they can’t afford medical care. I will fight to replace our current profit-driven system with one that puts people first.
The Problem:
- Millions of Americans still cannot afford basic medical care, even if they have insurance.
- Healthcare is tied to employment, meaning people lose coverage when they lose their job.
- The real pricing of health care, what the hospitals and doctors charge each patient, does not depend on cost at all. It depends on your health insurance, and ultimately on who you work for.
- Medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States.
- Rural communities, like many in our district, are losing access to hospitals and care.
- Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are driving up costs while limiting care.
The Facts:
- U.S. healthcare spending reached $5.3 trillion in 2024 (18% of GDP). (source)
- 36% of U.S. households carry medical debt, totaling $194 billion in collection (source)
- Out of pocket spending grew 5.9% to $556.6 billion in 2024, or 11 percent of total NHE. (source)
- Nearly 27 million people in the United States are without healthcare (source)
- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over 14 million more people will be uninsured in 2034 due to the combined effects of the Medicaid and Marketplace eligibility changes included in the reconciliation law and the expiration of the enhanced Marketplace subsidies. (source)
- The United States is the only major industrialized nation without Universal
My Plan:
- Support and pass the The Medicare for All Act to save money, improve economic mobility, end job lock, reduce crime and ensure every American can see a doctor without spiraling into medical debt.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Public education is essential to opportunity, economic mobility, and a functioning democracy.
Public dollars must go to public schools, and education must be accessible from early childhood through higher education.
The Problem:
- For decades, public schools have been underfunded while teachers are expected to do more with less. Many schools struggle with outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, aging buildings, and shortages of counselors, nurses, and support staff.
- Instead of addressing these problems, some Tennessee politicians have chosen to divert taxpayer dollars away from public schools through private school voucher programs. These programs reduce funding available for the schools that educate the overwhelming majority of Tennessee children while offering little evidence that they improve educational outcomes.
- In rural communities like those throughout Tennessee's First District, public schools are often among the largest employers and serve as the heart of their communities. Weakening them hurts entire towns.
- Education should never be treated as a profit opportunity. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they live or how much money their parents make.
The Facts:
- Tennessee ranks below the national average in per-pupil spending despite recent increases. (source)
- Teacher shortages continue across Tennessee and the nation, particularly in rural communities and high-need subject areas. (source)
- Students who have access to smaller class sizes, experienced teachers, counselors, and early childhood education generally achieve better academic outcomes. (source)
- An estimated 70% of the vouchers dished out in 2026 went to students already enrolled in private schools (source)
- Federal Title I funding provides additional support to schools serving low-income communities. Reductions to these programs disproportionately affect rural and economically disadvantaged districts.
My Plan:
- Fully fund public education. Public schools should have the resources they need to succeed before taxpayer dollars are diverted elsewhere.
- Restore and strengthen the U.S. Department of Education and Protect and expand Title I
- Fully fund IDEA (special education)
- Expand school-based mental health services
- Provide universal school meals
- Give teachers the support they deserve including competitive pay, smaller class sizes, classroom resources, and the professional respect that reflects the importance of their work.
- Expand early childhood education.
- Support tuition-free community college, reduce the cost of public universities and make student loan repayment more manageable so education opens doors instead of creating decades of debt.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
The current tax system disproportionately burdens working families while allowing extreme wealth to go undertaxed.
The tax burden must shift off working people and onto corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
The Problem
- Working Americans pay taxes with every paycheck while many of the largest corporations and wealthiest individuals are able to reduce or avoid their tax liability through loopholes, preferential tax treatment, and complex accounting strategies.
- Over the last several decades, productivity has increased, corporate profits have reached record highs, and the wealthiest Americans have accumulated unprecedented levels of wealth. Yet wages for many working families have struggled to keep pace with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, childcare, and education.
- The result is a tax system that asks teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and small business owners to shoulder a larger share of the burden while some billionaires pay lower effective tax rates than many middle-class families.
- A healthy economy depends on a strong middle class, not an economy where prosperity flows almost exclusively to the top.
The Facts
- The wealthiest 1% of Americans own roughly one-third of the nation's wealth. (source)
- Corporate profits have reached record levels in recent years while many workers continue to struggle with stagnant purchasing power. (source)
- Some profitable corporations have paid little or no federal income tax in certain years because of deductions, credits, and other provisions in the tax code. (source)
- The gap between CEO compensation and typical worker pay has grown dramatically over the past several decades. (source)
My Plan
- Cut taxes for working families. The people who work for a living should not carry a disproportionate share of the nation's tax burden. I support expanding tax relief for low- and middle-income households while protecting programs families rely on.
- Make the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share by supporting tax reforms that ensure billionaires and multimillionaires contribute at rates that better reflect their ability to pay.
- End special-interest loopholes that allow profitable corporations to avoid paying federal taxes while small businesses and working families pay what they owe.
- End taxpayer subsidies for outsourcing jobs. Our tax code should reward companies that invest in American workers and communities, not those that move jobs overseas while benefiting from federal tax advantages.
- Use tax revenue to invest in America. Revenue raised through a fairer tax system should be invested in healthcare, education, infrastructure, affordable housing, and other priorities that strengthen the middle class and grow the economy.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Support hospitals, school districts, roads, internet connectivity, and water and sewage systems for rural areas where the local tax base can’t support adequate infrastructure.
All Americans deserve the quality community services that we enjoy in our urban and suburban areas.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Social Security is a lifeline for millions of Americans.
It must be protected from cuts and strengthened for future generations.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Our political system is being distorted by corporate money, dark money, and billionaire influence. This undermines trust and silences everyday people.
Money must not determine political power. We must get big money out of politics, increase transparency, and ensure elected officials answer to the people, not donors.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Government power should never be used to intimidate, silence, or control the public.
Law enforcement and federal authority must not be weaponized for political fear or intimidation.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Law enforcement plays a critical role but must operate within clear constitutional boundaries.
Officers and agencies must meet standards, be properly trained, and be held accountable for misconduct.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Public officials are entrusted to serve the people, not themselves or special interests.
Corruption, abuse of power, and violations of law must be investigated and prosecuted regardless of position.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
Immigration policy must reflect both security and humanity.
No mass deportations, no family separation, and no inhumane treatment. Only lawful, fair, and compassionate systems.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
The Constitution guarantees rights that must be applied equally and consistently.
No individual or group should be targeted, denied due process, or treated above or below the law.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables
East Tennessee is defined by its natural beauty, from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Tennessee River. Protecting our environment is not up for debate.
We must hold corporate polluters accountable for contaminating our soil and water, and we must resist any efforts to privatize or exploit our public lands for short-term profit.
Our children deserve to grow up in a region where the air is breathable, the water is drinkable, and our natural heritage is preserved for generations to come.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · votekristiburke.com/non-negotiables