5 Republicans Vying For Governor Visit Upper Cumberland

The five Republican candidates for governor visited Algood Thursday night to share thoughts on the state’s future, especially in more rural areas.

Kay White, Bill Lee, Beth Harwell, Randy Boyd and Diane Black spoke before a standing-room-only crowd for the Upper Cumberland’s Annual Reagan Day Dinner. Each of the candidates shared information on his/her background and outlined several priorities if elected governor.

Diane Black has represented Tennessee’s sixth Congressional District since 2011. She also served in the state legislature. Black said the state needs to focus more attention outside its urban centers.

“Rural areas are being left out, they need to have more attention,” Black said. “The two things I know that they need, both of them infrastructure, one is broadband and the other is roads. Unless you have both of those things, you’re not going to be able to attract industry.”

She said more aptitude testing in schools would help shape the workforce of tomorrow in Tennessee schools.

“We’ll have counselors who will be able to work with young people and be able to put them with a path that will give them a skill or a pathway to college,” Black said.

Black said she had plan to treat opioid addiction, which she termed a scourge on society.

Randy Boyd served as the state’s Economic and Community Development Commissioner under Governor Bill Haslam. Boyd owns Radio Systems, a pet products company based in Knoxville.

“Working with you, we’re going to make Tennessee the state of opportunity,” Boyd said. “Opportunity for better education, opportunity for better jobs, opportunity for everybody.”

Boyd said when the state gets the education platform right, the jobs will come. With 19 counties across the state distressed, Boyd said Tennessee must do more to help rural counties that are struggling while metro areas are growing.

Boyd said when he traveled around the country, people know Tennessee for Jack Daniels. He said he wants to change the expectations.

“The best part about Tennessee is we’re not leaving people behind,” Boyd said.

Beth Harwell has served as house speaker since 2011. Representing district 56, Harwell said she believes in limited government.

“When I became speaker, I said to my members we’re going to put a cap on how many bills you can introduce every year,” Harwell said. “And you know why? Bills turn into laws and laws turn into big government and that is not what we’re about.”

Harwell said her term in the legislature has especially benefited the state’s education system, pointing to a rise in math and science achievement.

“It’s because we as a state as public policy have set high standards with high accountability and it is paying off,” Harwell said. “We are competitive now in education.”

With no background in politics, Bill Lee chairs Franklin-based Lee Company. Lee told the crowd he decided to serve the community after the death of his first wife in a horse-riding accident.

Lee said his trip to 95 counties in 95 days showed him the state stands at risk of losing its rural way of life.

“If we don’t do something definitively about it, we will lose that,” Lee said. “I’m a guy who’s deeply committed to restoring and maintaining that way of life in the state of Tennessee.”

Lee said the state’s high schools need to look different, better serving the four out of ten high school students who will not attend college.

Calling himself very conservative, Lee said government will not be the option to improving the state.

“Remarkable people, remarkable state,” Lee said. “But we have some really troubling challenges in our state.”

Kay White organized the Tea Party movement in East Tennessee and said she will not be a moderate. Twice a candidate for Congress and a Tri Cities realtor, White said she would not paint a beautiful picture of Tennessee in 2018. She said state residents receive 42 percent of its total income from federal sources.

“We are not self sufficient,” White said.

White said it’s about saving tax dollars and not increasing the amount of money the state takes from Washington.

“We’ve worked, we know what work is and that’s why I don’t have any patience with the handouts that we’re giving to able-bodied people,” White said. “I want us to reform our welfare system. I want us to make it where that people have to do something for your hard-earned money that’s providing them homes, food, and insurance.”

White said the people have the chance to hire someone who does not represent the establishment that voted for the state tax increases.

The Republican primary takes place May 1.