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It’s been an intense few days for us. After an exhausting four years for all progressives. We meant to post earlier but it was just so hard to find the words. It is difficult to quantify the range of emotions we’ve all felt especially during this election cycle. (Thread)
First we would like to start off by saying THANK YOU to EVERY Progressive candidate who has run in Tennessee for the past four years we have been in existence. You have all stepped up to insurmountable challenges to fight for change in your communities.
Most people do not understand the challenges of running as a Progressive in a state like Tennessee. There is little to no infrastructure to support these candidates, especially in rural areas.
They’re not only fighting for votes but funding, volunteers, and a host of other things candidates in other states would never have to think about.
These candidates are often going against the grain. They face everything from ostracism in their communities to death threats. They’ve lost business, long time friends, and even family members for going against the established norm.
Many rural candidates face the possibility of unemployment if they anger their boss in a small town where jobs are hard to come by. Rural or urban the mental, physical, emotional, and financial hits they take are often extreme.
But they do it for their neighbors. They fight to keep the hospitals in their rural districts open. They fight to stop the growing inequality in education disguised as “school choice”. They fight for people they don’t know statewide to have a living wage.
All of this in a state subjected to 40 successful years of Lee Atwater’s Southern Strategy. In districts left behind by both parties. To people who have been promised change by candidates that was quickly abandoned after a successful election to Nashville or DC.
They are fighting the good fight in gerrymandered districts where voter suppression tactics have been successful.They are told by people who complain about how ‘The South’ is the problem, their races are unwinnable/not viable when no one has attempted in years, if ever.
If they do have success it’s never attributed to the hard work they’ve done often with little or no help from the party or outside groups. It’s attributed to things like alphabetical order on the ballot.
Some of the fiercest advocates we have are those who have been radicalized by gross injustice they’ve seen or experienced. These experiences are life changing. We are passionate about change for the good.
It’s both amusing and infuriating when we are accused of being paid activists. Indivisible Tennessee has one paid organizer we share with Kentucky. She works herself for the bone for us. The rest of us are volunteers.
We are not alone. This situation is replicated across other groups like @freeheartsorg, the TN @DemSocialists groups, @TIRRCVotes, @TNAdvocatesPP, @sunrisemvmttn, @EquityAlliance1, and so many others. We are the Volunteer State after all.
We, along with our candidates are consistently in need of support. Tennessee loses some of it’s best and brightest political minds to paid opportunities in other states. It’s hard for candidates in poverty ravaged districts to raise funds to fight for those without.
In the words of @AftynBehn “progress takes time, and a lot longer than 4 years”. Even if it doesn’t feel like we’ve made huge strides in Tennessee since 2016, we have.
@Bradshaw2020 was the first black woman to win the nomination for a major political party for U.S. Senate in Tennessee. @TorreyHarris901 became one of the first openly gay members in the #TNLeg. @campbelltn20 flipped a seat in the state senate.
@gabbysalinas, @VoteVirginaC, @GlennforSenate, @bondjohnsontn, and @jerrigreenfor83 came very close in their races. @KeedaHaynes was the first candidate in a decade to primary Jim Cooper. We had the highest voter turnout in the history of the state.
The next time you are frustrated with the state of politics here volunteer with a group or candidate. Keep your money in Tennessee by supporting local candidates and groups.
Take some time to process and allow yourself to engage in self-care. In a few weeks we’ll be starting on the 2022 races. These will be everything from city council elections to U.S. House of Representatives.
If you are a candidate who is interested in running whether it’s your first race or your fifth please reach out to us when you’re ready.
If you’re someone who is interested in shaping the future of Tennessee please check out http://progressivetn.com to see how you can plug in to electoral politics in our state.
Finally in the words of Tennessee great @DollyParton “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.”
