MT. JULIET, TN — Republican State Sen. Mae Beavers officially launched her campaign for governor Saturday in an event at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet.

The long-time state legislator vowed to make the state's security a centerpiece of her campaign. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.) "The terrorist threat from radical Islam not only impacts other countries or major cities in our own country, that threat is also targeted at our communities and our families in Tennessee," she said.

Beavers drew harsh criticism and frequent protests from LGBTQ groups and others, including major corporations, for her push to define marriage as between one man and one man in contravention of the Supreme Court's decision in the Obergefell case and for her advocacy of the so-called "bathroom bill." But, she said, she hears the clamor of those who support her.