Buttigeig endorses Bradshaw, Harris
Former presidential hopeful Pete Buttigeig is endorsing Tennessee Democratic candidates Marquita Bradshaw for U.S. Senate and Torrey Harris for state House.
Bradshaw was the surprise winner of the Democratic nomination in August over Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee favorite James Mackler, who ended up finishing third.
According to a Buttigeig statement posted by his Win the Era organization:
Marquita Bradshaw has spent her career advocating for her community and connecting with people around shared policy outcomes. These efforts are now the cornerstone of her groundbreaking, inspiring campaign. She knows first hand that policy should reflect the lived experiences of the people they are designed to help. She will bring this same perspective to the halls of the Senate and I’m excited to support Marquita in her historic run to represent the hard-working people of Tennessee.
Harris won the House District 90 nomination in Memphis after the state Democratic Party booted longtime state Rep. John DeBerry from its primary ballot due to his propensity of voting with Republicans on issues ranging from abortion to school vouchers.
Here’s what Buttigeig had to say about him:
Through Torrey Harris’ tireless work as a community advocate, he has modeled a willingness to listen, empower, and serve. That is exactly the type of leadership this moment demands and I’m proud to support his campaign.
Meanwhile, DeBerry was endorsed by the Americans for Prosperity and Republican U.S. Senate Bill Hagerty got the nod from the National Federation of Independent Business.
According to NFIB National Political Director Sharon Sussin:
Bill Hagerty has a true understanding of the challenges our members are facing. We have no doubt that he will be an excellent champion for them in the Senate, and we are pleased to endorse him”
The weekend in Super Tuesday campaigning in Tennessee
Two Democratic candidates have dropped out of the presidential race after campaigning in Tennessee over the weekend.
Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg drew a big crowd for a rally in downtown Nashville on Saturday, just hours before the results of the South Carolina primary would spell the end of his bid for the nomination. City officials estimated more than 2,700 people attended the event outside the Metro Courthouse.
“God does not belong to a political party in the United States of America,” @PeteButtigieg says to large Nashville crowd.
Also, I don’t think a candidate has drawn a crowd this large here since Trump’s visits to Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/nkDU53chmm
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) February 29, 2020
Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race on Monday Amy Klobuchar. The U.S. senator from Minnesota had held events in Nashville on Friday and Knoxville on Saturday. Neither were affected by the sort of protests that caused the Minnesota Democrat to cancel a St. Louis rally on Sunday.
South Carolina winner Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, headlined a fundraiser in Belle Meade on Sunday evening. Per the pool report by The Tennessean’s Emily West, the event was hosted at the home of Andrew and Marianne Byrd. The Byrd family founded the Iroquois Steeplechase horse race in the 1940s.
Here are some of Jill Biden’s comments at the event:
I am going to take you back to the last election, 2016. I want you to remember how you felt when Florida went red and watching the results. Think about that sick feeling you had when you realized Donald Trump was president. I went to bed figuring, ‘Hillary has it,’ and I am going to bed. Then I got up and they said Trump had one. I went and turned the TV up louder. I couldn’t believe he had won. We all felt horrible.
So now think about the election 2020. I want you to think about those that went from red to blue. They aren’t liberal. They weren’t won with promises of revolution, but they are on the front lines of progress. Moderate democrats are doing the hard work of building coalitions and common ground. They don’t compromise their values. They can’t get anything done unless they appeal to Democrats, independents, and, yes, Republicans. It’s not by taking an all or nothing stance. It’s not by making promises you can’t keep. It’s by building the bonds of community and community is what this is all about. Not just to win elections but to make this world a better place.
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg campaigned in Memphis, Clarksville, and Blountville on Friday.
“I’m running to restore honor to our government and to build a country that we’re proud of and to start getting things done — and to start putting ‘united’ back in the United States of America,” Bloomberg at a rally at the Tri-Cities airport, according to the Johnson City Press.
(This post has been updated to reflect Klobuchar dropping out of the race.)
