Remarks at the TNDP Convention Breakfast on August 18, 2020.
Thank you so much. I’m excited to see so many Democrats that are ready to roll up our sleeves and put in the work for our friends, family, and neighbors across the state.
When I was growing up, it seems like we were always hanging around my granddad’s shop on our farm. He was the guy everyone around our community trusted to fix their tractors. The tractor guy.
After school, we’d help him pull these massive engines out, swap brakes, and just put in the work to keep those tractors going. He always talked about taking care of things – making them better. We put in the work now to make sure that tractor left his shop better than how it came in.
When people ask why I’m running for state senate and why I’m working with our rural caucus, our state party, the answer is simple – I just want to help make our community better. I want to make sure families don’t have to choose between putting food on their table or seeing a doctor. I want to make sure our teachers are paid what they’re worth and our students have everything they need for success. I want to make sure that our rural way of life is here for the generations that come after us.
Rural communities are the future of our Democratic party. There’s an untapped power here with enormous potential just ready to go. Doug Jones proved it in Alabama. Stacy Abrams in Georgia. And we’re going to prove it right here in Tennessee.
Within an hour of nearly every house in the state, there’s an election where a rural Democrat needs our support and help. It’s everything from state senate all the way down ballot to county commissioner. They need help with voter outreach, registration, fundraising, and all the many things that go into winning an election.
Find those candidates in your community. If you live in a larger city, turn outward and look for a rural candidate like Civil Miller Watkins in Hardeman, Jay Clark over in Blount, or even my own campaign here in Lincoln. Pitch in on the work. Help us make progress and flip some of these seats blue.
I know – progress when you’re a blue dot in a red county is hard. And it’s hard to keep at the work year after year, election after election. But that’s our work. That’s the work needed to stand with every Tennessean and fight for better jobs, better schools, and our rural way of life. If we don’t show up and do the work, then who? It’s up to us. We have to show up and put in the work for our rural communities.
This is a grassroots team powered by people like you and I need your help. From making calls to writing postcards, find out how you can best help us build a better Tennessee that works for everyone.