<p>This critical moment invites committed believers like us to come together and shape Tennessee into a place that genuinely works for all. As Carnita Atwater launches her campaign for governor, be part of a series of meaningful discussions and dynamic initiatives aimed at changing the course of our Volunteer State. One Tennessee!</p>

<h2>Campaign Events</h2>

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<p><strong>Are you ready for a Governor with a "Resurrection of Hope" Plan? </strong>Atwater's mission is to</p><p><strong>MAKE TENNESSEE WHOLE AGAIN!</strong></p><p><span style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text);"><strong style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text);"><em>Housing, Healthcare, and Healthy Living...</em></strong></span></p>

<h2>My Campaign’s Top Issues</h2>

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<p>Carnita Atwater for Governor of Tennessee 2026</p>

<h1>Make Tennessee Whole Again<br></h1>

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<p>No parent should feel alone with their child having an Intellectual Disability or Autism.</p><p>The State of Tennessee funds intellectual disability services primarily through the Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) and TennCare (Medicaid), with total expenditures spanning hundreds of millions of dollars annually across residential, medical, and educational programs. Have these funds reached the struggling Tennesseans?</p><p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will research where these funds were allocated and which counties receive these funds.</p>

<h2>Intellectual Disabilities Empowerment and Autism Longevity (IDEAL)</h2>

<p>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I find it appalling that children across this great state have suffered because of political leaders withholding Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds that could have been used for the purchase of food, rent, childcare, utilities, or other necessities. Many children are living on the streets and in cars or hotels, going to bed hungry or being unable to concentrate in school because of an empty stomach. I will bring humanity and justice to this grave injustice.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE COMPREHENSIVE CHILD POVERTY PLAN</h2>

<p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I would end the implementation of abusive foster care policies for children. Under no circumstances should foster care children be placed into jail-like facilities.</p><p>Legislation backed by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) and the governor’s office is advancing in the 2026 legislative session that would allow the state to place certain foster children in juvenile detention facilities, even if they have not been charged with a crime.</p>

<h2>FOSTER CARE RECOVERY & HOPE</h2>

<p><strong>Society must take responsibility for where we went wrong in rearing our children and the circumstances that led them to make bad decisions. </strong>Juveniles should never be the target for filling jails and prisons. Being poor, unhoused, misguided, drug-afflicted, and separated from families should not be a conduit for going to jail or prison.</p><p>(b) Heavily focused on criminalization instead of diversion, therapeutic rehabilitation, and keeping youth out of state custody.</p><p>(b) To get ahead of the juvenile trend of crime, as the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will focus on the underline problems that drive crime in juveniles, such as poverty, lack of parenting control, drug usage, gang affiliations, disinvestment in poor neighborhoods, school inequities, teacher's biases regarding black boy's behavior, lack of mentorship, feeling of hopelessness, mental illness, society biased norms, systemic racism, and disparities in criminal and judicial decisions.</p>

<h2>JUVENILE COURT DISPARITIES PLAN (JCDP)</h2>

<p><strong>Every Tennessean deserves a Rite of Passage in Tennessee.</strong> Every citizen in the State of Tennessee should have equal access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in this state, which includes adequate disbursements and allocations of city, county, state, and federal funds. <strong><em>It is time for a resurrection…</em></strong></p><p>Every Tennessean should have the Rites of Passage to economic accessibility...</p>

<h2>RITES OF PASSAGE ECONOMIC &amp; SOCIAL PLAN FOR TENNESSEE CITIZENS</h2>

<p>In every rural county in the State of Tennessee, you are not immune to data centers, drug infiltration, and street organizations (gang affiliations) due to the changing landscape of governmental neglect and the greed for money. The State of Tennessee has allowed billionaires to rewrite the rules of engagement, which will change the scope of rural Tennessee and how it has governed itself for centuries.</p>

<h2>RURAL OUTREACH CULTURAL KICK (ROCK)</h2>

<p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, it is important to me to have a Succession Plan. Tomorrow's future must have young adults integrated into the political scope of active progression for the betterment of Tennesseans.</p>

<h2>GUBERNATORIAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP SUCCESSION PLAN (GYDAMSP)</h2>

<p>Despite the high cost of groceries during this inflation, we can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch Tennesseeans struggle to feed their families without considering the option of cutting the grocery sales tax.  In 2026, Tennessee lawmakers passed a $58 billion state budget that <strong>does not</strong> include a permanent cut to the state’s 4% grocery sales tax, despite proposals.</p>

<h2>Grocery Sales Tax (GST)</h2>

<p><strong>Tennesseans must be protected from intrusive data centers. </strong> The number one problem is data centers coming into spaces where no input from the community was solicited by using <strong>loopholes in the zoning codes and tax incentive</strong>s, with the blessings of politicians focusing on greed and money, while Tennesseans are concerned about their environment, water usage, utility bill increases, and health and well-being.</p>

<h2>REGULATION OF DATA CENTERS - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) DEFENSE PLAN</h2>

