Election Day is almost here.

On Thursday, August 6, voters across Tennessee will head to the polls to elect candidates for local races! Additionally there are many primary nominees for offices ranging from Governor and U.S. Senate to Congress and the Tennessee General Assembly. This election is important as we choose local leaders and also the people we will put forward for the general election in November.

One thing makes this election especially unusual:

Election Day falls on a Thursday.

Most Americans instinctively associate elections with Tuesday, and many people may not realize that this year’s primary is different. Simply reminding friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members that the election is Thursday, August 6 may help increase participation.

At Indivisible Tri-Cities TN, we believe an informed and engaged public is the foundation of a healthy democracy. Today we’re writing with information about several opportunities to learn about the issues, become involved in civic engagement, and encourage voter participation throughout our region.

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Hear from Democratic Candidates for U.S. Senate

Holler for Democracy
Tuesday, July 28
7:00–8:00 PM Eastern (Online)

One of the best ways to become an informed voter is to hear directly from the people seeking public office.

During this month’s Holler for Democracy, we’ll welcome Maria Brewer and Marquita Bradshaw, candidates in the Democratic primary for the United States Senate. (Note: other candidates were invited as well but were unavailable.)

Each candidate will have an opportunity to introduce themselves, discuss the issues they believe are most important to Tennesseans, and explain their priorities should they become their party’s nominee.

Our goal is simple: provide voters with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates so they can make informed decisions at the ballot box.

To get the link, you must register.

Registration Link

Help Remind Unicoi County: Election Day Is Thursday August 6!

Saturday, August 1
1:30–3:00 PM
Where: 501 Jonesborough Rd, Erwin, TN

One of the simplest and most effective forms of civic engagement is reminding people to vote. On Saturday afternoon we’ll gather in Erwin for a visibility demonstration encouraging residents to make a plan for Election Day.

Our message is intentionally straightforward: Election Day is Thursday, August 6.

Because Thursday elections are uncommon, many voters may not realize when they need to cast their ballots. Helping spread that information is an important public service.

Bring a sign, bring a friend, and help us encourage civic participation throughout Unicoi County.

On Saturday, August 1, remind voters to “VOTE THIS THURSDAY!”

Learn How to Canvass in Bristol

Saturday, August 1
3:00 PM
Anderson Park – Bristol

Did you know that when you canvass that you knock on hand-picked doors? Have you ever wondered what canvassing is really like? It’s not as scary as it might seem.

Whether you’ve never knocked on a single door or have years of experience talking with voters, Saturday afternoon is a great opportunity to learn effective techniques for having respectful, productive conversations with members of the community.

Volunteers will meet at Anderson Park for canvassing instruction before heading out together.

4:30 - After the training, participants will also hear remarks from Jerri Green, a candidate for governor, before volunteers continue their voter outreach efforts.

Our organization encourages everyone to learn about the candidates, participate in the democratic process, and support the causes and campaigns that align with their own values. Although this is not an Indivisible Tri-Cities TN event, we feel it would be of interest to our membership.

Call to Action Volunteer Rally

Saturday, August 1
6:30 PM

Pavilion at Lincoln Park
307 E. Main Street
Jonesborough, TN 37659

Map:
Click Here to View Map

Since so many of our members want to be engaged and informed, we wanted to be sure that you heard about this rally.

Meet at the pavilion at Lincoln Park in Jonesborough and hear details about all of the ways that you can volunteer by making phone calls, throwing house parties, writing postcards, talking with neighbors, volunteering at events, or knocking on doors.

Throughout the evening you’ll learn about volunteer opportunities available during the final days before the primary and beyond. Candidates Kristi Burke, Jerri Green, and Sarah Jayne Della Vecchia will also speak to us about the importance of civic participation.

Whether you’re already volunteering, curious about other ways you can contribute, or simply wanting to meet some of the candidates on the ballot, this rally is for you.

Bring a friend and join us for an evening of energy, encouragement, and community.

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Join Us on Peoples Street

Some of the most meaningful conversations happen on an ordinary sidewalk.

Every week, members of our community gather along Peoples Street in front of Pet Smart in Johnson City to peacefully advocate for democracy, human rights, and civic participation.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
11:30 AM–1:00 PM

3211 Peoples Street
Johnson City, Tennessee

Some people stay fifteen minutes. Others stay the entire time.

Everyone is welcome.

If you’ve been looking for a way to meet others who share your commitment to democracy and civic engagement, this is one of the easiest places to start.

Our Work Depends on You

Every hour spent organizing our community is made possible because people who believe in our mission choose to support it.

Indivisible Tri-Cities TN is a grassroots organization. We don’t have paid staff or major institutional funding. We rely on people throughout Northeast Tennessee who believe that informed citizens, engaged communities, and active participation strengthen our democracy.

If you’d like to help us continue this work, we would be grateful for your support.

Donate Here

Thank you for standing with us.

The coming week is important. But regardless of the outcome on August 6, our work to strengthen democracy and build community will continue.

We hope you’ll be part of it.

🎉 Great Reasons to Come to the Fun Fest Parade This Friday! 🎉

1️⃣ Cheer on We the Artists!
Our friends from We the Artists will be representing Indivisible Tri-Cities TN with a creative parade entry highlighting the contrast between the welcoming message on the Statue of Liberty and the reality of today’s immigration policies. They’ve put countless hours into this project! Please come out, cheer them on, and be sure to take lots of photos and videos!

2️⃣ March with Kristi Burke and Jerri Green!
Join Jerri Green and Kristi Burke’s campaign as they march in the Fun Fest parade!

Both Kristi’s and Jerri’s campaigns are looking for volunteers to march in the parade. If you’d like to help show support for a couple of Northeast Tennessee’s outstanding candidates, they’d love to have you join them.

📍 Lineup begins at 5:00 PM
🚶 Please arrive no later than 5:45 PM if you plan to march with the campaigns.
🎉 Parade begins at 6:30 PM.

Getting there: The official lineup starts at 200 Clinchfield Street. Organizers recommend taking Center Street or Market Street to Clay Street, where volunteers will direct you into the Clinchfield lineup area. (See the map below.)

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Whether you’re marching or cheering from the sidelines, come help make this year’s Fun Fest Parade a great celebration of community, creativity, and democracy. We hope to see you there!

Take and share photos!

Terryl

Note: We’ve reached out to other campaigns to see if they were looking for volunteers. We were either told no or given no response.

What is it worth?

It’s a question we ask ourselves almost every day, even if we don’t realize it.

We decide whether a vacation is worth the expense. Whether dinner at our favorite restaurant is worth the price. Whether a new phone, streaming subscription, concert tickets, or home improvement project are worth the money. Every day we make decisions about what we value and what we are willing to sacrifice to have it.

There is nothing wrong with that. Those choices are part of living a full life.

But there is one question we rarely stop to ask ourselves.

What is it worth to preserve our democracy?

What is it worth to elect leaders who will fight for our communities instead of against them? What is it worth to protect public education, strengthen rural health care, preserve our constitutional rights, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, freer nation than the one we inherited?

Those are not abstract political questions. They are questions about what we value enough to invest in and, when necessary, to sacrifice for.

Almost every week someone tells me how worried they are. They worry about our schools. They worry about the future of Medicare and Social Security. They worry about access to health care, attacks on reproductive freedom, voting rights, the rising cost of living, and whether the America they grew up in is slowly slipping away. They wonder what kind of future their children and grandchildren will inherit.

I don’t doubt their concern for a moment.

But concern by itself has never changed the course of history.

Throughout history, meaningful change has always required ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Sometimes that meant marching. Sometimes it meant organizing. Sometimes it meant running for office, volunteering countless hours, or giving generously to causes larger than themselves. Progress has never been the result of good intentions alone. It has always required commitment.

For decades, Democrats in Northeast Tennessee often had no candidate at all, or no candidate with the resources to run a truly competitive campaign. Election after election reinforced the belief that this was simply the way things were. After enough years, many people understandably concluded that contributing financially to a campaign was little more than throwing good money after bad.

That belief may once have been understandable.

Today, it has become one of our greatest obstacles.

We are no longer living in an era where we can simply wait for someone else to fix things. The consequences of our elections are no longer theoretical. We are living with them every day.

We have watched hospitals struggle or close while elected officials support policies that make rural health care even more fragile. We have watched repeated attacks on public education, voting rights, reproductive freedom, environmental protections, and programs that working families depend upon. Here in Tennessee, we have watched a legislative supermajority reshape our state with little meaningful opposition, passing laws that affect nearly every aspect of our lives.

This is not politics as usual.

This is an emergency.

In less than four months, the decisions we make—or fail to make—will determine who represents us for years to come. If we wait until October to become fully engaged, we will have waited too long. Campaigns are being built now. Voters are being reached now. The foundation for victory is being laid now.

If we believe these policies are harming our communities, then we also have to acknowledge another truth. Changing the direction of our state and our country requires more than hope.

It requires candidates willing to step forward, often at tremendous personal sacrifice. It requires volunteers willing to give evenings, weekends, and vacations to knock on doors, make phone calls, register voters, and organize events. It requires organizations that educate voters, hold elected officials accountable, and build lasting community.

