JONESBOROUGH, Tenn., (WJHL) – On Monday night, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jerri Green engaged with supporters at a town hall event at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, outlining her campaign’s progress and discussing her policy proposals.

Green voiced her stances on multiple issues affecting Tennessee residents, such as school vouchers, EBT/SNAP benefits, and Medicare cuts.

Voucher program

Green said that if she were elected, she would eliminate the Tennessee voucher program in favor of funding going towards public schools.

Green remarked, “Allocating funds toward vouchers diverts essential money away from public schooling in rural areas. This impact is especially significant where students typically have access to only one school, making vouchers impractical.”

She added that this funding would also go towards hiring more teachers to address the teacher shortage.

She further commented on the plight of educators, stating, “Many teachers need to juggle one or two extra jobs alongside teaching. This shouldn’t be the norm. We ought to honor their commitment to shaping future generations.”

Medicaid expansion

Highlighting healthcare priorities, Green expressed, “Accepting Medicaid expansion funds would enable us to reopen rural hospitals that have been shut down, revitalizing these regions.”

EBT/SNAP funding

Green said she would budget to help residents who are in need of EBT/SNAP benefits cut by the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Addressing child welfare, she shared, “In our state, one out of every five children faces hunger at bedtime. It’s imperative to support our most vulnerable by reinforcing funding for food banks and resources that supply basic necessities.”

Green added she would also push to repeal the grocery tax.

Gun safety

Green said she would implement a gun lock program to keep guns in safer hands.

On gun safety, Green noted, “It’s possible to uphold the Second Amendment while endorsing practical measures to protect our communities and schools. Over the past two years, we’ve distributed more than 2,000 gun locks, leading to a 25% decrease in stolen firearms and corresponding violent crime. This is a pragmatic approach beneficial statewide, appealing to both gun owners and non-owners alike.”

Green said she also wants to see adjustments to laws concerning background checks, training, and permitting.

Reproductive rights

Green said she opposes any legislation restricting a woman’s autonomy over her body, including abortion, in vitro fertilization, and access to birth control.

She hopes to work to lower the fetal and maternal mortality rates in Tennessee.

“I want to make sure that we as a state are making sure that women have healthy pregnancies and that we have healthy babies,” Green said. “We’re going to have to start funding things like I did for a Black midwife fellow program to make sure that moms and babies get the services they need so they can have healthy births.”

Political speech

Green condemned political violence and hate speech, saying she had received two death threats towards herself and her family in the past.

“I know there are still other threats out there, and it shouldn’t be like that,” she said. “When you want to run for office and want to help your community and people, you shouldn’t have to worry about not coming home. I absolutely condemn violence, and I hope that we can take the temperature down and just talk about the issues, and we can differ on the issues, and then we can go our separate ways, but we don’t have to turn it into violence.”

Green said all sides of the political spectrum are looking for a change she believes she can deliver.

“They’re fed up with leaders not having courage and backbone, and they just want really government to be boring again,” she said. “You know, “They want common sense, not chaos. I predict whether it’s here in East Tennessee or all the way where I’m from in West Tennessee. That’s the kind of governor I would have, somebody who has compassion and not cruelty, and somebody who has courage and isn’t a coward.”

Tennessee voters will elect a new governor in 2026 as incumbent Gov. Bill Lee is term-limited.