<p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I stand with Unions 100%. I have a proven history of 40 years of active support and picketing with Unions. The attacks on Unions are a systemic attack on middle-class families and other thriving to have a better quality of life in the State of Tennessee. We can no longer place our knees on the necks of Tennesseans while living through inflation and a severe affordability crisis.</p><p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I envision an economy that is just and strong, sustainable, and equitable, where every job is good, every worker can join a union, and every family and community can thrive. Consequently, that is why I believe in the <strong>bottom-up and not the trickle-down theory of economics</strong>.</p>

<h2>UNION STRONG – Protect Organized Labor for Tennesseans</h2>

<p>Atwater's focus is on a NEW TENNESSEE, with the spirit of humility, humanity, and healthy mindsets being the bridge to bring all political affiliations to the table for the betterment of Tennesseans. Politics will not drive this grassroots social movement, but rather human beings who embrace the Tennessee Constitution to serve and protect the citizens of this great state.</p><p>As a leader, I pledge to come to the table with an agape spirit, a listening ear, and the ability to work across the aisle to push a new agenda for the people. <strong>Divisiveness and division </strong>stop with my administration, and <strong>dedication</strong> to the people begins...</p>

<h2>NEW TENNESSEE - RESURRECTION OF HOPE</h2>

<p>Atwater will protect Tennesseans at all costs. Our state government should include protecting the health and safety of state residents and helping us prosper. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will work unconditionally with the General Assembly to bring about positive medical coverage changes for Tennesseans.</p><p>(b) The refusal of the state of Tennessee since 2014 to accept over $10 billion in federal health care benefits for the working poor, some 300,000 low-income, uninsured Tennesseans who may be the most disadvantaged people of this state. This rejection of federal funds by Tennessee (and 11 other states) has done considerable damage.</p>

<h2>MEDICAID FOR ALL (VOLUNTEER "ORANGE" HEALTH)</h2>

<p><strong>Due to the affordability crisis, all Tennesseans should have the opportunity to secure an alternative energy source such as solar panel installation. There has been an increase in utility bills across the State of Tennessee.</strong></p>

<h2>TENNESSEE GREEN NEW DEAL – “GRID TO GOLDEN SUN”</h2>

<p><strong>Our veterans must be a priority in the State of Tennessee.</strong> As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will address property tax freezes for 100% disabled veterans, displacement, housing, mental health, and workforce development regarding my sisters and brothers who are veterans. I have supported veterans for the last 40 years, donating food, clothing, household items, and securing housing for them.</p><p>(a) Tennessee veterans are concerned and outraged over the Trump Administration’s proposal to lay off 80,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The cuts are part of the administration’s efforts to reshape the federal workforce, which will further exacerbate the care and treatment of veterans. Nevertheless, the government should increase the number of employees and offices to help veterans obtain their benefits.`</p>

<h2>OPERATION HOPE FOR VETERANS (V.I.P.)</h2>

<p>This is not the American way, especially in the State of Tennessee. We should be treating our sisters and brothers with love and dignity instead of criminalization.</p><p>Tennessee criminalizes homelessness with some of the strictest anti-camping laws in the United States. In 2022, the state made sleeping or camping on public property a felony. Punishments can include up to six years in prison, a $3,000 fine, and the loss of voting rights.</p>

<h2>Homeless Bill of Rights</h2>

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<h4>The Libertarian Party of Tennessee Conference Debate - 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.</h4>

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee Conference Debate - 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

<p>There should be no major construction in the State of Tennessee regarding any community without a Community Benefits Agreement. Citizens deserve to know what is being placed in their neighborhoods and how any development will affect their livelihood and health. The environmental impact.</p>

<h2>MANDATORY CITIZENS OF TENNESSEE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT</h2>

<p>Economic Growth and Social Mobility</p><p>TBA</p>

<p><strong>The State of Tennessee must have a comprehensive, holistic action plan to stimulate economic growth and social mobility.</strong> This agenda must be for all Tennesseans and not just for the ultra-wealthy, when many Tennesseans are being left behind economically.</p>

<h2>Economic Growth and Social Mobility</h2>

<p>The Supreme Court ruling opens the gates to discrimination by race in federal, state, and local redistricting. The Tennessee Legislature passed a new U.S. congressional map that will favor Republicans in all nine of the state’s districts ahead of this year’s midterm election.</p>

<h2>No Racially Motivated Redistricting Maps - Redlining and Gerrymandering</h2>

<p><strong>Public Health and Safety must be the main priority in the State of Tennessee.</strong> We must make Tennessee safe again.</p>

<h2>Public Health and Safety</h2>

<p>An attack on American citizens has caused a modern-day Civil War among Tennesseans. Under this political regime, no one is safe. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I want to "Make Tennessee Whole Again!"</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE REFORM INITIATIVE</h2>

<p>Every Tennessean should have the right to assess their Governor. The Governor's main duty is to serve the people. This innovative quarterly performance assessment will give the Governor insight into their strengths and weaknesses. A good and responsible Governor should want to hear the assessment before an election.</p>

