Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Memphis city councilwoman Jerri Green met with liberal media outlet Tennessee Holler’s founder Justin Kanew this week for an "empty podium debate" turned rally.
An ongoing theme in Green's campaign has centered on Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn's refusal to debate this campaign cycle. Blackburn would not debate her primary campaign opponents before August, after NewsChannel 5 provided an invitation. Green offered to debate the senior senator right on her doorstep in Brentwood.
Sen. Blackburn hasn't attended an in-person town hall meeting since February 2017 in Fairview. After the event, she complained to CNN that none of the audience was from her district. The Williamson Scene attended that town hall and talked to constituents from the 7th Congressional District, which was Blackburn’s seat at the time.
At the event, Green attracted a full house. Her supporters filled the room from wall to wall, chanting “Jerri” as the candidate took the podium.
Green answered a series of questions from Kanew, and then allowed the audience to ask questions. Fox 17 livestreamed the event.
“The reason she's [Sen. Blackburn] not here tonight is because she doesn't think she owes you anything,” Green said. “She doesn't think she has to answer to you. She only answers to her dark money donors.”
Despite receiving four separate invites, Sen. Blackburn refused to debate Green, telling her campaign manager, Alex Hensley, "I'm not going to give air to a socialist candidate who is running to destroy the agenda of Tennessee, destroy the United States and defund the police.”
Green said she wanted her plans for Tennessee to be clear, including making healthcare paramount.
“I do hope the federal government moves to Medicare for all, but in the meantime we could take the expansion money — hundreds of billions of tax dollars, your tax dollars and mine we just spend back every year,” Green said. “That has led to us being number two in the nation for rural hospital closures.”
Republicans in the legislature typically have shrugged off efforts by Democrats to expand the system in Tennessee. Former Gov. Bill Haslam tried to grow the program in 2015, but the legislation died in a special session.
Green said she wants to re-institute Medicaid expansion money into rural hospitals threatened by closures and paying off medical debt. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform’s recent report noted that Tennessee is at risk of losing 19 rural hospitals. She said she also planned to invest in improving women's healthcare in those areas, hoping to lower birth and infant mortality rates. Several rural hospitals have closed their obstetrician and labor departments.
The candidate said she wanted to put more pressure on data centers. Kanew mentioned Sen. Blackburn's support of data centers. Blackburn told the Williamson Scene she believed Tennesseans have to be realistic about data centers and where they are going.
“Communities are going to make decisions about if they want to recruit a data center,” Blackburn said to the Williamson Scene in August.
Green said she has been directly involved in the issue as a member of the Memphis City Council regarding Elon Musk’s Space XI facility. The Democrat said the council has rallied to implement a recycled water facility to negate the data center using clean water.
Pivoting, she said gun violence is personal to her. She lost her best friend, grandparents and a colleague to gun violence. Green has three children whom she taught to stand on a toilet seat to avoid a shooter when they were 2 years old. She said she wouldn’t let her daughter wear light-up sneakers to avoid being singled out in case of an emergency.
“But I have news for everybody: I'm a gun owner. I've had a gun since I was 9 years old,” she said. “I still have a gun, because you can be a gun owner and still believe in laws that protect people.”
Voters still have time to decide between the candidates, including two on the Independent side: Lauren Pinkston and David Hatley. It’s not clear if all four candidates will ever face off in a debate before the Nov. 3 election day.
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