Knoxville physician Richard Briggs is one of 27 Republicans who will represent the GOP in the Tennessee Senate when state lawmakers get to work in January. He succeeds one of the most colorful characters to inhabit the Senate in recent years, Stacey Campfield. In fact, it's hard to have a discussion with Briggs about his upcoming tenure without mentioning his predecessor. But if you're looking for Stacey 2.0, Briggs says, he's not your guy.
Briggs describes himself as a fiscal conservative, and says he plans to avoid the high-profile social issues that so often got Campfield in hot water. On November 13, he spoke with WUOT All Things Considered host Brandon Hollingsworth about advice he's gotten from colleagues, his goals in Nashville, and yes, his predecessor's controversial style.