And yes, it requires financial investment.

That isn’t because democracy should work that way. Most of us wish it didn’t. We wish good ideas naturally defeated bad ones. We wish integrity alone could overcome unlimited spending and entrenched political power.

But wishing has never won an election.

Democracy requires investment.

That investment takes many forms. Some people give their time. Others lend their talents. Some host events, make phone calls, write postcards, drive neighbors to the polls, or become election workers. Financial contributions are simply one part of that larger commitment.

This isn’t about asking everyone to give the same amount. Some people can contribute $10. Others can contribute hundreds or even thousands. Some cannot give financially at all but give countless hours of their time instead.

Democracy has never depended on equal gifts. It has depended on equal commitment.

There is a reason the story of the widow’s mite has endured for two thousand years. The widow’s gift was not remarkable because it was large. It was remarkable because it represented sacrifice. She gave according to what she had, not according to what someone else had.

Perhaps that is the question before each of us today.

Not, “How much is everyone else giving?”

But rather, “What am I willing to sacrifice for the future I say I want?”

Every one of us decides what has value. We spend money on vacations, restaurants, hobbies, entertainment, and the countless things that make life enjoyable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But if we truly believe our democracy is under threat, if we truly believe our children’s future is at stake, then preserving that future must become something we value enough to invest in as well.

Every time we shake our heads over another harmful law, another rural hospital in crisis, another attack on public education, another assault on voting rights, or another elected official who seems disconnected from the people they represent, we should remember something.

The consequences we are living with today did not begin on the day those laws were passed. They began months earlier, when campaigns were trying to build the resources needed to reach voters, tell their stories, and compete.

By the time we are living with the consequences, the opportunity to prevent many of them has already passed.

History has never been changed by people who hoped someone else would do the hard part. It has always been changed by ordinary people who decided the future was worth investing in.

Every election has a cost. Democracy does not send us the bill in advance.

Sometimes we pay before Election Day by investing our time, our energy, and our resources. Or we pay afterward by living with policies we opposed and leaders we wish we had replaced.

One way or another, the bill always comes due.

So I return to the question where I began.

For what it’s worth...

• What is our democracy worth?

• What is Northeast Tennessee worth?

• What is the future are our children and grandchildren worth?

Only each of us can answer those questions.

But all of us will live with the answer.

Terryl

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American Legacy

By Suzan Stephan

There once was a man, we can never forget,
Whose lies became “truth,” to our nation’s regret,
Whose lies were repeated, more often than fact,
Whose supporters had thought, they were actually that,
So on January-six, of twenty-twenty-one,
A riot was inflamed, and a nation undone.

When truth becomes optional, and loyalty king,
When lies have replaced, nearly everything,
Originating from, an administration that,
Treats fact-checking like, a treasonous act,
And many in Congress, even knowing the truth,
Stand idly by, forgetting their oath
(to the Constitution of the United States of America).

Donald Trump’s scheme, historically,
Derived from a similar, evil legacy,
Derived from Mein Kampf, a book that we knew,
Was written by Hitler, and seeks to undo,
The precious ideals, Americans claim,
While shifting us to, autocratic reign.

When we the people, were watching unseen,
As leaders and newsmen, belie the scene,
Unfolding directly, before our own eyes,
Violent acts, police horrified,
“But there’s nothing here, to worry about,
Just some peaceable tourists, strolling throughout.”

By now we should know, what facts are real,
And not what is, some made up spiel,
By a man who is, too vain to admit,
Yes, he actually lost, the election, to wit,
In twenty-twenty, Trump did lose,
And many times over, in court lost too.

Some of us now, sincerely regret,

That once we believed, his lies and yet,
We all saw the feces, smeared on the wall,
We all saw destruction, at the Capitol,
And somehow did Trump, retain our vote,
Before we regained, our senses, I hope.

Dodging the draft, as a youth five times,
Found guilty of fraud, at least thirty-four times,
Facing more charges, that were all set to go,
When MAGA-friendly judge, Cannon let him go,
Putting it off, several months on end,
Until he won, the election again.

A virtuous man, Trump surely is not,
And so many times, I wondered at that,
Toting a Bible that, he never has read,
Pretending to be, a devout Christian instead,
(What a farce!)
How did it happen, so many were tricked,
Bestowing him power, affixing his grip.

Surrounded by sycophants, greed, and hate,
We must vote them out, no king to make,
To those of us who, may once have thought,
His word was truth, but now it’s not,
Who twice did help, make him president,
Never go back, and never relent.

“No war,” Iran war, “what war?” he said,
Wait, it’s just a little, excursion instead,
We must have lost, ‘cause Iran just got,
Everything they could, have asked for and not,
The better gas prices, that we had before,
And still no open Strait, like before the war.

Of course we have, the retribution,
Clearly it is, an aberration,
From rule of law, in the Constitution,
Targeting foes, who politically differ,
These are the things, we truly must suffer,
And president’s grift, of untold amount,
Worth two-point-two Billion, at last count.

Now before this man, cancels all our votes,
And undoes everything, the Constitution wrote,
Before they take, your rights away,
Before the corruption, greed, and sway,
Become the forfeiture, of this land,
We must emphatically take, a resolute stand.

Incompetence, greed, and corruption abound,
In a president with, mental state unsound,
Deranged, maniacal, schemes and deeds,
Glorifying himself, as Jesus, indeed,
Starting a war, with no end in sight,
Losing much more, than he had the right,
When freedom of speech, is nullified,
And unwilling companies, must abide.

We can never forget, the Epstein task,
Clearly breaking the law, that Congress passed,
Is something being hidden, we’d like to know,
What happened with Trump, what does Epstein show?
Redactions being made, without cause due,
Suppressing Trump’s victim, and lost interview?

As Donald Trump profits, from business deals,
From citizen pockets, he does steal,
Tax dollars are taken, to comply,
With no-bid contracts, blown up sky high,
He tramples upon, our Constitution yet,
His cronies in Congress, will not him check.

“Not Trump’s America,” we shall shout,
True American legacy, must come out,
If we take it back, we must do it now,
Stopping corruption, the only way how.
In twenty-twenty-six, our elections defend,
Reject the candidates, on whom Trump depends,
Clearly we need, independence from,
The party from which, the corruption has come.

Written on July 4, 2026, in the tradition of the famous epic poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Posted with permission.

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Now I’m back, and what a wonderful time to return. While I was gone, our volunteers never stopped working. Looking back over the past couple of weeks, I’m struck by just how much this community continues to accomplish.

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A Night to Remember with Jerri Green

On June 27, we welcomed gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green to the Tri-Cities, and the evening exceeded every expectation.

At least 250 people joined us to hear Jerri speak about her vision for Tennessee. More importantly, they came together to demonstrate something we don’t always hear about in our region: hope.

There was plenty of laughter, too.

One of the biggest crowd favorites was the return of Super Donkey, who opened the evening chasing “Governor Lee” around the stage while the audience cheered. We also debuted “Jerri’s Song,” adding another memorable moment to an event filled with energy and enthusiasm.

As much fun as everyone had, what I’ll remember most is watching dozens of volunteers quietly doing what they always do. They arrived early. They set up chairs. They greeted guests. They checked people in. They hauled equipment. They cleaned up long after most attendees had gone home.

And yes, they tolerated me running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to keep everything on schedule.

If you’ve ever volunteered for one of our events, you know exactly what I’m talking about!

To every person who gave their time that day, thank you. Events like this simply cannot happen without you.

If Jerri inspired you, then get involved in her campaign!

Fund Indivisible Tri-Cities TN's Work

Compassion Can Be Built One Box at a Time

One of my favorite updates comes from our Tri-Cities Handmaids.

Their very first Pink Box is now installed at Big Boys BBQ at the Bluff City Flea Market, stocked with free menstrual products for anyone who needs them.

This big pink box will help us make sure someone doesn’t have to choose between buying groceries and purchasing basic hygiene products.

Projects like this remind us that building stronger communities isn’t only about changing laws. It’s also about caring for our neighbors in practical, tangible ways.

A huge thank you goes to everyone who donated supplies, and especially to Barbara M, who built the box, secured the location, transported everything, and helped make the project a reality.

If you’d like to become part of the Handmaids, they’ll meet on Saturday, July 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Elizabethton Public Library. New faces are always welcome. You’ll meet Jennifer, the wondeful group leader and she’ll make sure you feel welcome.

A Billboard That Starts Conversations

If you’ve driven from Johnson City toward Jonesborough on Highway 11E recently, you’ve probably noticed something new.

Our “Immigrants Are Welcome Here” billboard is now proudly overlooking the highway.

This project came together because so many people believed that kindness and inclusion deserve to be visible.

Thanks to Allison, our Billboard Team, and the many donors who contributed, we’ve raised enough money to keep the billboard in place for another month. Judging from the conversations we’ve already heard, people are definitely noticing.

Whether someone agrees with the message or not, they now know there are people in Northeast Tennessee who believe every human being deserves dignity and welcome.

