Anne Backus

Anne Backus was born in Pensacola, Florida.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University in 1980. Her career experience includes working as a program manager. She has been affiliated with CASA, PFLAG, her church, and the Democratic Party at the state and county level.[1][2]

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Anne Backus spent 33 years at the Y-12 National Security Complex as a project and program manager, where she developed a reputation for solving complex problems, managing budgets responsibly, and bringing people together to get results. In retirement, she continues serving the community as an active volunteer across Anderson County.

As a mom and grandmother, she believes the government should refocus its priorities on serving people and strengthening our communities. She knows families want strong schools, affordable healthcare, and economic security. She is running to bring practical experience, compassion, and accountability to state government.She is committed to defending and strengthening public education, ensuring affordable healthcare for all, and advocating for a living wage in Anderson County. She strongly supports public education and believes taxpayer dollars should strengthen public schools, not fund private school vouchers; that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone; that the state sales tax on groceries should be eliminated; and that working Tennesseans earn a living wage. Everyone deserves to feel safe and financially secure in their homes, schools, churches, and communitiesAnne is running to fight for common-sense policies that will improve the lives of Tennesseans. Anne’s frustration that Democrats didn’t have a District 33 candidate in the 2020 election led to her involvement in the Democratic candidate’s campaign for that seat in 2022. After that experience and her training with Emerge Tennessee, Anne realized she wanted to take the next step and run for office herself. She ran in 2024 and discovered how much she valued connecting with voters and hearing their concerns directly. She also saw firsthand the need for stronger representation in Nashville.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Anne’s experience on the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee has given her insight into how the legislature operates and how to work effectively with people who hold different viewpoints. Her work as a CASA volunteer has also shown her how laws and budgets directly affect families and state agencies. Combining those experiences with her experience as a parent of Oak Ridge school students and her community involvement across Anderson County, Anne understands how legislation impacts individuals and families.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Change TN

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

The daughter of a teacher and a chemical engineer, Anne grew up with a deep sense of community. Her parents, active community volunteers, used their resources, voices, and energy to advocate for and assist others in the community.

After earning a degree in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University, Anne moved to Anderson County to work at the Y-12 Plant as a Project Manager for 33 years. While she was working, she raised three daughters and supported them as a girl scout leader, band mom, classroom volunteer, and sunday school teacher. Since retiring in 2014, she has become the proud grandma of two boys.

Anne has spent her retirement volunteering in her community. She enjoys tutoring young people in math and working with youth in her church. Nothing makes her happier than seeing the light bulb go off when someone understands a math problem — sometimes she even gets them to actually like math. Anne also acts as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the Anderson County Juvenile court. Though challenging, it is her most rewarding and impactful work.

Anne also is involved in social advocacy work in Anderson County as the founder/co-chair of PFLAG’s Oak Ridge Chapter and a member of the Anderson County NAACP.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Public Schools

Anne strongly believes in public schools. She believes our tax dollars should go to public schools, not to parents who choose private schools. Vouchers for private schools take away much needed funds from public schools. Private schools can decide which students to admit, and they aren’t held to the same standards as public schools.Access to Healthcare

Anne supports affordable healthcare for everyone, and she especially supports access to women’s reproductive healthcare. Tennessee’s extreme laws insert the government into decisions on reproductive healthcare that should be between a woman and her doctor.Common Sense Gun Safety Laws

Anne will be an advocate for common sense gun safety laws. This includes:

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Universal background checks.

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Safe storage requirements.

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Extreme Risk Protection laws.

Our children, and all Tennessee residents, deserve common-sense laws that offer increased security and protection from gun violence.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jn addition to the above,

Equality and Equity for All

Anne actively supports equality and equity for all, regardless of race, gender, gender identity, religion, or economic status.

Local Control of Libraries

Anne believes that local governments should decide what books are allowed in their schools and public libraries, not the state government.

Giving Voters a Voice

Anne will take the people’s voice to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Efforts to limit the people’s voice in committee hearings and House sessions must be stopped.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think the first is Integrity. Being honest and ethical are important is all aspects of my life, but are critical for a legislator.

The second in listening to your constituents. Understanding their issues will help develop legislation that will help the people.

Third is finding a way to work with others. I believe are constituents have similar problems, we just need to come up with solutions that will help them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe my work at Y-12 as a project and Program Manager gave me a lot of skills that will be useful as a legislator. Reading.analyzing procedures will be a help in looking at legislation. Leading a large group of diverse people with different interest will translate in working with legislators with diverse backgrounds and goals.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope that there are young people in the world that know they were loved and supported through there interactions with me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the funeral of JFK. At the time I was 5, and the pictures of John and Caroline and their loss have stayed with me to this day.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a lifeguard at a community pool. I held that job for 4 years in high school and college.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

If it Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Change TN