Wow! I am absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful for the tremendous support I received at the launch of my campaign last week! To each and every person who took the time to attend the event, sign up to volunteer, proudly take a campaign sign, or contribute in any way, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your enthusiasm and commitment are the driving force behind this campaign, and I am truly humbled by your unwavering support!
While the campaign kick-off event was a resounding success, I am keenly aware that our journey is just beginning. We have ambitious plans and a bold vision for the future of our district, and we are only just scratching the surface of what we can achieve together. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that we’re already hard at work planning our next event for later this summer. Stay tuned for details – I can’t wait to continue this incredible journey with all of you!
As we move forward, my commitment to serving as the Conservative Voice for a new Generation remains steadfast. I firmly believe that our district deserves strong, principled leadership that reflects the values and aspirations of our community.
Your vote in the August 1st primary is not just a vote for me – it’s a vote for the vision we share, the values we hold dear, and the future we are working tirelessly to build. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can shape a better tomorrow for District 68.
Thank you once again for your incredible support. Let’s keep pushing forward, let’s keep fighting for conservative values in District 68, and let’s make our voices heard on August 1st and beyond. Together, we can achieve great things!
Here was my speech that night:
Before I start, I want to pause here just for a moment to recognize my heart and driving forces in life. My family means everything to me. Elizabeth and I have been faithfully married for over 18 years and have experienced basically all of our lives together, being best friends since we were 15 years old. I am so thankful to have her support and the support of our amazing kids, April – who is a senior next year at Clarksville High and will probably be your president one day, Olivia who is every bit of goofy like me and feisty as her mother, and our son Avery who is the sweetest boy you’ll meet who has already been helping dad on the campaign and all who have been helping tonight.
I love Clarksville Montgomery County. And Montgomery County is growing. I have lived here practically my whole life, and as you’ve seen this community grow, you may ask yourself, “Where are all these people coming from?” I’ll tell you – They are evading other parts of our country that bring restrictions to their way of life – to their freedoms, states that have policies in place that have led to super inflation, areas that are overtaxing middle-class families they have removed laws that protect law-abiding citizens from crime and put our incredible police officers, firefighters, and EMS in harm’s way, and that are pushing policies that go against the faith of the law-abiding citizens in those areas.
So why Clarksville? Is it because Montgomery County is strategically located within a day’s drive of 76% of most U.S. Cities? Maybe. Is it because of our growing industry, Fort Campbell, and the overall quality of our schools in the area? Possibly. Is it because of the beautiful parks, greenways, and amazing churches – by the way, who walk in unity in a way that doesn’t exist in other areas? Well, maybe we are on to something. Or could it be because Money Magazine won’t stop telling people we are the best place to live in America? Absolutely.
I am here to submit to you that Clarksville is growing because of the people of Montgomery County. People make up a community, and that was put on full display during the December Tornado Relief. In a moment of terrible tragedy and devastation through the path of this tornado- our community stepped up. Mosaic and many of the other churches in town had a front-row seat to seeing our community come together unlike ever before. Over three thousand people poured into our facility at Mosaic. Our team led and organized service projects that our team would typically take months to prepare – we did it in one day and sent so many people into the wreckage of that tornado that our city and county governments told us we had to stop for three days because we did to much work for them to keep up with. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) told me that it was the best volunteer organization effort they had ever seen – better than professional organizations. It’s you – the people of Montgomery County that made the difference.
We have the best churches. Tonight, I know for a fact members of Salem Community, Living Hope, The Bridge, Trenton Crossing Church of Christ, LifePoint, First Baptist, Real Life Sango, Hilldale, Kenwood Baptist, 2nd Mile, Faith Outreach, Riverside Church, Clarksville International, and Mosaic Church –to name a few a represented in this room and I am sure there are so many more. Our churches in this community walk in unity. Just in February, I led and organized, along with leaders from many of those churches, a two-day event to “Invade Our City,” and over 800 students and leaders invaded Clarksville, partnering with Mayor Joe Pitts, Mayor Wes Golden, and the Clarksville Montgomery County School System to do service projects throughout our community. It’s you – the people of Montgomery County that made the difference.
And it’s the intangibles of this area. You drive down the road, and your neighbors wave at you. Your kids join a sports team, and you quickly become friends with the other parents, and those relationships last for years. You go to a community event, or you go to Publix or go out to eat, and you bump into someone you know, and you light up. You know – our connection to Fort Campbell is special. It’s unlike any other military base in our nation. Just Saturday, I was speaking to a soldier of over 20 years who has lived across this nation and abroad, and he said you can’t find the relationship between the community and the base like here. Relationships matter. It’s you – the people of Montgomery County that made the difference.