That’s worth saying out loud.

Our Billboard Group has been responsible for planning and coordinating over 11 billboard projects across the Tri-Cities! The video below, created by our very own Sarah Slagle, celebrates our achievement!

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Creativity Is a Form of Activism

Another group deserving recognition is We the Artists, who have been hard at work creating a float for this year’s Fun Fest Parade in Kingsport.

The float will proudly carry the Indivisible Tri-Cities TN banner through one of our region’s largest community celebrations.

This is another reminder that activism doesn’t always happen at a podium or during a protest. Sometimes it happens with paint brushes, power tools, music, creativity, and a lot of imagination.

If you’re attending the parade, cheer them on. Take photos. Share videos. Let people know they’re representing all of us.

Join Us at an Upcoming Event

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved over the next couple of weeks.

On Friday, July 10, many of us gather from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Washington County Democratic Party Headquarters, 172 W. Springbrook Drive in Johnson City, for postcard writing for local candidates.

Our Car Caravans return on Saturday, July 11 and Saturday, July 25, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Decorate your vehicle, invite candidates to participate, and help us encourage early voting while making democracy impossible to ignore. Click here for more information.

Then on Sunday, July 19, we’ll host another Find Your People gathering from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Rotary Pavilion near the splash pad at Steele Creek Park in Bristol. If you’ve never been to an FYP, then I hope you’ll come check it out. More Information Here

Bring something sweet to share, meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, and remember that democracy is sustained not just by elections but by relationships.

Every Campaign Needs You

As we move deeper into campaign season, every candidate in our region needs help.

The truth is that most local campaigns operate on incredibly modest budgets. Many rely almost entirely on volunteers to knock doors, make phone calls, write postcards, organize events, and simply keep things moving.

If you’ve been wondering how you can make a difference, this is your moment.

Volunteer for a campaign.

Canvass for an afternoon.

Write postcards.

Make phone calls.

Host a meet-and-greet.

Put up a yard sign.

Make a donation, even if it’s a small one.

Every conversation you have, every door you knock, every dollar you give, and every hour you volunteer helps build the kind of Northeast Tennessee we want to leave to the next generation.

The momentum we’re seeing right now didn’t happen by accident. It happened because ordinary people decided to do extraordinary things together.

Let’s keep building.

Terryl

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I Believe in Us. Do You?

Every day my inbox fills with fundraising appeals from across the nation.

A Senate candidate needs another $25 before midnight. A gubernatorial campaign is facing an “urgent deadline.” Another email insists that “this race,” which is thousands of miles away, is the most important election of our lifetime.

I understand the urgency because many of those races matter. I’ve donated to candidates around the country myself. I admire people like James Talarico and Jon Ossoff, and I believe they are making a real difference. I don’t regret supporting them.

But lately I’ve found myself asking a different question.

What happens when our desire to help Democrats across the country comes at the expense of the Democrats who are fighting right here at home?

For many years, that wasn’t much of a dilemma. Northeast Tennessee often had very few Democratic candidates running for local office. If there wasn’t a Democrat on the ballot for county commission, school board, or the state legislature, it was easy (even understandable) to send a contribution to a competitive race in another state. We developed the habit of investing where there appeared to be the greatest opportunity to make a difference.

The political landscape has changed.

Today we have Democratic candidates running for Congress, the Tennessee General Assembly, county commissions, school boards, and local offices throughout Northeast Tennessee. These are neighbors who are willing to put their names on the ballot despite long odds because they believe our communities deserve a choice and because they believe our values deserve representation.

Yet some of these candidates have raised so little money that they cannot even afford the most basic campaign materials. While national campaigns send multiple fundraising emails every day and raise millions of dollars, some local candidates are trying to introduce themselves to voters while wondering whether they can afford yard signs or a stack of brochures.

That should give all of us pause. Where does our $25 make the most difference?

One $25 contribution means almost nothing to a campaign that is already raising tens of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, the same $25 can make a tangible difference to a candidate running for county commission or the Tennessee House. A few hundred dollars can purchase signs, print literature, boost social media posts, or help a candidate attend community events where voters have an opportunity to meet them. In local politics, relatively small investments can have an outsized impact.

For decades, Democrats in Northeast Tennessee have learned a difficult lesson: when it comes to money, staff, media attention, and organizational resources, we are largely on our own. Candidates in our region should plan their campaigns as though no meaningful outside help is coming, because history suggests that it probably isn’t.

That reality isn’t a reason for discouragement. It is a reason to rethink our priorities.

If we believe Northeast Tennessee deserves leaders who will protect public education, defend our constitutional rights, support working families, and strengthen our communities, then we have to be willing to invest in the people who are willing to stand up and run for those offices. Electing county commissioners, state representatives, school board members, and members of Congress who represent our values is not something that will happen because a national organization suddenly discovers Northeast Tennessee. It will happen because the people who live here decide it is worth building, one election at a time.

Find Your Candidates

There is another reason this matters.

Campaigns do far more than elect candidates. Every campaign recruits volunteers, develops future leaders, strengthens local party organizations, creates relationships with voters, and encourages someone else to consider running the next time a seat opens. Even campaigns that fall short leave behind knowledge, experience, and community that make the next campaign stronger. That kind of political infrastructure cannot be imported from Washington or Nashville. It has to be built here, by the people who call this region home. This is how we build.

So I’m asking all of us, including myself, to think differently the next time another fundraising email or text arrives.

Before sending another contribution to a race somewhere else, ask one simple question:

Have I already invested in the candidates who are trying to improve the place where I live?

If the answer is yes, then by all means continue supporting candidates across the country. Their races matter, and our democracy is stronger when good people are elected everywhere.

But if the answer is no, perhaps this is the year to begin changing that.

We often hear that Northeast Tennessee is too red, too conservative, or too unwinnable to justify investment. After hearing that message for so many years, it becomes easy to accept it as an unchangeable fact. But I don’t accept that.

I don’t believe we are a lost cause.

Political landscapes are not permanent. They are shaped by the people who are willing to keep showing up. Every competitive district in America was once considered safely Republican or safely Democratic until enough people decided to challenge that assumption. The same can be true here, but only if we stop acting like someone else will do the work for us.

Before we ask the country to believe in Northeast Tennessee, we have to show that we believe in ourselves.

That belief is expressed in more than our words. It is reflected in every volunteer hour we give, every conversation we have with a neighbor, every candidate we encourage to run, and every dollar we choose to invest in building a stronger future for our own communities.

If we continue treating Northeast Tennessee as a place unworthy of investment, we should not be surprised when others do the same. But if we begin patiently and consistently investing in our own, we may discover that the most important investment wasn’t financial at all. It was the decision to believe that this place, and the people who live here, are worth fighting for.

We are not a lost cause because others have written us off.

We only become a lost cause if we decide they were right.

I believe in us, do you?

Terryl

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Over the next several months, we’ll be building community, filling theaters, protesting, volunteering, and helping elect leaders who will fight for Northeast Tennessee.

Whether you’ve been with us for years or you’re just getting involved, there’s a place for you.

Here’s what’s coming up.

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🌞 Friends & Family Fun Day

Sunday, June 21 • 4:00–8:30 PM

Harris Pavilion • Rotary Park • Johnson City

Movements don’t just grow through meetings and protests.

They grow through relationships.

That’s exactly why we created Friends & Family Fun Day.

We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner, live music from Bratfolk, conversation, laughter, and plenty of time to meet new people while reconnecting with old friends.

This event is perfect for the whole family. The Harris Pavilion sits beside the splash pad and playground, giving children a place to play while adults relax and enjoy the evening. The pavilion has a stage where our band can entertain us. There’s plenty of shade to sit out and have conversations.

Because the event falls on Father’s Day, we’ll also take time to celebrate families in all their forms. Fathers, grandfathers, single parents, mentors, chosen family - everyone who helps build stronger communities deserves to be recognized.

We’ll hear from Sylvain Bruni, new father and Chair of the Washington County Democratic Party, along with Brandon Davis of Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church. They will give us inspirational messages about celebrating the diversity of families and the importance of community.

We’ll even have a special recognition during the evening — but you’ll have to come to find out who we’re honoring! It’s a secret!

Help Us Fund Our Events

🥫 Help Feed Our Community

We’ll also be collecting non-perishable food donations for the Little Pantry at Watauga Presbyterian Church in Johnson City.

If you’re able, bring a few extra items and help support neighbors who need them.

What to Bring

🍉 A dish to share (optional)

🥫 Non-perishable food donations

☀️ Water, sunscreen, and anything you or your children need for a comfortable evening

The Harris Pavilion is fully handicap accessible with nearby restrooms.

Please Let Us Know You’re Coming

If you plan to attend, please complete our potluck registration form. It helps us plan seating, food, and supplies.

https://forms.gle/nR1dChBE7x8rn2BL6

We can’t wait to see you!

📣 Before the Fun Comes the Protest

Change Comes Only If You Vote

Saturday, June 20 • 1:30–3:00 PM

Erwin

Before we gather for fellowship on Sunday, we’ll gather for democracy on Saturday.