<h2>Governor Citizen's Quarterly Performance Assessment</h2>

<p><strong>We must bring more common sense to the table. </strong>The problem is not taking guns from Tennesseans, but removing guns from criminal elements that take the lives of innocent people through mass killings, robbery, drive-by incidents, carjacking, gang affiliations, and domestic violence. The decision to make Tennessee a permitless carrying state should have integrated the input of police officers, sheriffs, DAs, and others who have the first-hand knowledge and lived experience on the ground of the severity of danger and crime in their designated area, such as Memphis and Chattanooga.</p><p>Our biggest problem in Tennessee is how far removed some of these politicians are from the reality of the streets as it relates to poverty, drug distribution, gang affiliations, human trafficking, mental health issues, illiteracy, and everyday hustle and flow for survival. Assault rifles play a big part in this narrative, which is complicated by the lack of gun control and prevention. Assault rifles are easier for a 10-year-old to access on the streets than healthy food or decent affordable housing. In an economic game of disparity, it is kill or be killed. Is this the intent of this permitless gun carry law? A form of intentional ethnic cleansing or genocide.</p>

<h2>CRIME AND COMMON-SENSE GUN SAFETY MEASURES</h2>

<p><strong>Particpatory budgeting can be the roadmap for mayors.</strong> Even though, as a Governor of the State of Tennessee, my hands may be tied, I would indeed encourage and support municipalities to embrace participatory budgeting. I will work closely with mayors working with participatory budgeting (PB) as a key tool to involve residents in deciding how to allocate public funds. It is a structured democratic process that allows community members to directly identify, discuss, and vote on projects to improve their neighborhoods and not be told what is going into their communities.</p>

<h2>PARTICIPATORY UNDISCLOSED BUDGETING INVOLVING CITIZENS (P.U.B.L.I.C.)</h2>

<p><strong>As Tennesseans we must come together in the spirit of love, respect, and harmony.</strong> The State of Tennessee does not belong to the Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Independents, Libertarians, Green Party, or any other political party; it belongs to the people. Therefore, people will be my guiding force to bring effective solutions and equality to our Volunteer State.</p>

<h2>ONE TENNESSEE - SAVE OUR VOLUNTEER STATE</h2>

<p><strong>Tennessee can be ahead of the curveball.</strong> Surrounding states have already legalized cannabis, especially for medicinal purposes. This opportunity could be an added revenue source to address affordable housing, new school development, healthcare, and workforce development programs.</p>

<h2>Cannabis In Tennessee</h2>

<p>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, no citizen in rural Tennessee should be living in a third-world country without running water, modern electricity, food accessibility, healthcare, mental health counseling, drug counseling, and low, livable wages. With manufacturing companies such as Blue Oval and ICE Detention Centers, these companies should be producing cost-of-living wages with medical benefits, and Tennesseans should have Community Benefit Agreements, especially if these companies have received tax incentives or PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) from the State of Tennessee. Atwater's main goal is to preserve our farms in Tennessee, thus securing a generational legacy of food sources and sustainability.</p><p>As a lifelong farmer, Atwater understands the real struggle of Tennessee's farmers. I am committed to balancing the scales of justice for farmers, farmland, forestry, wetlands, and natural terrains across the State of Tennessee. I know the pros and cons of the USDA and the Farm Bureau Agency, which has caused many farmers to fold and lose their family farms.</p>

<h2>Family Assistance Rural Maintenance (F.A.R.M.) - Farm Preservation</h2>

<p><strong>Cops in the State of Tennessee must be trained with cultural enhancement agendas to address unnecessary deaths and injustices.</strong> They are our first line of protection; we also value their lives. Develop criminal justice strategies that advance law enforcement lawfulness and legitimacy. The Office supports law enforcement agencies across the State of Tennessee with the development of effective accountability procedures to achieve their goals of lawfulness and legitimacy while ensuring community relations and transparency. Police Accountability and Community Transparency.</p>

<h2>BETTER COP (Being Effective to Taxpayers Every Response - Cultivating Outstanding Practice)</h2>

<p><strong>No senior citizen should be worrying about aging in place in the State of Tennessee.</strong> The welfare of our seniors has to be a priority in the State of Tennessee.</p>

<h2>S.E.N.I.O.R. (SENIOR ENHANCEMENT NEIGHBORHOOD INTITATIVE OUTREACH RECOVERY)</h2>

<p><strong>It is the responsibility of the State of Tennessee Government to answer to the people.  </strong>Responding effectively means concentrating efforts on three fronts: Enhancing individuals’ sense of dignity in their interactions with government, restoring a sense of security amid rapid societal and economic changes, and improving government efficiency and effectiveness to help boost productivity in the economy, while restoring public finances. These priorities converge in the governance of the green transition.</p><p>Efficient, honest government that delivers results and measures them publicly. We will run the State of Tennessee with discipline, transparency, and shared purpose. Every department will have clear goals, measurable results, and public accountability. We will work collaboratively with elected officials and municipal leaders to streamline processes, align budgets with outcomes, meet consistently, and advance at least one coordinated legislative agenda as <strong>ONE TENNESSEE, </strong>so the government works together, spends wisely, and delivers results people can see and feel.</p>

