A Crazy Few Months – should I or shouldn’t I?

I am going to use this space to process a decision am trying to make. After the last post in early December, I drove to Iowa for a family funeral getting caught in the snow storm giving me extra time with family. This was not bad except Craig was back in TN with a miserable virus. His symptoms were just starting as I left and I, for once, did not get infected. I got back to prep for the December Robertson County Democratic meeting. Following the meeting Tony, our chair asked Craig and I out for dinner. He wanted to see if I would consider running for a seat in the TN House of Representatives. It would be running against a 10 year incumbent (Sabi Kumar) with very little chance of winning. Craig and I spent the week of Christmas and New Year’s trying to make sense of this opportunity.

I am a transplant to Robertson County and have been involved in the community for less than a year. I am 70 years old. I am living in sin and I do not go to church (not going to church is the bigger problem). It appealed to me because for the challenge and the opportunity to help bring RC voters out of hiding – the awareness and community building aspects of a campaign. Craig struggled with the investment (money and time) and risks knowing I was not going to win.

Then lightning struck. James and Natalie told us she was 7 weeks pregnant after a long journey of “trying”. We were all in shock and I immediately said I could not run. It became real after her first OB appointment on February 2nd. All was well on ultrasound and the genetics blood tests came back good. So my move to Nashville to become a hands on Gigi, like my mom was for me is now a reality.

Then we started to be aware that the Tennessee Republicans, that have a supermajority, had worked with Stephen Miller to create a Tennessee ICE reporting only to the governor. TN learned from ICE challenges in MN and have written into the bills that ICE can do its own investigations and that they do not have to release any information about their actions to the public. Also, all state officials (including teachers, doctors and nurses) will be required to check on immigration status and report it to TN ICE. Essentially they are creating a state Gestapo justified by the existence of “criminal” illegal immigrants. The rep from our district (TN House 66) Sabi Kumar is the cosponsor of the bill to mandate reporting of illegal immigrants.

TN District 66 is Robertson County where I have been leading outreach efforts for the past 8 months. Sabi has not had any public forums for years. We feel this man MUST be challenged to help bring what is going on in the State Legislature to the awareness of Robertson County residents. I tried really hard to get Craig to run but after careful consideration, he turned all my talking points back on me. Now, given the stakes for TN, he is less concerned about the risks of investing our lives in a losing campaign.

My potential opponent, Sabi Kumar, MD http://www.sabikumar.com is an immigrant from India. He was the surgeon in Springfield for decades and by all accounts he was a good surgeon. He operated on someone in everyone’s family and was easily elected in 2016 as a Republican. Currently, he gets in line with MAGA leadership every step of the way. His supporters feel he changed in office.

This picture is of Sabi Kumar, his wife Linda, Craig and I after the 2025 Veteran’s Day program at the local middle school. He gave a very meandering talk not targeted to the occasion and Craig knocked it out of the park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqGwVc8b2V0.

“Baby B”, sex not yet known, is doing well at 14 weeks is not due until August 24th after a Democratic Primary if someone runs. After Baby B is born, I can campaign around whatever the parents’ and my needs are with respect to a newborn.

I have until March 10 to file. I need 25 signatures on the petition which will be easy to get. On the positive side, my credentials will stack up well with his. If I do this, my campaign will have to be authentic and fun. We have a podcast studio on our third floor and I can largely run a Social media campaign with video commentary. I look forward to canvassing and can go to fairs and festivals as they get started. I do not have a business to protect or family or friends that I would risk losing which is a major challenge for RC natives. I don’t think there would be much on opposition research that could come out but who knows what spinning could be done.

Practical challenges – Tamara Bavendam on a yard sign???

Let me know what you think!!