Join us in Erwin as we remind our community of one simple truth:

Change comes only if you vote.

We’ll be standing with signs, waving to passing traffic, and encouraging civic participation through peaceful, positive visibility.

Whether this is your hundredth protest or your very first, we’d love to have you join us.

Location: We’ll gather between the two railroad tracks across from Erwin Town Hall and beside Walgreens on 2nd Street. GPS: 501 Jonesborough Road, Erwin

Bring signs supporting voting! Remind people that they need to register to vote by July 7 and that early voting begins on July 17!

As with every Indivisible event, we are committed to nonviolent action. We expect participants to help de-escalate any confrontation and demonstrate the respectful, peaceful values that define our movement.

Every person holding a sign reminds someone that their vote matters.

🎭 Help Us Fill All 350 Seats for Jerri Green

Saturday, June 27, at 6:30pm

Renaissance Arts Center & Theatre • Kingsport

Earlier this year, Indivisible Tri-Cities proudly endorsed Jerri Green for Governor of Tennessee. She earned that endorsement by doing something too few candidates do she showed up here at the far corner of the state.

Now it’s our turn to show up for her.

We’ve rented the beautiful Renaissance Arts Center & Theatre in Kingsport.

It seats 350 people.

Our goal?

Fill every single seat!

Bring family. Bring neighbors. Bring someone who has never attended an Indivisible event before.

This is an opportunity to hear Jerri share her vision for Tennessee, answer questions, and connect with supporters from across our region.

The evening will also include surprises, opportunities to meet fellow supporters, and Jerri Green merchandise.

Admission is free.

Let’s show Tennessee what Northeast Tennessee looks like when people get engaged.

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🙋 Volunteers Needed

We’re also looking for volunteers to serve as ushers during the Jerri Green event.

If you can help welcome guests and direct people to their seats, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact: indivisibletntri@gmail.com

Even a small amount of volunteer time helps make events like this possible.

☀️ Summer Protest Update

As temperatures rise, so does our commitment.

Beginning this week, our Saturday protest is moving to Peoples Street in front of PetSmart in Johnson City, where there’s plenty of shade during the hottest part of the day.

That means there are now three weekly opportunities to stand up for democracy in Johnson City.

📍 Peoples Street

🕦 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

• Tuesdays

• Thursdays

• Saturdays

Every protest also includes a food drive, allowing us to combine civic engagement with direct support for our neighbors.

Whether you stay fifteen minutes or the full hour and a half, your presence matters.

The Next Five Months Matter

National Indivisible has asked local groups across the country to spend the next five months focused on one thing:

Winning elections.

• Community building remains essential.

• Mutual aid remains essential.

• Protests remain essential.

But elections determine who writes our laws, protects our rights, funds our schools, and represents our communities.

That’s where lasting change happens.

There are countless ways to help.

☎️ Phone bank.

🚪 Canvass.

🏡 Put a campaign sign in your yard.

💙 Volunteer.

💵 Donate.

📱 Share accurate information.

🗣️ Talk with friends and neighbors.

Not everyone can do everything.

But everyone can do something.

Whenever you’re deciding whether to volunteer, donate, or spend an afternoon knocking doors, ask yourself one question:

What would I give to have elected officials who truly listen to my community and respond to our needs?

The next five months will shape Tennessee’s future.

Let’s make sure we’re part of writing that story.

We’ll see you this weekend.
💜

No, there is not a June 14 protest. Here's what's actually happening, why we need everyone to sign up for Friends & Family Fun Day, and how you can help us fill 350 seats for Jerri Green in Kingsport.

Over the past week, we’ve seen misinformation circulating online claiming that there will be a nationwide protest on June 14 and that local Indivisible groups are organizing demonstrations as part of it.

Let’s clear that up right away:

In fact, many of the posts making that claim appear to be clickbait spreading false information.

Instead, June 14 is being promoted as a day of community gathering through Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, a nationwide livestream event celebrating the freedoms that make civic engagement possible in the first place.

While some people may have expected another day of marches and rallies, this event takes a different approach. It focuses on building community, celebrating our shared values, and reminding us why the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest matter.

And honestly, building strong communities is something we know a little about.

Rise Up, Sing Out Watch Party

On Sunday, June 14, we’ll be gathering at the Democratic Resource Center to watch the livestream concert together.

Doors open at 7:00 PM

Democratic Resource Center
2700 S. Roan St., Suite 440
Johnson City, TN 37601

The concert begins at 7:30 PM ET and features an impressive lineup including Jane Fonda, Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Joy Reid, Wilson Cruz, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and many others. The national event is hosted by the Committee for the First Amendment and is designed to bring people together around the values that unite us rather than the divisions that separate us.

Come sing along, share a snack, spend time with friends, and meet some new people. Whether you’ve attended dozens of events with us or have never walked through our doors before, you’ll be welcome.

But if we’re being honest, the biggest community-building event of the month isn’t happening on June 14.

It’s happening the following weekend.

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Friends & Family Fun Day: We Need You to Sign Up!

On Sunday, June 21, we’ll gather at Rotary Park for what may be our most joyful event of the summer.

We’ve talked many times about the importance of building community. We know that movements survive because people build relationships. They survive because people laugh together, share meals together, support one another, and create friendships that extend beyond political moments.

That’s what Friends & Family Fun Day is all about.

Sunday, June 21
4:00–8:30 PM
Rotary Park – Harris Pavilion
Johnson City

We’ll have food, music, conversation, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow members and their families.

• 4:00 - Arrive, set up, children play, visit Jerri Green’s table and buy some merch!

• 4:30 - Bratfolk plays

• 5:30 - Dinner Time!!

• 6:15 - Speakers and Special Presentation

• 7:30 - Bratfolk plays

We have the pavilion until 8:30 so hang out, hover over the dessert table, let the children have fun, and enjoy each other.

Bratfolk will be providing live music, children can enjoy the nearby splash pad and playground, and we’ll hear from Sylvain Bruni and Brandon Davis as they celebrate the diversity of families and the many ways people show up for one another.

Held on Father’s Day, this event recognizes fathers, grandfathers, mentors, single dads, chosen family, and all those who help nurture one another.

And yes, we’ll also be recognizing someone special whose contributions deserve a little extra attention.

Please Complete the Food Sign-Up Form

We’re planning this as a potluck, so we need everyone who plans to attend to complete the registration form.

If you’re bringing a dish, let us know what you’d like to bring. If you’re not bringing food, that’s perfectly fine—we’d still like to know you’re coming.

A quick response helps us plan seating, food, and logistics so everyone has a great time.

Please take a minute to fill out the form today. We can’t wait to spend the evening with you. 💜

Food Sign Up

Help Us Fill 350 Seats for Jerri Green

Just six days later, we’ll be welcoming back the candidate who earned our endorsement for Governor of Tennessee with overwhelming support from our membership.

On June 27 at 6:30, we’re hosting An Evening with Jerri Green at the Renaissance Arts Center & Theatre in Kingsport.

We have a goal: fill all 350 seats in the theatre.

Jerri earned our endorsement not just because of her positions, but because she showed up. She has traveled Tennessee, listened to communities, answered tough questions, and built relationships across the state—including here in Northeast Tennessee.

Now it’s our turn to show up for her. 💜

An Evening with Jerri Green

Saturday, June 27

Renaissance Arts Center & Theatre
1200 E. Center Street
Kingsport, Tennessee

Doors Open: 6:00 PM

This free event will feature remarks from Jerri, opportunities for questions and conversation, a few surprises throughout the evening, and the chance to connect with supporters from across the region.

Register for Jerri Green Event

The Common Thread

Here we are at the end of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Actually, the second ending due to the special session to eliminate the last black congressional district in Tennessee. The special session that cost us, the taxpayers, $3.1 million. So how does Tennessee stack up?

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March of Dimes ranks Tennessee 48 out of 48 in the nation in maternal death. Tennessee’s rate of 42 deaths in 100,000 is 80% higher than the rest of the nation. It’s ranked 38th in the nation in infant mortality. These statistics prove it is dangerous to be pregnant and give birth in Tennessee. In child and teen death, Tennessee ranks 46th in the nation.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-2025 Report Card sixty percent of high school seniors who graduate are below efficiency in all academic subjects and closer to seventy percent in some urban areas such as Nashville. So how DOES Tennessee rank in education? There is a discrepancy, but Tennessee is consistently rated in the bottom quarter of the nation. There is no discrepancy however in the amount of money spent per student to educate our children; we are dead last, #51 [count includes Washington D.C.]. This is in large part due to the education vouchers voted for by the 113^th and 114^th Tennessee General Assembly. It’s been shown vouchers are going to families where 72% of children receiving the tax payer funded voucher money were already able to afford private school. Essentially these vouchers are a tax break for the wealthy.

US News and World Report, recognizes Tennessee as having the 3^rd highest level of crime in the United States, and 47^th in the nation in food insecurity. In fact, 25% of citizens in Tennessee report being hungry and are considered food insecure. In addition, Wallethub ranked Tennessee 44th in healthcare, 45^th in medical debt and 43^rd in life expectancy.

