Tennessee Didn’t Get Here By Accident (Op-Ed By Jason Gilliam)

Image Credit: Marsha Blackburn, Jerri Green, David Hatley campaigns.

Submitted by Jason Gilliam (Maury County GOP Chairman) –

I have watched Maury County grow at a pace few of us could have imagined. That growth has  brought its share of challenges, but there is a reason so many families and businesses keep  choosing this community and this state. Tennessee has become a place where people want to  build a business, raise a family, and put down roots. 

That did not happen by accident. 

For decades, Tennessee has kept taxes low, government limited, and opportunity growing. Only one gubernatorial candidate has helped lead that fight, from defeating a state income tax to delivering tax relief, rural health  care and infrastructure investments, and support for our military communities. That candidate is  Marsha Blackburn. As governor, she will bring that same approach: low taxes, responsible  spending, fewer regulations, and a competitive Tennessee. 

But yesterdays success cannot make us complacent about tomorrow. 

Allowing the wrong candidate in the governor’s seat for four years is more than enough time to change a state. Change its tax policy. Change how it works with federal law enforcement.  Change its gun laws. Change its protections for unborn life. The decisions made this November  could define Tennessee for years to come, because it does not take long to undo policies that  took decades to build. 

And that is exactly what worries me about Jerri Green. The woke, socialist agenda she is  bringing to this race is completely out of step with the Tennessee that families like mine have  worked to build. This election is not the time to shrug our shoulders and assume everything will  work itself out. There is simply too much at stake. 

Green has pledged to end state and local cooperation with ICE on Day One, bar agents from  state buildings, and fund legal representation for immigrants facing deportation. Blackburn  supports continued cooperation with federal authorities, emphasizing the importance of  partnerships like those in Memphis. 

On the Second Amendment, Marsha Blackburn defends gun ownership rights, while Green  supports universal background checks, red-flag laws, and additional requirements for gun  owners. 

Then some issues speak to our moral values. For me, protecting unborn life is one of them.  Blackburn supports Tennessee’s existing protections, while Green wants to repeal the state’s  abortion ban and pursue executive action on Day One. Some things are bigger than politics.  Protecting innocent life is one of them.

David Hatley has drawn some attention in this race, but headlines and media stunts should not  distract from the issues shaping Tennessee’s future. If Hatley draws his support from voters  who would otherwise back Blackburn, that could narrow her margin over Jerri Green.

With  Hatley only polling around 10%, voting for him will not be enough to get elected, but it will be  enough to give the democrats a leg up. This election is about more than personalities or political  theater. It is about the policies voters believe in and the direction they want Tennessee to take.  As conservatives, we need to band together to keep this socialist invasion out of our state, not  open the door for them to move in.  

The choice before us in this election is about what we protect, what we change, and what kind  of state we leave behind. 

I think about that direction every time I look around Maury County and see all the new families,  businesses, and investment. We still have challenges to solve, especially when it comes to  infrastructure and keeping that growth sustainable, but those are challenges that come with  being a place people want to call home. 

Marsha Blackburn’s vision is about taking that success and building on it by keeping Tennessee  growing, keeping our communities safe, protecting our freedoms, and holding tight to the values  that have made this state home. Jerri Green wants to rewrite the policies that have shaped  Tennessee over the years and instate her socialist agenda. 

The next chapter of Tennessee should be about building on what works, not starting over. That  is the future Marsha Blackburn is laying out for Tennessee, and it is the vision I want for the  state I call home. 

In Service,  

Jason Gilliam 

Maury County Republican Party Chairman 

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