Tennessee Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee on Wednesday announced his 95 county General Election tour.
The “Believe in Tennessee Tour” will bring Lee to talk to voters and highlight his policies and belief that he is the right leader to keep Tennessee going in the right direction, his campaign said in a press release.
“I’ve said throughout this campaign that Tennessee is a really good place to live, but in business, we know that good is the enemy of great,” said Lee. “For Tennessee to reach her full potential and lead the nation, we need to challenge the status quo and prioritize leadership over politics.”
People have told Lee they want a good job, a good school for their kids, and they want to live in a safe neighborhood.
Lee said he plans to address those challenges. He cites these statistics about Tennessee:
- 15 counties are below the poverty line.
- One in seven men between the ages of 25 and 54 has dropped out of the workforce.
- Opioid deaths have risen since 2012. Over 3,000 Tennesseans have died from opioid overdoses in just the last three years.
- Schools, which have improved over the last eight years, are still in the bottom half nationwide.
- In the six largest cities, violent crime is up.
The “Believe in Tennessee Tour” will highlight some of his solutions, such as:
- Change the way high school looks, putting students back on a path to careers and financial independence.
- Bring new investments in treatment to heal the opioid crisis, understanding that often, at the root of addiction, is trauma.
- Make the government more transparent and more responsive.
- Address criminal justice reform, working to make sure those who are incarcerated are ready to reenter society, rather than reenter prison.
During the primary, Lee took a “95 Counties, 95 Days RV Tour,” with his final stop being in Putnam County, The Tennessee Star reported. He made 288 stops on the tour.
A new poll of likely November voters conducted by Gravis Marketing shows Lee with an 11 point margin over Democrat Karl Dean, with 9 percent uncertain, in the governor’s race, The Tennessee Star reported.
