As early voting for the August Elections kicks off on July 12th and runs through the 27th, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. No, not the well-known problematic figure, and current Representative of District 33, John Ragan, but his challenger, Rick Scarbrough. Before you cast your vote, let’s get a few things straight.

Our current state representative, John Ragan, has been nothing short of detrimental to communities across the state. He is well-known for his condescension and his harmful legislation that has made national news. Ragan spends far too much time scrutinizing which books our children read and not enough on the real issues that matter to Tennesseans. Let’s be honest, even the images he uses on his mailers contrast with reality – hate ages you.

For years, Ragan has skated by without a primary challenger.

Enter Rick Scarbrough.

Many in the Anderson County community know Rick from his work with the police. His announcement to challenge Ragan in the Republican primary was initially met with relief – finally, someone to sincerely challenge Ragan. Conversations with voters often start with two points about Rick: "Oh, I know him or his family," and "He’s anti-voucher; he’ll listen to voters"

But here’s the deal– we need to do research on the candidates we support.

Rick Scarbrough certainly hasn't stated -publicly- that he's anti-voucher. When asked about his stance on vouchers at the Republican candidate forum, his response was a vague call for accountability. On social media, he sidesteps direct questions about it… and interestingly, he's being supported by Team Kids, PAC, a dark money group advocating for the privatization of our public schools. They are about as pro-voucher as it gets. As the saying goes, if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, if it doesn’t say outright say it’s anti-voucher… it's probably a duck.

Voting against Ragan solely because he's terrible is not enough. Understand who you are supporting and what they stand for. Visit Rick’s website – you’ll notice he uses words like “choice” when it comes to education.

This August, the stakes are high. The Democratic primary for Senate features strong female candidates vying to face Marsha Blackburn in November. Voting against Ragan in August means forfeiting your chance to choose which Democratic woman will challenge Blackburn. Remember, popularity in one area doesn’t guarantee statewide support, as evidenced in the 2020 Democratic primary.

Civil Miller-Watkins, Gloria Johnson, and Marquita Bradshaw all have their eye on the Senate seat.

I urge you to vote for your values. If you have a favorite Democratic woman running for Senate this year, cast your vote for her.

I, for one, refuse to clean up the Republicans' mess.

Let’s fight for the future we deserve, not the future they allow us to have.