CNBC’s 2025 America’s Top States for Business report ranks Tennessee 50^th for quality of life. This ranking is based on Tennessee’s high violent crime rates, limited worker protection and lack of inclusiveness and poor outcomes in health metrics; including high rates of heart disease and strokes. The quality-of-life rating is steadily declining; #42 in 2023 and #44 in 2024. This may be why Tennessee has had 0% job growth the last two years.

If all that isn’t bad enough, Friends Committee on National Legislation, based on the United States Census Bureau, ranked Tennessee the 10^th highest in the nation in poverty. It found 951,389 out of 7.2 million people, about 14% of residents were below the poverty line in 2024. A 2026 report, released by Vanderbilt University, indicates Tennessee ranks 49^th in the US for aiding struggling families and children. In, addition our state ranks 6^th highest in gun death rate in the country in 2023 (John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.)

None of this is encouraging to families wanting to raise a family here in Tennessee. We can and should do better than this. Tennessee is a beautiful state with lots of kind, hard-working people -- we deserve better. So how do we improve not just our ratings, but our quality of life? One thing for sure is, if we keep voting for the same people, we will continue to go down the same path of poor health care, poor education, decreased life expectancy and more. Fifteen years of Republican control has gotten us into the situation. In August and November, we the people, have the opportunity to make a change. We can send new people to Nashville; people who will fight for better healthcare, a better education system and more importantly a better quality of life for ALL citizens of Tennessee, not just the wealthy. Therefore vote. Vote like you and your family’s life depends on it because, you know what, it just may.

Register to vote at govote.tn.gov by July 7^th.

Cheryl Summers

Greeneville, TN

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Indivisible Tri-Cities TN has endorsed Jerri Green for Governor. We believe she is our best chance for turning things around in Tennessee. See our article below.

If you haven’t met Jerri Green or heard her speak, then please come out to the Renaissance Theater in Kingsport on Saturday, June 27, at 6:30pm.

Click Here for More Info On this Event

We Need More Responsible Representation in Our TN State Legislature

We encourage you to learn about other candidates who are running for the State House of Representatives. Here are a few in the Tri-Cities area that are challenging the incumbents.

Catherine Bacon, District 5 TN State House of Representatives

Brad Batt, District 6 TN State House of Representatives

Sarah Jayne Della Vecchia, District 7 TN State House of Representatives

That is not correct.

June 14 is not being organized as another national day of street protests. Instead, No Kings and the Committee for the First Amendment are partnering on a nationwide livestream event called Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, with communities across the country hosting local watch parties. (No Kings)

The timing is intentional.

As Washington prepares for a highly publicized spectacle centered on Donald Trump and the celebration of his birthday, organizers are offering a different vision of patriotism. This vision is one rooted in community, creativity, democracy, and people power. Rather than focusing attention on one person, Rise Up, Sing Out is designed to celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment and the ordinary people who defend them every day.

The 90-minute concert will be broadcast live from New York City’s Town Hall and will feature an extraordinary lineup of performers, artists, and activists, including Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Joy Reid, Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, Lily Gladstone, Wilson Cruz, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Sasha Allen, and many others. (riseupsingout.com)

But the real point of the evening isn’t what happens on the stage.

It’s what happens in our communities.

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Why Watch Parties Matter

The organizers describe Rise Up, Sing Out as “an evening to build community.” They recognize something that many of us in Indivisible Tri-Cities TN have learned through experience: people stay engaged when they have relationships with one another. Authoritarian movements thrive on isolation, fear, and division. Democratic movements grow through connection, joy, and shared purpose.

That’s why communities across the country are being encouraged to host watch parties. Some will gather in homes. Others will meet in community spaces, churches, union halls, or backyards. Some will share meals. Others will make art, sing along, or simply spend time together. The common thread is bringing people together.

Indivisible Tri-Cities TN Encourages Members to Participate

Rather than organizing a large centralized event, Indivisible Tri-Cities TN is encouraging members to consider hosting their own watch parties with friends, family, neighbors, and fellow activists.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate.

A few people in a living room can be just as meaningful as a large gathering. Put out some snacks, invite a few friends, and watch together. Have conversations afterward about what is happening in our community and what actions we can take together. To sign up to host a party, use this link:

Sign Up to Host a Watch Party

Many of the strongest activist relationships in our region began with a handful of people gathering around a table.

Why isn't Indivisible Tri-Cities TN organizing a large community watch party?

The goal of this national effort is to encourage organizations to build community and strengthen connections among their members. That's important work, and it's also something Indivisible Tri-Cities TN has made a priority from the beginning. Rather than organizing another large event on June 14, we're encouraging members to host their own small watch parties if they'd like to participate. We'll be bringing our community together the following weekend for Friends & Family Fun Day on June 21. There’s a potluck, music by Bratfolk, fellowship, and family-friendly gathering that reflects our belief that lasting change begins with strong relationships and a connected community. This event also supports Pride month by celebrating all families.

Sign Up for Friends & Family Fun Day

Choosing Community Over Spectacle

The No Kings coalition describes Rise Up, Sing Out as an opportunity to reclaim patriotism as something inclusive, participatory, and rooted in caring for one another rather than in power, pageantry, or personality cults. They write:

“Authoritarians want fear, silence, and isolation. We choose joy. We choose community. We choose people power.” (No Kings)

That message resonates deeply with us.

The way out is community.

On June 14, while the cameras focus on Washington, we’ll be focusing on each other by building the relationships, trust, and local networks that make lasting change possible.

If you’d like to participate, we’ll provide links below where you can:

• Purchase tickets for the live event in NYC

• Find an existing watch party

• Register to host a watch party

• Watch from home

However you choose to join, we hope you’ll spend the evening celebrating the freedoms that belong to all of us and the people power that protects them.

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Over the past several weeks, supporters of Indivisible Tri-Cities TN came together to help launch a billboard campaign built around something simple but powerful: reminding people that kindness, inclusion, and community still matter.

And now, thanks to many small donations, shares, encouragement, and community support, those messages are becoming reality.

“Love Your Neighbors — ALL OF THEM!”

Our current billboard campaign centers on a positive message that feels especially important right now:

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS — ALL OF THEM!

The campaign includes two billboard placements in Kingsport: one is digital and one is traditional poster billboard.

Kingsport Location 1:

• Eastman Road, 200’ north of Jack White Road, between Cheddar’s and Shell

• Launch Date: Beginning May 25, 2026

  

Kingsport Location 2

• Location: Fort Henry Drive, 200’ south of Summerville Road, between Check Cash Express and Buchanan Monument Co.

• Dates: Beginning June 15, 2026

The total cost for both billboards was $2,650. That goal was reached because people believed the Tri-Cities needed a message rooted in compassion instead of fear.

To everyone who donated, shared the fundraiser, helped spread the word, or simply encouraged the effort: thank you.

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Our Next Message: “Immigrants Are Welcome Here”

Now we are preparing to launch the next phase of the campaign.

At a time when immigrant communities are too often targeted with suspicion, hostility, or political rhetoric, we want our immigrant friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors to hear something different:

You are welcome here.

Leaving behind everything familiar to build a new life takes enormous courage. Immigrants enrich our communities in countless ways: through culture, entrepreneurship, work, friendship, faith communities, food, music, language, and shared civic life.

They strengthen neighborhoods, help local economies grow, open businesses, revitalize communities, and make the Tri-Cities a richer and more vibrant place to live.

This campaign is about making sure people know there are still many in Northeast Tennessee who believe in dignity, kindness, and belonging.

We hope to have this billboard installed by the end of June, just in time for the Fourth of July. We want it to serve as a reminder that America’s story has always included people coming here seeking opportunity, freedom, and a better future for their families.

Help Us Reach the Goal

The new campaign goal is $1,850, which would fund a two-month poster billboard in the Tri-Cities area.

Donate to Our Billboard Fund

Donations to Indivisible Tri-Cities TN are not tax deductible.

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After weeks of questionnaires, virtual forums, policy discussions, comparison charts, and member review, Indivisible Tri-Cities TN is proud to announce our endorsement of Jerri Green for Governor of Tennessee.

Jerri Green received nearly 97% of the vote from participating members.

That margin reflects more than agreement on policy positions.

In conversations among members, one point came up again and again. Jerri Green has spent real time in Northeast Tennessee listening to people, learning our concerns, and building relationships in a part of the state that is often politically overlooked. Members noticed that she knew local activists by first name, understood many of the specific challenges facing our region, and spoke about Northeast Tennessee as a place worth investing in rather than simply a campaign stop to pass through.

That mattered deeply in this endorsement process.

We are at the far end of the state of Tennessee. Few candidates take the time and expend the resources to come here once. Jerri has been here at least twice and she’s coming for a third visit on June 27.

Throughout the campaign, Jerri Green has traveled across Tennessee holding more than 100 town halls and community stops in urban, suburban, and rural communities alike. At her townhall in Jonesborough (October) and in Kingsport (February), she had real conversations with our community, answering unfiltered questions from the audience.

