Nashville doctor and former Meharry Medical College professor Jason Martin is considering launching a campaign for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Governor Bill Lee.
Martin has centered himself as an outspoken critic against Lee and the policies implemented throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
“(Lee) dumped the burden of leadership on municipalities, individual businesses, teachers and parents, leaving them to fight this global pandemic on their own. The result of this ‘fend for yourself’ approach speaks for itself, unfortunately,” Martin said of Lee’s policies.
According to a report from the Nashville Scene, the physician is moving to launch a bid later this year and has filed paperwork to establish a fundraising committee. Further, Martin is working with Amplified Public Strategies, a firm founded by former Tennessee Democratic Party Communications Director Emily Cupples.
Cupples recently joined with a coalition of largely Democratic voters to form a super PAC with the goal to defeat Lee. The PAC, called Beat Bill Lee PAC, recently reported raising $13,313 throughout the first half of 2021.
However, while Martin or any other Democratic challenger may have outside financial backing, Lee will be heavily favored to remain in his position — assuming the incumbent wins the Republican nomination.
In an effort to build his arsenal, the governor hauled in approximately $685,000 in the first half of 2021. Lee’s campaign has a total of $2.4 million on hand to spend — after using $357,000 during the course of this financial filing period.
In his previous campaign, Lee cruised to victory in the general election. He defeated Democrat Karl Dean by over 20 points and received almost 60 percent of the total vote
Additionally, in the primary, Lee dominated a crowded and well-known Republican field, beating Randy Boyd, U.S. Representative Diane Black, and State House Speaker Beth Harwell.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jason Martin” by ProtectMyCare.Â