So why am I bringing all of this up? Because I believe in Clarksville, I believe in Montgomery County, and I believe this is the best place on earth to live—not just because Money Magazine told us so. We have the best people, the best churches, great schools, and people see that we are the best; and we are going to keep on growing, so there will be challenging opportunities that we face as a community in our future, and we need leadership and someone who cares for people to navigate the waters ahead.
I have been in leadership roles my entire life. I’ve been leading on a church staff for nearly 20 years, and my whole life has been about serving and leading people. Mosaic is an incredible story in itself. Since I have been here, I have led alongside many others to see our church grow from 250 people when I first arrived to nearly 3,000 right now. I have trained people for nearly two decades in leadership, systems, and how to care for and serve people. We need leadership and someone who cares for people to lead and serve Montgomery County.
And this is what led me to the School Board. In 2020, during Covid Elizabeth and I saw the School Board was looking at masking our students – despite what people were saying at that time about the science and the effects of Covid on our students. I work with nearly 800 students and kids at Mosaic, and I had already seen the effects of masking and separation on them. I had an intervention with one young man who was contemplating suicide because of these pressures of life building up by the agendas that were being pushed on them, and thank God we intervened, and he is doing better than ever today now leading in our student ministry.
So, I signed up to speak to our school board and became the third person in six years allowed to speak in front of the board because of the policies at that time. At the end of my speech, I declared I was going to run for the school board, and I am now the first elected Republican on the school board in Montgomery County. (Shout out to Kent Griffy, who has never had the opportunity to run as a Republican until this race but will become the second elected Republican this Fall.) It’s not only him, though; I believe we will win all three seats this fall. If you’re in their areas, get out and support them this August!
Through my service as an elected official, I have discovered that the same passion I have for serving in the church exists in representing our community. It’s all about serving people.
So why the State Legislature? For the first time in 20 years, we now have a vacant seat. I actually brought Representative Curtis Johnson to lunch about six months ago to hear his intentions because I heard rumors he was going to retire. He told me that he was considering one more term, and I put it out of my heart and mind at that time. Then, on November 7 – out of the blue – he announced his retirement. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t know it then, but as a man of faith, I firmly believe God had stirred it in my heart to run, and after three months of diligently praying about it, on February 6, 2024, I announced that I was running for the State House in District 68. We need unwavering, proven leadership, and we need someone who cares for people for the future of our county.
So let’s quickly talk about the issues. As your State Representative, I will fight to bring much-needed infrastructure improvements to Montgomery County. Our community is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and our infrastructure and roads must scale up to meet this demand. We need someone who knows how to work with people to get things done, and I’ve been doing that for nearly 20 years.
Our children are our future, and I believe in the rights of parents to their children’s education. Just as I have on the Clarksville-Montgomery School Board, I will work diligently to ensure that schools teach our children what they need to be successful and give our teachers the tools to provide the best education for them. My experience and knowledge with our school district give me a unique perspective in addressing these challenges on a state level. I support Public, Private, parochial, micro-school, homeschool, and Charter schools as viable forms of education, and I support the call for statewide school choice.
The number one issue facing our nation today is securing our southern border. You may ask, “What does that have to do with Tennessee?” America stands as a nation founded on the principle of the Rule of Law, and the unauthorized entry into our country remains a significant challenge, straining our infrastructure and more importantly jeopardizing our national security. I will work with the governor and those in the State Legislature to look at ways we can help at the border and protect our state.
I believe keeping taxes low and keeping more money in your pocket is critical to the success of our community. As your State Representative, I will make it a priority to keep taxes low and cut spending and government “red tape” where it needs to be cut.
Ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods and communities is crucial as Clarksville continues to grow. I will work to strengthen laws that protect law-abiding citizens and the first responders – our police officers, firefighters, and EMS, who keep us safe.
These are some of the issues at the core of this campaign. You can trust that I will walk with the highest integrity, as my life and track record have always shown. I will fight for Conservative values in every decision I make as I represent you.
I’m not your typical politician. In fact, I don’t think I’m a politician at all. I’m a pastor, businessman, conservative school board member, father, and husband of 18 years. For 20 years, I have worked to help people in their best and worst moments and have developed leaders and brought people together.
Now, standing at the threshold of representing District 68 in the State Legislature, I’m more convinced than ever that our community deserves unwavering dedication. I believe I will be a great State Representative, representing you well and making you proud, and I will be the Conservative Voice for a New Generation in District 68. I ask you for your vote during the State Primary. Thank you!