Jennifer Vannoy, a local mother and key figure in the organization of the 2017 Women's March in Nashville, declared her candidacy on Saturday for Tennessee's State House District 34 seat from her home in Murfreesboro. The announcement comes in a year when Democrats have made unusually strong showings in districts previously thought to be Republican strongholds.
Mrs. Vannoy, a real estate agent and former teacher, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary and will likely face off in November against Tim Rudd, the first-term Republican incumbent and Smyrna native.
The candidate addressed a crowd of friends, family, neighbors, local organizers and party officials Saturday afternoon to ask for their support in her bid for the District 34 seat, which represents the south-west quarter of Rutherford county. She cited low wages, shuttering hospitals, and delays on public transit projects as being among the motivations for her candidacy.
"We all deserve a fair opportunity at success and prosperity," she said, "but in Rutherford county, the status quo isn't working for us." The central focus of her campaign will be a call for greater investment in the human capital of Tennessee, which leads the nation in minimum wage jobs and hospital closings.
Mary Mancini, the Chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, was present to show her support of the first-time candidate. Rutherford County Democratic Party Chairman Matt Ferry also attended and voiced optimism about Vannoy's prospects for a seat that Republicans have in the past claimed without contest.
Her announcement follows a string of nation-wide Democratic upsets, the most recent of which took place last Tuesday when Conor Lamb (D) won an unlikely victory over Rick Saccone (R), who received substantial outside support in the contest for a Pennsylvania district that Trump won by more than 20 points in 2016. The upset was seen as a bellwether for both Republicans and Democrats about the attitudes of the electorate in a time of turbulent national politics.
However, Mrs. Vannoy has made clear that she does not want the race to reflect the vitriol now common in national elections: "Our communal values are what ought to guide our elected officials. We deserve responsible leadership that will act with integrity for the common good."
"We have a shared responsibility to stand together and create a stronger, healthier, more inclusive community, and a better future for ourselves and others."