<h2>Government Performance and Efficiency</h2>

<p><strong>Tennessee political and judicial corruption must be stopped! </strong>Politicians are supposed to represent us. But most Americans have a near-zero impact on public&nbsp;policy. Politicians are failing us when it matters&nbsp;the most. <strong>Corrupt political leaders and their allies&nbsp;are i</strong>gnoring the will of the&nbsp;people, dismantling key institutions and checks on their&nbsp;authority, silencing dissent, and using their power to enrich themselves and entrench their&nbsp;rule. Even as they enact policies that will harm millions of&nbsp;Americans.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE POLITICAL AND JUDICIAL REFORM (S.T.O.P.)</h2>

<p><strong>The time is now to correct the economic injstice that has been perpetrated on the underserved, marginalized, and rural communities. </strong> The State of Tennessee has created a grave injustice in some communities to further perpetuate poverty, gentrification, economic disparities, housing disparities, environmental injustice, school inequities, gross mass incarceration, taxation without representation, and other atrocities placed on the necks of poor individuals in urban and rural communities.</p><p>(b) The State of Tennessee has given to the ultra-wealthy and starved the poor of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE FUNDING EQUITY ENGINE</h2>

<p>The State of Tennessee is in a housing crisis that has forced individuals and families to become homeless due to the affordability devastation.</p><p> Tennessee needs affordable sliding-scale housing programs to ensure that every family that wants an affordable home is granted the American dream.</p><p> No human beings should be sleeping on the streets of Tennessee, especially unhoused veterans.</p>

<h2>Emergency Housing Affordability & Stability</h2>

<p><strong>An overview of the 90-day Plan. </strong>Fiscal transparency informs citizens how government and tax revenues are spent and is a critical element of effective public financial management.&nbsp; Transparency provides citizens a window into government budgets and those citizens, in turn, hold governments accountable.&nbsp; It underpins market confidence and growth.&nbsp;</p><p>State fiscal planning and transparency involve the public disclosure of comprehensive budget data, multi-year planning, and strict adherence to accountability standards to ensure public funds are managed responsibly. </p>

<h2>First 90 Day Plan- Resurrection of Hope</h2>

<p><strong>Fathers Matter in the State of Tennessee.</strong> It is time for the State of Tennessee to take an active role in preserving families with a father being a healthy balance in their children's lives and a family.</p><p>A comprehensive fatherhood initiative plan aims to increase father involvement by equipping men with parenting skills, economic stability, and co-parenting tools to ensure children's emotional and financial support.</p><p>F.A.T.H.E.R.S. focuses on evidence-based training, 24:7 dad programs, career advancement, and support for noncustodial parents to foster healthy, lasting father-child connections.</p><p>Poor maternal and child health, child abuse and neglect, mental health issues, and poverty are all <strong>significant problems plaguing communities across the U.S. </strong>Many initiatives aimed at addressing or preventing these societal issues&nbsp;<strong>lack a key piece</strong> of the whole-family approach.</p>

<h2>FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE PROGRAM – F.A.T.H.E.R.</h2>

<p>All <strong>95 counties in the State of Tennessee must be audited to address the lack of equity across the state</strong>, especially in rural and urban communities. As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, my particular interest will be <strong>the poorest counties in Tennessee</strong>, especially farmers and rural residents.</p>

<h2>POLITICAL CORRUPTION: FORENSIC AUDITS OF ALL 95 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE</h2>

<p><strong>Write a little something about your issue here. </strong> Build a Legacy-to-Learn pathway so every child can learn, lead, and leave a legacy in the State of Tennessee.</p><p>(a) Education is the bridge to opportunity. <strong>A strong education system is crime prevention, workforce development, and economic growth all in one.</strong> We will invest in a Pre-K to Paycheck pathway: birth-to-three supports, expanded Pre-K access, real work experience for teens, and clear job connections for adults. It connects the classroom to a career field to ensure every child from Memphis to Bristol is ready for their next journey of success.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE APPLE (Applying Proficient Practices Leveraging Education)</h2>

<p>Tennessee is experiencing an <strong><em>affordability crisis </em></strong>centered on the rapid escalation of housing costs, coupled with rising property taxes, high utility costs, food, gas, childcare, insurance costs, and healthcare premiums.<strong> </strong>Many politicians do not want to address the elephant in the room, poverty! For decades, Tennessee has experienced the haves and have-nots, while the pockets of elitists are being padded at the expense of the poor. <strong><em>Gentrification </em></strong>in historic communities has exacerbated this affordability crisis. Tennesseans are being forced out of their beloved cohesive neighborhoods due to greed and the abusive control of politicians. I will place common sense back into how we treat our sisters and brothers in the State of Tennessee.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS OUTREACH – (TACO)</h2>

<p>Hosted by the Black Clergy Collaborative Commission</p>

<h4>"Souls to the Polls" Mississippi Blvd Church 6:00 P.M.</h4>

"Souls to the Polls" Mississippi Blvd Church 6:00 P.M.