At a time when many elected officials avoid public accountability, our members viewed that accessibility as a sign of leadership.

Members also found strong alignment with many of Green’s policy positions, including support for:

• public education

• healthcare expansion

• reproductive freedom

• civil rights of the LGBTQ+

• environmental protections

• immigrant protections

• government transparency

• and protection of democratic institutions during a time of growing political extremism and division.

This election is about more than politics as usual. Many members expressed concern about the direction of Tennessee and the growing influence of fear-driven politics, attacks on democratic norms, and policies that they believe harm working families and vulnerable communities.

Members wanted a candidate who not only shared many of their values, but who also demonstrated a willingness to listen, engage directly with the public, and govern with openness rather than political theater.

They found that in Jerri Green.

We thank every candidate who participated in this process, completed questionnaires, and made themselves available to voters through forums and public discussion. Our members took this endorsement seriously, and the process reflected the thoughtful engagement of people who care deeply about the future of Tennessee.

Indivisible Tri-Cities TN is proud to stand with Jerri Green for Governor.

To learn more about Jerri Green or find ways to support the campaign, visit:

greenforgovernor.com

Read more about Jerri below.

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One of the policy statements in the Indivisible Tri-Cities TN gubernatorial questionnaire asked candidates to respond to the following statement:

“Tennessee should adopt additional policies to reduce gun violence, even if those policies place new limits on firearm access.”

Candidates rated their agreement on a scale from 1 to 5:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree

• 5 = Strongly Agree

The responses revealed major differences in how candidates understand:

• public safety

• constitutional rights

• gun violence prevention

• mental healthcare

• and the role government should play in regulating firearms.

Some candidates strongly supported additional gun safety measures and argued Tennessee must take more action to reduce violence. Others expressed more moderate or mixed views, often balancing concerns about public safety with concerns about constitutional rights and government overreach. Two candidates strongly opposed new firearm restrictions altogether.

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Candidates Who Strongly Agreed (5)

Five candidates selected the highest possible level of agreement in favor of adopting additional policies to reduce gun violence, even if those policies placed new limits on firearm access.

Adam “Ditch” Kurtz (D)

Kurtz emphasized practical public safety measures while still acknowledging responsible gun ownership.

“I support common-sense gun laws that help reduce violence while respecting responsible gun ownership. We should focus on policies that actually save lives instead of treating every discussion as a political war.”

His response focused on practical solutions rather than ideological conflict.

Carnita Atwater (D)

Atwater framed gun violence as part of a broader public safety and community stability issue.

“Tennessee has a responsibility to protect children, families, and communities from preventable violence. Reasonable gun safety policies can coexist with constitutional rights. We cannot continue accepting mass shootings and daily gun violence as normal.”

Her response emphasized prevention, community protection, and balancing rights with public safety concerns.

Timothy Joseph Cyr (D)

Cyr selected “Strongly Agree” and gave a brief but direct explanation focused on preventing violence.

“Simply because any help in this area might stop one shooting,.”

His response suggested that even limited policy changes would be worthwhile if they could prevent loss of life.

Dave Seeman (I)

Seeman approached gun violence through evidence-based policy and prevention.

“We should be willing to adopt policies proven to reduce gun violence while still respecting constitutional rights. Public safety and responsible firearm ownership are not mutually exclusive.”

His response emphasized evidence-based policymaking and harm reduction.

Jerri Green (D)

Green strongly supported additional action to reduce gun violence while emphasizing responsible ownership and public safety.

“Tennesseans deserve to feel safe in their schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces. We can respect responsible gun ownership while still implementing common-sense measures that reduce violence, save lives, and keep weapons out of dangerous situations.”

Her response framed gun violence as a public safety issue requiring proactive policy solutions.

Candidates Who Agreed (4)

These candidates supported at least some additional action to reduce gun violence, though they stopped short of the strongest possible level of agreement.

Robert Vick (I)

Vick framed gun violence through morality, compassion, and community responsibility.

“We must take meaningful steps to reduce violence while respecting constitutional freedoms. Tennessee families deserve safe schools, safe neighborhoods, and leaders willing to work toward solutions instead of division.”

His response emphasized cooperation and care for communities while still acknowledging constitutional concerns.

Lauren Pinkston (I)

Pinkston supported additional public safety measures and criticized political gridlock around the issue.

“Tennesseans are tired of leaders refusing to address gun violence because they fear political backlash. We should pursue practical, responsible policies that protect communities while respecting lawful gun ownership.”

Her response emphasized pragmatic governance and community safety.

Candidates With Mixed or Neutral Responses (3)

Misam Abidi (I)

Abidi approached the issue cautiously, emphasizing constitutional balance and limiting unnecessary government overreach.

“Public safety matters, but we must also protect constitutional rights and avoid reactionary policymaking. Any policies adopted should be evidence-based, narrowly tailored, and respectful of due process.”

His response reflected his broader emphasis on constitutional protections and balanced governance.

Charles Van Morgan (I)

Van Morgan’s broader responses throughout the questionnaire reflected deep skepticism toward institutional power and government overreach.

“The corruption I’m exposing isn’t Republican or Democrat, it’s institutional.”

His overall philosophy suggested caution toward expanding state authority while also expressing concern about public harm and accountability.

Candidates Who Strongly Disagreed (1)

Stephen Maxwell (I)

Maxwell’s responses consistently emphasized constitutional liberty and resistance to government overreach.

“Christianity is what built up the United States of America…”

While his elaboration on this issue focused more broadly on cultural and constitutional concerns, his questionnaire responses strongly suggested opposition to additional firearm restrictions.

Monty Fritts (R)

Fritts took one of the strongest pro-Second Amendment positions in the questionnaire process.

“Equal protection under the law for the unborn and originalist constitutional worldview. This must include 2A.”

Throughout the questionnaire, he consistently framed issues through constitutional originalism and strong protection of firearm rights.

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A Major Philosophical Divide

The gun violence question exposed some of the deepest philosophical divisions among the candidates.

Candidates supporting additional firearm restrictions generally emphasized:

• public safety

• violence prevention

• protecting schools and communities

• and evidence-based policymaking.

Candidates opposing additional restrictions generally emphasized:

• constitutional rights

• skepticism of government authority

• individual liberty

• and concern about governmental overreach.

Several candidates attempted to balance both concerns by emphasizing mental health, due process, or narrowly tailored approaches rather than broad restrictions.

As with several other issues in the questionnaire process, the responses revealed not only differences over gun policy itself, but fundamentally different views about:

• the role of government

• constitutional interpretation

• personal freedom

• and how Tennessee should respond to growing concerns about violence and public safety.

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Forums

All candidates that completed the forms were given a chance to appear in a Forum. You can view both here.

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On May 20, voters in Tennessee’s First Congressional District had the opportunity to hear directly from four candidates seeking to represent Northeast Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A reasonable effort was made to contact all candidates running for this office: three Democrats, four Independents, and the Republican incumbent, Diana Harshbarger. We were unable to locate email addresses for three of the Independent candidates. Diana Harshbarger was invited but did not respond.

The community forum, held at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, featured:

• Joshua Ashburn (I)

• Kristi Burke (D)

• Hernan Garcia (D)

• David Kerr (D)

Rather than focusing on rehearsed sound bites, the forum centered on substantive questions about the role of representation and the real concerns people in our region are talking about right now.

Candidates were asked about:

• Ballad Health and healthcare monopoly concerns,

• the BWXT rezoning controversy and questions surrounding environmental safety and public accountability,

• what issues Northeast Tennessee leaders are still not taking seriously enough,

• and questions submitted by audience members during the event.

One of the goals of the evening was to move beyond sound bites and give voters a chance to evaluate how candidates think, how prepared they are, and how well they understand the responsibilities of federal office.

Forums like this matter because they create opportunities for real civic engagement. They allow voters to compare leadership styles, priorities, communication skills, and depth of understanding in a way that campaign advertisements simply cannot.

Thank you to the candidates who participated, to everyone who attended, and to those who submitted thoughtful audience questions.

The full forum recording is available below:

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As always, stay informed, stay engaged, and vote.

Special thanks, always, to the volunteers who make these events happen and the donors who make it possible. This event was completely funded by Indivisible Tri-Cities TN, Inc.

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One of the policy statements in the Indivisible Tri-Cities TN gubernatorial questionnaire asked candidates to respond to the following statement:

“Tennessee should revise its current laws to allow broader access to abortion and reproductive healthcare.”

Candidates rated their agreement on a scale from 1 to 5:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree

• 5 = Strongly Agree

The responses revealed major differences in how candidates understand:

• bodily autonomy

• healthcare access

• government authority

• religious and moral concerns

• and the role politics should play in private medical decisions.

Some candidates strongly supported revising Tennessee’s abortion laws and expanding reproductive healthcare access. Others expressed more moderate support, while some opposed broader abortion access altogether.

Candidates Who Strongly Agreed (5)

Five candidates selected the highest possible level of agreement.

