Governor's Forum Well Attended By Candidates, Public

Martin, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin WestStar Leadership Program’s class of 2018 hosted a gubernatorial forum May 10 on the university’s main campus. Six candidates for the Tennessee governor’s office participated in the interview-style event, and AP Reporter Meg Kinnard served as forum moderator.
 
“The (WestStar) class felt lucky that we were going through WestStar during an election year, and we jumped on the chance to hold a forum,” Milan Mayor B.W. Beasley said. “As leaders of West Tennessee, it is imperative that we make the issues of West Tennessee known. We have a unique voice, since we come from communities all across West Tennessee.” Beasley is in the latest WestStar class.
 
Some 350 people attended the event and heard the candidates’ views on issues such as agriculture, the opioid epidemic, school safety, economic development, and the quality and accessibility of healthcare, technology and education in rural areas. A wider audience watched the forum live via online webcast or listened via local and regional radio.
 
“The WestStar motto is ‘shaping the future of West Tennessee.’ Since we cover the entire region, we felt it was important to have the candidates come to West Tennessee to a rural location and discuss how they plan to positively change our landscape as it pertains to economic development, education, etc.” said Charley Deal, WestStar executive director. “The candidates enjoyed the format, and two candidates told campus police that this was the best event they had attended and that the crowd was the most respectful of those at other locations.”
 
In attendance were Diane Black, a U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 6^th District; Randy Boyd, former commissioner of Tennessee Economic and Community Development; Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville; Craig Fitzhugh, minority leader of the Tennessee State House of Representatives; Beth Harwell, speaker of the Tennessee State House of Representatives; and Bill Lee, president and CEO of Lee Company in Nashville. Black, Boyd, Harwell and Lee represent the Republican Party, while Dean and Fitzhugh are running on the democratic ticket.
 
The entire forum broadcast is archived and available online at utm.edu/2018forum.
 
For more information, contact the WestStar Leadership Program at 731-881-7298.
 
 
 
 
 
Photo: Forum moderator Meg Kinnard Hardee, a political and legal affairs reporter for The Associated Press who bylines as Meg Kinnard, interviews Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville and one of six gubernatorial candidates who participated in the event. (UTM photo).