<p><strong>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will no longer overlook critical problems that could protect these babies.</strong> Black infants in Tennessee die at over twice the rate of white infants, with a mortality rate of approximately 11.4 to 12.0 per 1,000 live births, compared to 5.4–5.7 for white infants. This persistent disparity is driven by preterm births, low birth weight, and limited access to prenatal care, frequently resulting in mortality rates 16% higher than the national average.</p><p>(b) This disparity is driven by structural racism, chronic stress (weathering), systemic inequities, unequal access to quality healthcare, and higher rates of premature/low-birth-weight babies. Notably, even college-educated Black mothers have higher infant mortality rates than white mothers with less education. </p>

<h2>INFANT MORTALITY RATE PLAN - (I.N.F.A.N.T.)</h2>

<p><strong>Justice starts with the budget. </strong>Budgets are the heart and soul of every city, county, and town in the State of Tennessee. Budgets set the stage for <strong><em>who</em></strong> is important, <strong><em>what</em></strong> is important, and <strong><em>where</em></strong> it is important. A budget should never be the backdrop of a political battlefield of divisiveness, greed and control. It must reflect the character fiber of the Tennessee Constitution, the morality and integrity of liberty and justice for all.</p>

<h2>Budgets Are Moral Documents</h2>

<p>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will stop the hemorrhage of Tennesseans losing their family homes and being displaced from their traditional neighborhoods by aggressive, rich investors, developers, and greedy politicians signing on to this economic and housing genocide. No one should be forced out of their neighborhoods for being poor.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE’S HOUSING CRISIS – HOUSING OUTREACH UNIFIED SECURITY ECONOMIC (HOUSE)</h2>

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<p>Early childhood brain science shows that crucial intellectual, health, and social-emotional development is happening long before age 5 the year we begin formal education in the United States. Numerous studies show that young children, from infancy onward, are learning all the time, whatever setting they are in whether it’s in an early care and education program or at home with a parent or other caregiver. Children who experience early care and education programs that provide consistent, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate opportunities for cognitive and social development benefit significantly in both the short and long-term, and children from low-income families benefit the most. </p>

<h2>UNIVERSAL PRE-K</h2>

<p><strong>In Tennessee, it is time to embrace prevention, intervention and rehabilitation compared to criminalization.</strong> This is not a process where we will unleash criminals upon the streets. This is an effective strategy to address a criminalization problem that has not worked in the State of Tennessee or the United States.</p><p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, my focus will be not on criminalization, but on <strong>criminal reform and rehabilitation</strong> as it relates to poverty, illiteracy, mental health, Adverse Community Experiences (ACEs), drug sales, drug disparities, cultural profiling, discriminatory practices, judicial biases, workforce development, skill trading, conflict resolution, anger management, gang affiliations, and human trafficking. We have an out-of-control crime problem in Tennessee, but the consequences of placing assault rifles on the streets through a permitless gun carry bill further exacerbate the violence on innocent victims and empower criminals. <strong>We must address the underlying problems.</strong></p><p>CoreCivic's lack of organizational accountability has hurt families, correctional officers, and incarcerated individuals dying in prison for non-violent crimes. I will be a Governor bold enough to stop this communal assault on Tennesseans just because of greed and unchecked political power to use human bodies as capital.</p>

<h2>DISMANTLING CORECIVIC PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS</h2>

<p><strong>We are in a State of Emergency in our Volunteer State. </strong>These are critical times, and we need precise measures to address these atrocious acts against Tennesseans. No food should be withheld from Tennesseans, no person should be going without healthcare, no woman should be denied accessibility to reproductive rights, no LGBTQ individual should be afraid to stand up for their rights, no homeless person should be criminalized for being poor, no senior citizens should be afraid of losing their homes, no small business should be placed in a position to close their business while billionaires are receiving tax incentives, no rural county should be experiencing rural hospital closures, no farmers should be struggling to take care of their families, no child living in poverty should be running from bullets to stay alive...</p>

<h2>CRITICAL ISSUES - STATE OF EMERGENCY AGENDA (C.I.S.O.E.A)</h2>

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<p>The State of Tennessee must redirect state funding to meet the needs of the people and not ultra-wealthy individuals.</p><p>The State of Tennessee must be the change agent to promote real community service outreach.</p><p>The Governor must be the leader to embrace humanitarian efforts and community outreach. Unhoused individuals should never be criminalized.</p>

<h2>Community Service Outreach - (C.A.R.E.)</h2>

<p>At the end of the day, Tennesseans are better than oppressive racism. Let's together "Make Tennessee Whole Again!" As an unbossed and unbought community advocate who has fought for immigrants' rights in the State of Tennessee for the last twenty years, I am committed to ensuring that immigrants receive the same quality of life as any other Tennessean.</p><p><strong>I believe that it is cruel to treat any human being, undocumented or not, in such a fashion as it is happening in Tennessee.</strong> No child should be afraid to attend school; no child should be separated from their parents under no circumstances; no woman should give birth to a baby chained in handcuffs; no father should be sent to another country, leaving his family behind; and no human being should be cut off from necessities due to their undocumented immigrant status.</p>