Adam “Ditch” Kurtz (D)

Kurtz gave one of the strongest and most direct responses in the questionnaire process.

“A woman’s body is her body. Full stop. Government has absolutely no business forcing people into medical decisions against their will. Politicians should not be making healthcare choices for Tennessee families.”

His response framed reproductive healthcare primarily as an issue of bodily autonomy and freedom from government control.

Carnita Atwater (D)

Atwater focused heavily on the practical impact Tennessee’s abortion laws have had on women and healthcare providers.

“Women should not be forced into dangerous situations because politicians inserted themselves into private medical decisions. Tennessee’s laws have created fear, confusion, and harm for women and healthcare providers alike. Reproductive healthcare decisions should remain between patients and medical professionals, not politicians.”

Her response emphasized medical safety, patient autonomy, and opposition to political interference in healthcare.

Timothy Joseph Cyr (D)

Cyr’s response was shorter than many others, but his position was clear.

“Medical decisions should remain between a woman and her doctor.”

His response framed reproductive healthcare as an issue of privacy and personal choice.

Dave Seeman (I)

Seeman connected reproductive healthcare access to science, patient safety, and evidence-based policy.

“Reproductive healthcare is healthcare. Tennessee’s current laws have endangered women, restricted doctors, and inserted politics into medical emergencies. We need laws grounded in compassion, science, and patient autonomy rather than ideology.”

His response strongly criticized ideological policymaking and emphasized medical expertise and patient care.

Jerri Green (D)

Green framed reproductive healthcare as both a liberty issue and a healthcare access issue.

“Tennesseans deserve the freedom to make deeply personal healthcare decisions without government interference. We must restore reproductive rights, expand access to comprehensive healthcare, and ensure women and families can receive safe, timely medical care regardless of income or zip code.”

Her response connected reproductive rights to broader healthcare equity concerns across Tennessee.

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Candidates Who Agreed (4)

These candidates supported broader reproductive healthcare access, but did not select the strongest possible level of agreement.

Lauren Pinkston (I)

Pinkston supported revising Tennessee’s abortion laws while emphasizing government overreach and healthcare access.

Her broader questionnaire responses repeatedly criticized “culture war politics” and argued government has become too involved in private healthcare decisions.

Her responses generally framed reproductive healthcare around dignity, privacy, and restoring trust in government.

“Tennesseans should have access to reproductive healthcare and the ability to make deeply personal medical decisions without excessive government interference. I support revisiting current laws to ensure women can access necessary care, protect their health and safety, and receive appropriate medical treatment in consultation with their doctors. We should approach these issues with compassion, dignity, and respect for individual freedom.”

Misam Abidi (I)

Abidi supported broader reproductive healthcare access while framing the issue around individual rights and limiting government power.

“Healthcare decisions belong to individuals and their doctors, not politicians. Government should not override personal medical choices except where necessary to protect public safety. Tennessee’s laws should respect personal autonomy, due process, and access to appropriate medical care.”

His response reflected his broader emphasis on due process and limiting institutional overreach.

Robert Vick (I)

Vick took a more moderate and faith-oriented approach.

Throughout the questionnaire, he frequently framed policy through morality, compassion, and community responsibility rather than ideological conflict.

His responses suggested support for broader healthcare access while avoiding the more forceful rhetoric used by some other candidates.

Charles Van Morgan (I)

Van Morgan generally approached issues through the lens of government accountability and skepticism toward institutional power.

His broader questionnaire responses focused heavily on corruption, individual rights, and distrust of entrenched systems rather than social conservatism.

Neutral or Mixed Responses (3)

Stephen Maxwell (I)

Maxwell’s responses throughout the questionnaire reflected traditional religious and cultural viewpoints.

He frequently referenced Christianity’s role in American society and expressed concern about cultural change and government influence over moral issues.

His overall questionnaire suggested discomfort with broader abortion access while also focusing heavily on cultural and religious concerns rather than healthcare policy itself.

Candidates Who Opposed Broader Abortion Access

Monty Fritts (R)

Fritts consistently grounded his responses in constitutional originalism and what he described as a Christian worldview.

On multiple issues, he emphasized protections for “the unborn” as part of equal protection under the law.

His questionnaire responses strongly aligned with maintaining Tennessee’s current abortion restrictions.

Different Philosophies Even Among Supporters

Even among candidates who supported revising Tennessee’s abortion laws, the reasoning differed significantly.

• Kurtz emphasized bodily autonomy and freedom from government control.

• Atwater focused on harm caused by current laws and political interference in medicine.

• Cyr stressed privacy between patients and doctors.

• Seeman emphasized science, patient safety, and evidence-based policy.

• Green connected reproductive rights to healthcare access and statewide healthcare equity.

• Abidi focused on due process and limiting institutional overreach.

• Pinkston emphasized dignity, privacy, and opposition to culture war politics.

Together, the responses revealed not only differences over abortion policy itself, but larger disagreements about:

• the proper role of government

• personal liberty

• healthcare access

• religion and morality in policymaking

• and whether politicians should influence private medical decisions at all.

What they said during the forum…

The candidates who participated in the forums had an opportunity to give more explanation to their responses.

Hear the responses of Green, Kurtz, Pinkston, and Vick at 32:40.

At timestamp 23:15, hear Abidi, Atwater, Morgan, and Seeman respond.

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Over the past week, voters in Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District had the opportunity to hear directly from candidates seeking to represent Northeast Tennessee in Washington.

Across two online forums, candidates discussed healthcare, democracy, economic pressures, education, public trust, reproductive healthcare, civil rights, and the unique challenges facing our region. The conversations offered voters an opportunity to compare not just policy positions, but also leadership styles, priorities, and understanding of the issues affecting our communities.

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The first forum, held May 14, featured:

• Misam Abidi

• Carnita Atwater

• Charles Morgan

• Dave Seeman

The second forum, held May 18, featured:

• Jerri Green

• Lauren Pinkston

• Adam Kurtz

• Robert Vick

Both forums asked candidates to respond to a broad range of questions designed to move beyond campaign slogans and into substantive discussion. Topics included:

• healthcare access and affordability,

• corporate influence and monopoly power,

• rural concerns,

• reproductive healthcare,

• civil rights and equal protection,

• and environmental stewardship.

Candidates were also asked questions intended to reveal how they think, not just what positions they hold. Several questions focused on compromise, transparency, accountability, and what responsibilities elected officials have to the people they serve.

One of the most valuable aspects of forums like these is that they allow voters to hear candidates respond in real time, without heavily edited advertisements or carefully managed sound bites. Sometimes the most revealing moments come from unrehearsed answers.

As Northeast Tennessee continues to grow and change, these conversations matter. Our region faces important questions about healthcare systems, economic opportunity, housing pressures, infrastructure, environmental concerns, political polarization, and representation itself. Forums create space for the public to evaluate who is prepared not only to campaign, but to govern.

Thank you to all of the candidates who participated and to everyone who took the time to watch, submit questions, and engage in the process.

Recordings of both forums are available below:

May 14 Forum

May 18 Forum

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One of the policy statements in the Indivisible Tri-Cities TN gubernatorial questionnaire asked candidates to respond to the following statement:

“Tennessee’s government should actively protect civil rights and ensure equal treatment under the law for all Tennesseans, including LGBTQ+ individuals.”

Candidates rated their agreement on a scale from 1 to 5:

• 1 = Strongly Disagree

• 5 = Strongly Agree

The responses revealed major differences in how candidates understand:

• equal protection under the law

• LGBTQ+ civil rights

• religious liberty

• individual freedom

• and the role government should play in protecting marginalized groups.

Some candidates described LGBTQ+ protections as essential civil rights protections. Others rejected parts of the premise entirely or framed the issue through religious or constitutional interpretations.

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Candidates Who Strongly Agreed (5)

Most candidates selected “Strongly Agree,” though they often emphasized different reasons for doing so.

Jerri Green (D)

Green framed civil rights protections as a fundamental responsibility of government.

“Every Tennessean deserves equal protection under the law regardless of race, gender, sexuality, faith, or background.”

Her response focused on inclusive governance and equal treatment across communities.

Carnita Atwater (D)

Atwater submitted one of the strongest and most detailed responses supporting LGBTQ+ protections.

“Discriminatory laws against the LGBTQ and immigrant communities divide Tennessee instead of strengthening it. Every Tennessean deserves equal treatment, dignity, safety, and opportunity regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion, or economic status. Government should protect people from discrimination rather than create laws that target vulnerable communities.”

Her response connected civil rights protections to broader themes of fairness, economic justice, and social unity.

Adam “Ditch” Kurtz (D)

Kurtz emphasized personal liberty and freedom from government interference.

“Who you love is your business, not the government’s. The government should protect equal rights for everyone and stop trying to decide whose life is acceptable and whose isn’t.”

His response framed LGBTQ+ equality primarily through individual freedom and equal treatment.

Dave Seeman (I)

Seeman connected LGBTQ+ protections directly to human rights and constitutional equality.

