Environmental justice crusader Marquita Bradshaw for U.S. Senate, Tennessee

[Tanuki]

As most of you know, TN Sen.Lamar Alexander is retiring at the end of this term. His seat is contested by Democratic candidate Marquita Bradshaw and Trump Republican Bill Hagerty. Sadly, polling indicates a victory for Hagerty, but the contrast could not be more stark. What a loss for our state and our country to miss this opportunity for progress.

https://www.essence.com/feature/marquita-bradshaw-tennessee-united-states-senate/

..."The Tennessee native, who grew up in South Memphis where everything was within walking distance, including the Memphis Defense Depot, which was later classified as a National Priority List Superfund Site, a location filled with toxic waste.
....
"I became an international labor organizer and also community organizer for many nonprofits, getting people engaged and involved in a political process,” she said.
...

"I want to make sure that hardworking people have healthy and safe communities where they live, learn, work, worship, and recreate,” Bradshaw told ESSENCE. “We do that with three foundational pillars: an environment with a transition away from pollution; an economy that works for hardworking people; and a high-quality educational system that prepares our students for success.”....(more)....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquita_Bradshaw
.. "Bradshaw told the Tri-State Defender that "we are leading with environmental justice principles."[8] She told other reporters (WPLN News) "People of color, Black people, brown people, indigenous people and poor white people are not experiencing the same set of laws as everybody else when it comes to the environment.[11]

In addition to environmental issues, her platform endorses Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.[12] She also supports universal background checks for gun purchases, keeping the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in force, and overturning Citizens United v. FEC.barrier



----------

Vs. GOP Hagerty:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hagerty_(politician)

.. "Hagerty is a self-described conservative.[41] His views have been characterized as more populist and in line with the views of Donald Trump, and less in line with the Republican establishment and moderates.[42] He often expresses criticism of moderate Republicans, such as Mitt Romney.[42][43]

Hagerty supports the death penalty for people convicted of engaging in human trafficking acts.[44] He is strongly opposed to illegal immigration and supports Trump's proposed expansion of the Mexico–United States barrier.[45] He is also opposed to amnesty for illegal immigrants and sanctuary cities, and believes that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) should be repealed and that undocumented immigrants who commit crimes should be deported.[45] He also supports reforming U.S. immigration policies into a merit-based system.[45] Hagerty believes that Sharia Law is a national security threat to the United States and believes that the United States should continue to support Israel.[46][45]"...

He supports free trade, and believes that a better trade deal should be negotiated between the US and China.[47] He supports rolling back regulations that he believes are unnecessary and believes that doing so would return jobs to the U.S. that have been outsourced.[47] Hagerty supports Second Amendment rights, and is opposed to a national gun registry, universal background checks, and red flag laws.[45] Hagerty is opposed to abortion rights and self-identifies as pro-life.[48] Hagerty supports reducing taxes and supports enacting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.[46] He opposes raising the federal minimum wage.[49] Hagerty is opposed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and believes that the federal government should reduce its involvement in healthcare.[43] He supports efforts to prevent the closure of rural hospitals.[49] He is opposed to the Common Core State Standards Initiative and the No Child Left Behind Act, and supports reallocating funding from the United States Department of Education to the states.[45] Hagerty supports increased investment and development of fossil fuels, and supports repealing renewable energy and energy efficiency standards.[43] He also supports the American energy independence.[43]

[BComplex]

1. What are the polls saying? Is there any chance that $$ could help swing it?

It's kind of late in the game. How long have Tennesseeans been voting?

[Tanuki]

2. She is down by about 20 points. There is just too much pro-Trump support

in the rural areas of the state, among people who persist in voting against their own best interests.

[volstork]

3. We've been voting since 10/14.

She was a surprise in the Dem primary; I follow politics closely and had not heard of her. The Dem frontrunner was a solid but unexciting guy who also ran for Corker's seat, but who was easily eclipsed by Bredesen (a widely popular former governor who won every county in the state in '06). Showing the dramatic turn taken by TN voters in the intervening years, Bredesen lost to vapid former Director of Retail Fashion and Special Events of the Castner Knott Division of Mercantile Stores, Inc., Marsha Blackburn.

We were a solidly Dem state until the mid-2000s.

Bradshaw is impressive, and has gotten this far with almost no money, just a solid appeal to the working and middle classes. Racism is unfortunately strong here, as is misogyny, so I don't expect her to win. What a pity, as she would serve the interests of the very people who will vote against her for those reasons: poor whites.

She will win Shelby County (Memphis) and Davidson County (Nashville), but is unlikely to make inroads anywhere else. People here like rich white dudes taking away their rights and healthcare.