<h2>IMMIGRANT COMPREHENSIVE ENHANCEMENT TRANSITIONAL EQUITY ALLIANCE &amp; INTEGRATION PLAN (ICE-TEA)</h2>

<p>Under my administration as the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will erect a Tennessee Rental Registry to monitor all landlords, locally or out-of-town. No longer will Tennesseans suffer from the inhumane living arrangements of these slumlords. New regulations will be put in place to hold them accountable.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE RENTAL REGISTRY</h2>

<p>Every Tennessean should have access to basic needs. The Resurrection of Hope Plan's main goal is to “<strong>Make Tennessee Whole Again</strong>”, thus addressing the holistic aspect of each Tennessean, whether you are a child, adult, senior citizen, veteran, disabled person, unhoused individual, drug user, farmer, business owner, ex-felon, domestic violence individual, family of an unalive person, native, transplant or immigrant, Tennessee will be a place where you will be welcome with open arms.</p>

<h2>HOLISTIC AFFORDABILITY PROGRESSIVE PLAN INITIATIVE (HAPPI)</h2>

<p>Gentrification profoundly impacts low-income individuals through physical displacement, rising living costs, and social alienation. As wealthier residents move in, housing demand spikes, leading to soaring rents, aggressive evictions, and reduced affordable housing.</p><p><strong>Forced Displacement:</strong> Skyrocketing property values and rents force long-time residents to relocate, frequently separating them from established community networks and support systems.</p><p><strong>Decreased Affordability:</strong> Even if residents aren't forced to move, rising costs for rent, groceries, and services leave less disposable income for essential needs like healthcare and transportation.</p><p><strong>Social and Cultural Alienation:</strong> Long-term residents often experience "socio-cultural displacement," feeling excluded or out of place as neighborhood businesses and social dynamics shift to cater to affluent newcomers.</p><p><strong>Mental Health Impacts:</strong> The constant stress of housing instability, financial burden, and the loss of community identity heavily correlates with serious psychological distress for low-income renters.</p><p><strong>As the next Governor, I have a people’s comprehensive holistic plan to slow down gentrification and the displacement of poverty-stricken individuals living in urban sprawl neighborhoods. </strong>These individuals have lost hope of being a part of the economic equation of prosperity, but I am listening and will stop the hemorrhage of economic unfairness.</p>

<h2>GENTRIFICATION & DISPLACEMENT EQUITY PLAN</h2>

<p><strong>It is time to treat our teachers with royalty and respect.  </strong>In the State of Tennessee, teachers are underpaid, undervalued, and underappreciated. Teachers are the foundation of our children's educational success and the entire community that benefits from their expertise and educational training.</p><p> As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee and a former educator, I will erect a Tennessee Council of Educators to ensure they are at the table for all legislative decisions when it comes to our students' education. They see firsthand the underlying problems, educational difficulties, and the disparities.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE TEACHERS LOYALTY & EMPOWERMENT PLAN</h2>

<p>Middle-class families are deteriorating in the State of Tennessee due to inflation and the high cost of living. Unions are being attacked, which was the foundation for building Middle-Class families. Financial distress is causing long-term harm through, for example, negative impacts on health. Rural Tennesseans must be allowed to thrive and reap the benefits of the Tennessee budget to attain wealth and become middle-class families. Rural Tennesseans should not be left out of the prosperity loop in Tennessee.</p><p><strong>MIDDLE CLASS STABILIZATION INITIATIVE</strong> - Increase Access to Opportunities that grow Middle-Class Families. Housing and Economic Development Stabilization &amp; Sustainability Plan must take place in Tennessee. The United States is home to some of the most expensive cities in the world, and middle-class residents are struggling to afford a decent life for themselves and their families. According to our latest analysis, one-third of the American middle class cannot afford the cost of necessities as of 2023.</p><p>The American middle class is facing a significant financial squeeze, with roughly one-third struggling to afford basics like housing, food, and childcare due to persistent inflation, which has left costs (25%) higher than in 2020. Rising expenses for essentials and stagnant wage growth have eroded purchasing power, with many households living paycheck-to-paycheck.</p><p>The nation’s affordability crisis has not spared middle-class families, one-third of which struggle to afford necessities such as food, housing, and childcare.</p>

<h2>MIDDLE CLASS STABILIZATION INITIATIVE</h2>

<p>The Tennessee House has passed a bill requiring the Shelby County district attorney to notify state and federal officials about certain arrests made in the county.</p><p>The bill is called the Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act, and it requires the D.A. to give details about cases that lead to a plea agreement, a reduced charge, or a dismissal.</p><p>TBA</p>

<h2>Criminal Reform and ICE</h2>

<p>Most notably during the Trump presidency, they have proposed or attempted to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) by selling its transmission assets. These efforts aimed to shift the nation's largest public power provider to investor-owned utility status, sparking significant union opposition over potential job losses, higher electricity rates, and reduced public accountability.</p><p>A total privatization would be a corporate wealth transfer controlled by the greed of billionaires with no moral obligation to Tennesseans' financial hardship and energy burden.&nbsp;Tennesseans are struggling financially due to high utility bills, especially in urban and rural communities.</p>