“Civil rights belong to everyone, not just the majority. Government has a responsibility to ensure equal treatment under the law and protect people from discrimination and political targeting.”

Lauren Pinkston (I)

Pinkston emphasized dignity, inclusion, and anti-discrimination protections.

“Government should protect people from discrimination, not enable it. LGBTQ+ Tennesseans deserve the same dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law as anyone else.”

Tim Cyr (D)

Cyr’s response was brief and direct.

“Who you choose to love is your decision and yours alone.”

Misam Abidi (I)

Abidi grounded his response in constitutional protections.

“Equal protection means equal protection for everyone.”

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Candidates With More Mixed or Nuanced Responses

Robert Vick (I)

Vick generally supported equal treatment protections while focusing more broadly on civility and respect across communities rather than identity-based politics specifically.

Charles Van Morgan (I)

Van Morgan emphasized equal rights broadly while expressing skepticism toward institutional power and government enforcement mechanisms.

His response focused more on individual liberty and accountability than on identity-based protections specifically.

Candidates Who Disagreed or Raised Objections

The sharpest disagreements came from candidates who rejected parts of the premise or framed the issue through religious, constitutional, or cultural concerns.

Stephen Maxwell (I)

Maxwell selected “Strongly Disagree,” though his written elaboration focused primarily on gender identity and childhood education rather than directly addressing equal protection under the law itself.

“No group of People ought to have power and authority to tell us what sex we are, whom we have to have it with nor teach those who are under 5 years of age Sexual Preferences.”

His response centered on opposition to gender identity discussions and what he viewed as cultural or governmental overreach.

Monty Fritts (R)

Fritts rejected the framing of the question and instead emphasized what he described as constitutional and Christian protections.

“Equal protection under the law for the unborn and originalist constitutional worldview. This must include 2A.”

Rather than discussing LGBTQ+ protections directly, Fritts shifted the focus toward abortion, constitutional originalism, and Second Amendment rights.

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One of the Sharpest Divides in the Questionnaire

While many questionnaire topics produced broad overlap among candidates, the civil rights question created some of the clearest distinctions in the entire endorsement process.

The responses revealed fundamentally different views about:

• whether government should actively protect marginalized groups

• whether LGBTQ+ equality is a core civil rights issue

• how constitutional protections should be interpreted

• and how candidates balance religious belief, individual liberty, and anti-discrimination protections.

Some candidates described LGBTQ+ protections as essential civil rights protections that government has a duty to defend. Others viewed government involvement in these issues with skepticism or framed the issue through religious, constitutional, or cultural concerns.

As voters continue reviewing candidate questionnaires and forum discussions, this question may become one of the clearest philosophical distinctions in the governor’s race.

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Endorsement Process Update

Our endorsement process for Governor continues moving forward, and we appreciate the thoughtful participation from members and candidates alike.

The following candidates submitted responses to our endorsement questionnaire:

• Missam Abidi

• Carnita Atwater

• Tim Cyr

• Stephen Maxwell

• Charles Van Morgan

• Dave Seeman

• Jerri Green

• Lauren Pinkston

• Robert Vick

• Monty Fritts

• Adam Kurtz

We encourage everyone to review the candidate questionnaires and continue engaging respectfully throughout the process.

Watch the May 14 Forum

Our first forum took place on May 14 and featured discussion on a wide range of issues important to Tennessee voters. In attendance were Misam Abidi, Carnita Atwater, Charles Morgan, and Dave Seeman.

📺 Watch the forum video here:

Thank you to the candidates who participated and to everyone who attended, volunteered, and submitted questions prior to the event.

Join the Next Online Discussion Forum

Monday, May 18 at 7:00 PM

Our next online endorsement discussion forum will take place Monday evening at 7:00 PM.

These meetings give members an opportunity to:

• Discuss candidate questionnaires and forum performances

• Ask questions about the endorsement process

• Share perspectives respectfully

• Stay informed before voting begins

🔗 Sign up here to receive the Zoom link:
[SIGN-UP LINK]

Find Your People – Elizabethton - TOMORROW

Sunday, May 17 | 1:30–3:30 PM

We hope you’ll join us tomorrow for our Find Your People gathering in Elizabethton!

The weather looks beautiful, and this should be a relaxed and welcoming afternoon focused on building friendships and strengthening community connections.

🪑 There are picnic benches available, but we recommend bringing your own lawn chair for comfort and flexibility.

🍪 If you’d like, bring cookies to share.

🗺 I’ve inserted a map below to help everyone find the location.

The wonderful Resist, Stitch, and Bitch group will also be there selling their handmade creations. They can accept:

• Cash

• Checks

• QR code payments

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Please Help Us Pack the Room

District 1 U.S. House of Representatives Forum

Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 (tabling at 5:00)

This is an event we really want the community to show up for in a big way.

📍 Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center
117 Boone St., Jonesborough

Doors will open early so attendees can:

• Meet candidates

• Visit candidate tables

• Connect with community groups

• Enter prize drawings

🧶 We’ll be drawing for a beautiful handmade Blue Wave beanie!

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🎟 There will also be additional door prizes. Drawings will take place after the forum, and you must be present to win.

💵 Bring cash! Resist, Stitch, and Bitch will be selling their handmade items and can accept:

• Cash

• Checks

• QR code payments

It’s important that we have an informed electorate so use this link to sign up and share the with your friends: https://mobilize.us/s/gsgyEx

Participating Candidates

Representative Diana Harshbarger was invited to attend but has not responded.

Participating candidates include:

• Kristi Burke (D)

• Hernan Garcia (D)

• David Kerr (D)

• Joshua Ashburn (I)

Community Food Collection

We are also collecting food and household supplies for community support efforts.

You may bring donations:

• To Find Your People tomorrow

• To the forum on Wednesday at Jonesborough Visitors Center

• Or drop them off at Peoples Street on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 AM–1:00 PM

Requested items include:

• Canned vegetables & beans

• Canned diced tomatoes

• Canned soups

• Dried rice

• Dried pinto & black beans

• Fruit cups

• Jellies

• Jarred peppers

• Cooking oil

• Paper towels

• Mac & cheese

At the forum on Wednesday, bins will be placed on the stage before the forum begins. If bringing donations Wednesday evening, please arrive by 5:45 PM. At 5:45 pm, we will need to remove the donation bins to another area to clear the stage.

We Need Your Help

Hosting public forums and community events takes real resources.

Renting the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center alone cost nearly $300, and we also need to purchase collection bins and additional supplies for the food drive effort.

If you are able to contribute financially, we would sincerely appreciate the support.

🔗 CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Every contribution helps us continue hosting public events, building community, and supporting neighbors across our region.

Donate to Support Our Work

The first Indivisible Tri-Cities TN Virtual Governor Forum took place on May 14 and featured four gubernatorial candidates:

• Misam Abidi (Independent)

• Carnita Atwater (Democrat)

• Charles Van Morgan (Independent)

• Dave Seeman (Independent)

The forum is part of our 2026 endorsement process and was designed to give voters an opportunity to hear candidates respond directly to questions focused on issues affecting Tennessee — and especially Northeast Tennessee.

The full video is included below.

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Questions Asked During the Forum

Candidates were asked a series of timed questions covering both statewide concerns and issues with particular relevance to Northeast Tennessee communities.

Opening Question

Candidates began by introducing themselves and explaining:

• what experience or perspective they believe best prepares them to serve as governor

• and why they are seeking the office.

Healthcare and Ballad Health

Candidates were asked about:

• healthcare affordability

• provider shortages

• hospital access

• and concerns surrounding the Ballad Health monopoly in Northeast Tennessee.

Housing, Farmland, and Development

Candidates were asked how they would address:

• rising housing costs

• loss of farmland

• outside corporate development

• and concerns about local communities being priced out of the region.

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Data Centers, Industrial Expansion, and Environmental Concerns

Candidates were asked about:

• cryptocurrency mining

• data centers

• BWXT expansion

• infrastructure strain

• and environmental protections.

Civil Rights, Reproductive Healthcare, and Personal Freedom

Candidates were asked where they believe government authority should end and individual freedom should begin.

This section included discussion of:

• LGBTQ+ rights

• reproductive healthcare

• constitutional rights

• and the role of government in personal decision-making.

Redistricting and Democratic Accountability

Candidates were also asked about:

• Tennessee’s recent redistricting efforts

• and the responsibility government has to protect public trust in elections and democratic institutions.

Continuing the Endorsement Process

All candidates for governor were sent a questionnaire and once they returned it, they were invited to participate in one of two forums. This has been a fair and open process.

Our second virtual forum will take place on May 18 and will feature:

• Jerri Green (D)

• Adam “Ditch” Kurtz (D)

• Lauren Pinkston (I)

• Stephen Maxwell (I)

• Robert Vick (I)

You many register for this forum with this link.

After both forums are completed, members will have time to:

• review questionnaires

• watch recordings

• compare candidate positions

• and discuss the candidates before voting begins later this month.

As always, we encourage thoughtful discussion, careful review of the candidates’ own words, and respectful civic engagement throughout the endorsement process.

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Read more about their responses to the questionnaire.