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Mark Pody

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Mark Pody
Pody in 2017
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 9, 2018
Preceded byMae Beavers
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 46th district
In office
January 11, 2011 – January 9, 2018
Preceded byStratton Bone, Jr.
Succeeded byClark Boyd
Personal details
Born (1956-04-23) April 23, 1956 (age 68)
Spokane, Washington
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBarbara Lynne Pody
ResidenceLebanon, Tennessee
OccupationPolitician
Insurance Producer
Websitehttp://markpody.com/bio/

Mark Allen Pody (born April 23, 1956) is an American politician, elected as a Republican member of the Tennessee Senate from the 17th district, encompassing Cannon County, Clay County, Dekalb County, Macon County, Smith County and Wilson County. Pody resides in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Early life

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Mark Allen Pody was born on April 23, 1956, in Spokane, Washington.[1]

Non-Political Career

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Pody owns Educators Resource Association, Inc. of Murfreesboro Tennessee. Pody's small business sells insurance policies providing accident and health insurance, group insurance, health insurance, insurance agents and brokers, and life insurance coverage, notably for Nationwide, Progressive. and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.[1][2]

Pody is a member of the Tennessee Firearms Association, the Chambers of Commerce in Lebanon, the Trousdale County, Watertown, and Cannon County.[1] He is also a past President of the General Agents & Managers Association.[1] A private pilot, Pody is a member of the Civil Air Patrol.[1]

Political career

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Elections

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After running unopposed in the Republican primary, Pody won election to the Tennessee General Assembly in November 2010 by defeating the incumbent representative, Democrat Stratton Bone Jr., 9,270 to 8,181.[3]

In 2012, Pody ran unopposed in both the Republican primary and general election to win a second House term.

In 2014, Pody ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He defeated Democrat Candace Reed, 9,896 to 4,777.[3]

In 2016, Pody ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He defeated Democrat Amelia Morrison Hipps, 19,785 to 6,589.[3]

In September 2017, Tennessee state senator Mae Beavers resigned her seat to run for governor. This resignation required a special election to fill the seat for the remaining year of her term. Pody ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and he defeated Democrat Mary Alice Carfi in the special election, 5,995 to 5,688.[4][5]

In the regular senate election the following year, Pody again defeated Carfi, 53,364 to 22,452.[3]

Presidential Endorsements

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In 2012, Pody endorsed Rick Santorum as the Republican presidential nominee.[6]

Political Issues

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Religious Freedom

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In April 2012, Pody proposed legislation in favor of religious freedom on state college campuses in reaction to Vanderbilt University's "all-comers" policy, which required groups on college campuses to accept students regardless of their religion or sexual identity.[7][8][9]

Obamacare

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Pody co-sponsored a bill to nullify the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare). The bill failed.[10]

LGBT

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In September 2015, Pody proposed bill HB1412, known as the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act, to ban same-sex marriage in Tennessee despite the Supreme Court's decision to legalize it.[11] He drew a parallel with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.[11] His colleague in the Senate, Mae Beavers, proposed a similar bill.[11] According to the Nashville Scene, Pody "believes he’s on a mission from God to stamp out same-sex marriage."[12] The bill failed to move out of committee.[13]

In 2017, Pody filed a bill that would have restricted students to using a bathroom for the gender they were assigned at birth. The bill, which was seen as anti-transgender, failed.[14]

In 2021, Pody supported a bill, which passed the legislature, that would allow guardians to keep their children from being exposed to school lessons on the LGBTQ community.[15] He also voted for a bill, which became state law, that "a student's gender for purposes of participation in a public middle school or high school interscholastic athletic activity or event be determined by the student's sex at the time of the student's birth, as indicated on the student's original birth certificate."[16] In 2023, he sponsored Tennessee House Bill 878, which would allow individuals the right to refuse marriage solemnization due to religious objections.[17]

2020 Presidential Election

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In November 2020, Pody supported the "Stop the Steal" movement that endorsed Donald Trump's contesting of the 2020 election results.[18][19] He also signed on to a January 2021 letter sent from Republican state legislators asking Tennessee's U.S. senators to object to Joe Biden's electoral victory.[20] Pody paid for several Tennesseans to attend the January 6, 2021 protest of Biden's victory, but he denounced the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol.[21]

COVID-19

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In July 2021, Pody declined to sign a letter by Republican state senators that urged Tennesseans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.[22] In October, 2021, he spoke against vaccine mandates at a conference focused on opposition to COVID-19 mitigation actions such as mandatory vaccines, masking, and social distancing.[23]

Personal life

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Pody is married to Barbara Lynne Pody and has two children.[1] He self-identifies as a Christian and attends Woodmont Bible Church in Nashville.[12][24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f House of Representatives biography
  2. ^ http://www.usbizs.com/TN/Murfreesboro/Educator_Resource_Association_1j2b.html "United States (USA) Business Database-Educator Resource Association".
  3. ^ a b c d "Mark Pody". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  4. ^ "Sen. Mae Beavers to resign post to run full time, raise money in Tennessee governor's race". wbir.com. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  5. ^ "Mark Pody narrowly wins Mae Beavers vacant District 17 state Senate seat". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2018-01-17.
  6. ^ "Rick Santorum - Organization". www.p2012.org. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  7. ^ Steven Hale, Anti-All Comers Bill Incites Religious Debate, Dunn Runs Afoul of Party Leadership, Nashville Scene, Apr 27, 2012
  8. ^ Chas Sisk, State lawmaker takes on Vanderbilt’s all-comers policy, The Tennessean, April 26, 2012
  9. ^ Joe White, Religious Debate in State House Precedes Idling of Anti-All Comers Bill, WPLN-FM, April 26th, 2012
  10. ^ Humphrey, Tom (2014-01-15). "Legislators propose 'nullifying Obamacare' through 'anti-commandeering doctrine'". Humphrey on the Hill. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  11. ^ a b c Brant, Joseph (September 17, 2015). "State Republicans file bill to end marriage equality: Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act proposed". Out & About Newspaper. Nashville, Tennessee. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Woods, Jeff (December 18, 2015). "God Warriors Organizing to Stop 'Sodomite Police' in Tennessee". The Nashville Scene. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  13. ^ "TN GOP Bill Seeking to "Void" Same-Sex Marriages Fails". Peacock Panache. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  14. ^ "Rep. Mark Pody Pushes 'Common Sense' Transgender Bill Some Say Isn't Needed". Memphis Daily News. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  15. ^ Sisk, Chas (2021-04-06). "Tennessee Senate Approves Opt-Out For LGBT Instruction |". wpln.org. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  16. ^ "Tennessee General Assembly Legislation: SB 0228". wapp.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  17. ^ Ring, Trudy. "Tennessee May Allow Clerks to Refuse Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  18. ^ Morris, Chuck. "TN Senate Republicans ink letter to support Trump's effort to contest election". WSMV Nashville. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  19. ^ "'Stop The Steal' Rallies a Second Time in Nashville with Double the Numbers". Tennessee Star. 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  20. ^ Mojica, Adrian (2021-01-05). "29 Tennessee lawmakers support efforts objecting Biden's electoral victory over Trump". WZTV. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  21. ^ Stockard, Sam (2021-01-12). "U.S. Capitol attack looms over Legislature as lawmakers downplay insurrection". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  22. ^ Schelzig, Erik (2021-07-27). "16 of 27 Senate Republicans agree: Get vaccinated". TNJ. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  23. ^ Pfleger, Paige (2021-10-22). "Speakers at 'health freedom' conference push back on vaccines and mandates, drawing about 1,000 people |". wpln.org. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  24. ^ "Senator Mark Pody". www.capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
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