<h2>NO PRIVATIZATION OF TVA</h2>

<p><strong>No woman in the State of Tennessee should be sleeping on the streets, on bus stops, in cars, or in hotels, or worried about where her child's meal will be coming from.</strong> Many are living in an epidemic of survival while SNAP &amp; W.I.C. benefits are being allegedly cancelled.</p><p>Women have suffered with their children while $730 Million Dollars of <strong>Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)</strong> was withheld by Governor Bill Lee, causing further harm and neglect. This is clearly inhumane treatment, while millions are being given to billionaires to develop upscale rental properties that these mothers and children can not afford.</p><p>Many of these women are fleeing poverty, gentrification, abusive relationships, and are living in hotels, experiencing drug addiction or mental health issues that complicate the problem. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, these are the invisible souls whom I refuse to overlook.</p>

<h2>WOMEN OPPORTUNITY MANIFESTING EQUITY NOW (W.O.M.E.N.)</h2>

<p><strong>No Tennessean should be caught in the crossfire of divisive politics where food is the weapon of choice. </strong>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, my main priority is to end hunger and improve health outcomes for vulnerable communities across the State of Tennessee, especially the rural counties that have been neglected for too long. No child, elder, veteran, or human being should go hungry while billionaires are being padded with tax incentives, tax abatements, PILOTs, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HUD funds, and other funding not accessible to working-class Tennesseans.</p>

<h2>TENN FIRE (FOOD INSECURITIES RESCUE EMERGENCY) PLAN</h2>

<p><strong>As the next potential Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will adhere to the United States and Tennessee Constitution.</strong> That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness; for the advancement of those ends they have at all times an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish the government in such manner as they may think proper.</p><p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I stand by and with the citizens of the State of Tennessee, not a political party per se, not a struggle for political control, and as a community advocate who has stood with the people for over 40 years, I will stand as the next "People's Governor." My belief is <strong>FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE!</strong></p><p>Tennessee will never prosper or grow with a divided house, divided minds, and divided spirits not willing to come to common ground for the betterment of all Tennesseans. It is time to take care of the people and not the political agenda that is pushing working people further into debt. Our Constitution echoes <strong>WE THE PEOPLE! NOT WE THE POLITICIANS!</strong></p>

<h2>LIFE, LIBERTY &amp; THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ENHANCEMENT EQUITY PLAN</h2>

<p><strong>Accountability starts with the Governor of the State of Tennessee. </strong>Accessibility is a crucial part of <strong><em>democratic accountability</em></strong>, though it must be balanced with the practical demands of governing, such as managing state agencies, responding to crises, and developing policies. I am committed to visiting all 95 counties annually to assess the needs of the people, especially rural counties that have been economically neglected for decades. I firmly believe that a governor should be accessible to the people, as they are elected by the entire voting public to serve as the chief executive of the state, regardless of their political affiliations. No matter if you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Socialist, Independent, Green Party, or any other political party, I will be the "People's Governor".</p>

<h2>ACCESSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE</h2>

<p>The State of Tennessee, cities, and counties have used the theory of blight to effectively gentrify underserved and marginalized communities, which have been left disinvested for decades. This is a modern-day form of genocide on poor people. Families have been forced out of their homes in traditional neighborhoods by out-of-town investors and rich developers with the blessings of politicians we voted into office to protect and serve us as taxpayers. </p><p>Coupled with passing insidious legislative bills to cut social services, SNAP/WIC programs, turning down $84 million in summer food program funds, devastating tax lien sales, and numerous other actions that damage the livelihood of urban Tennesseans.</p>

<h2>URBAN NEGLECT & OPPRESSION IN TENNESSEE</h2>

<p>Every Tennessean will have a seat at the table of prosperity regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, creed, political persuasion, religion, gender, disability, or socioeconomic status. As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will be connected and devoted to the people, especially rural Tennessee. ONE TENNESSEE!</p>

Write a short blurb about an issue your campaign is highlighting. Try to keep the text a similar size between the various issue blurbs.

<h2>MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO ALL TENNESSEANS</h2>

<p><strong>Rural populations are some of the most vulnerable in the nation.</strong> Our rural communities face unique challenges and barriers to care: limited resources, geographic isolation, low population density, and persistent poverty. Rural Americans are, on average, older, sicker, and poorer than their distant urban peers, and we see significantly higher rates of suicide, death from opioid use and substance use disorders, heart disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. Additionally, rural populations are more likely to be underinsured or uninsured and to be poorer than their urban counterparts.</p>

<h2>RURAL HOSPITAL CLOSURE RECOVERY PLAN</h2>

<p>An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller outlines new and persistent failures in caring for abused and neglected children taken into custody by the Department of Children’s Services.</p><p>Tennessee’s child welfare agency has fallen under scrutiny in recent years over reports of children forced to sleep on office floors, lax oversight of juvenile facilities, and abuse in residential treatment centers.</p><p>Two ongoing class-action lawsuits are challenging the department’s care of children in foster care and youth with disabilities in juvenile detention.</p>

<h2>Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS)</h2>

<p>As the next Governor of the State of Tennessee, I will cease the harm and criminalization of unhoused individuals on day one. To stop the harrassment of homeless individuals, I will get the I.C.E. of Tennessee.</p><p>As a lifelong farmer and a person who grew up in a rural area, I am committed to bringing economic growth and a good quality of life to rural counties in the State of Tennessee. In the State of Tennessee, there should be no reason to criminalize human beings for being poor or unhoused. </p>

