U.S. Air Force Veteran Blair Walsingham, of Hawkins County, announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, a 74-year-old Clarksville republican who has held the seat since 2009, announced in January that he would not be running for re-election. Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District includes all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County.

Walsingham is a wife, mother of four children, and U.S. Air Force veteran. She officially kicked off her campaign at the Sevier County Democratic Party monthly meeting on Thursday, March 5.

Her signature proposal is based upon the principles proven with Dolly Parton’s “My People Fund,” which provided an unconditional income for 6 months to victims of the Gatlinburg fires, allowing them to rebuild their homes and their lives.

She says she recognizes that the lack of economic security, especially in rural communities, is a key driver of many of the challenges we face today including poverty, sub-par education, health care access, drug abuse, climate change denial, and gun violence.

“I’m choosing to kick off my campaign in Sevierville, Dolly’s hometown, to recognize that Sevier County is often a forgotten place in Tennessee politics, just like many of the struggling families in East Tennessee have been forgotten by the politicians in Washington,” Walsingham said. “I am running to represent East Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives to create an environment where all our children can live with health, dignity, and financial security.”

Walshingham says she does not believe in bureaucratic government programs to address the pressing needs in East Tennessee. Instead, she believes that putting financial resources in people’s hands via a Universal Basic Income is the best way to meet the specific needs of individual families.

U.S. Air Force Veteran Chris Rowe, former Kingsport Mayor John Clark, State Sen. Rusty Crowe, former Johnson City Mayor Steve Darden, and Nichole Williams also announced their candidacy for Tennessee’s 1st District congressional seat.

The candidate filing deadline to run is April 2. The primary election will be held August 6 and the general election November 3, 2020.