<h2>Homelessness Innovation Transitional Safety (H.I.T.S.)</h2>

<p><strong>We can no longer sit around and use criminalization as our only mechanism to protect citizens and control crime. </strong>Atwater will lead the charge for change with an impact-driven approach that focuses on cultural change, industry oversight, and policy reform.</p><p>Forging a partnership between the state, cities, police officers, sheriffs, educators, community stakeholders, community leaders, non-profits, violent interrupters, pastors, street organizations (gang members), community activists, business owners, rural counties, gun sales individuals, focusing on prevention, enforcement, offender intervention, and neighborhood revitalization.</p><p>To address the crime epidemic in the State of Tennessee, we must address the issue from a holistic approach with all hands on deck. Urban crimes are spilling into rural counties due to urban sprawl, gentrification, increased cost of living, and aggressive new development, displacing Tennesseans out of their traditional neighborhoods.</p>

<h2>FIRST TENNESSEE COMPREHENSIVE STATE CRIME CONTROL, ACCOUNTABILITY & PREVENTION PLAN (TC-SCCAPP)</h2>

<p>Atwater will be intentional in creating collaborative and holistic pathways to <strong><em>resiliency, recovery, and independence</em></strong> for Tennesseans living with mental illness and substance use disorders, with emphasis on communities.</p>

<h2>TENN REACH (REACTIVE EARLY ASSESSMENT COMMUNITY HEALTH)</h2>

<p><strong>It is time for the State of Tennessee to give Reparations to the descendants of enslaved victims. </strong>The State of Tennessee has never investigated, researched, analyzed, or considered Reparations for African Americans for the cultural atrocity regarding enslaved individuals brought here to the United States and assisted in building this Volunteer State. Enslaved people played a major role in building the infrastructure, economy, and physical structures of Tennessee, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were used to construct railroads, state government buildings, including the Capitol, and numerous private homes, furnaces, and plantations, while driving agricultural output.</p>

<h2>TENNESSEE R.O.O.T.S. (Reparations Outreach Opportunities to Survivors)</h2>

<p><strong>Every Tennessean will have a seat at the table of prosperity. </strong>In the State of Tennessee, economic distribution has not been allocated fairly and equitably. The billionaires get tax breaks, and the working class gets robbed of basic quality of life as it relates to affordable housing, high utility bills, being forced out of their traditional neighborhoods, no tax incentives for small businesses, increasing property taxes, lack of public transportation, limited healthcare, food deserts, exposure to toxins from manufacturing companies, and data centers.</p><p>(b) Decades of disinvestment in urban and rural counties while rich developers are pricing out working-class Tennesseans. Across the State of Tennessee, urban communities look like war zones. Rural communities have suffered the most from rural hospital closures, which should be a basic human right. No Tennessean should have to drive 45 minutes to receive emergency care.</p><p>(c) Due to inflation and the high cost of living, small row farmers are losing ground economically; some will have to lose their family farms, coupled with data centers coming into the area and invading the rural peaceful space. Inevitably, exposing these rural communities to energy burdens from high usage of electricity and water, not to mention the health risks.</p>

<h2>REDISTRIBUTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.</h2>

<p>Tennessee is considered a state with significant maternity care deserts, with roughly <strong>32% to 36.8% of its counties</strong> lacking access to adequate maternity care, particularly in rural areas. Nearly half of Tennessee counties lack OB-GYNs, and over 27% of women live more than 30 minutes from a birthing hospital.</p>

<h2>RURAL PEDIATRIC TELEHEALTH</h2>

<p><strong>The political leadership ofthe State of Tennessee must protect abused women.</strong> Domestic Violence is a severe problem in the State of Tennessee, and the time is now to activate a plan to save these victims’ lives. To combat this brutal epidemic, it will take a Governor with sensitivity to women's needs and attacks on their lives. Domestic violence has no room for ego or antiquated mindsets toward women. Therefore, this Domestic Violence Initiative –SAW (Stop Abusing Women) will take all hands on deck to bring about a safety net to assure women that they can live in the State of Tennessee without fearing for their lives or running to stay alive. It is time to take the SAW away from the abuser of women.</p>

<h2>DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – STOP ABUSING WOMEN (SAW)</h2>

<p>Tennessee’s controversial criminal responsibility and felony murder laws, historically criticized for ensnaring accomplices in severe "guilty by association" sentences, were fundamentally reformed by <strong>Senate Bill 1170 (Public Chapter 939)</strong>. The bill, which passed both chambers and became law, eliminates the blanket felony murder doctrine in the state.</p><p>What is not addressed is the racial disparity and prejudices that are ingrained in the judicial system, criminal justice system, biases of judges, and incompetencies of attorneys that sometimes cause innocent victims to serve time in correctional facilities. How do we remediate these imperfections?</p>

<h2>ADVOCATING FOR THE CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY BILL</h2>

Atwater for Governor 2026

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