Chris Lugo for Senate!

What is wrong with the TN Democratic Party!

Democrats (including Memphis Mayor Herenton and Shelby Co. Mayor Wharton!) Endorse Lamar Alexander


The article is wrong, there is a PROGRESSIVE Democratic candidate for Senate—Chris Lugo!
He ran as a Green Candidate last time, but now is running as a Democrat. Maybe it is time for progressive Democrats in TN to get behind a progressive candidate for a change! (Someone who supports women’s, LGBT, workers rights, peace, social justice, etc. remember those things??)

Chris Lugo Announces Democratic Bid for US Senate


Nashville, TN: Chris Lugo announced his Democratic bid for the US Senate seat today in Nashville by encouraging Tennesseans to vote for peace in 2008, "I am running for US Senate because it is time to end the war and bring the troops home. It is time to use our taxpayer dollars wisely to provide universal healthcare. It is time to repair our nation's domestic infrastructure. It is time to end poverty in America. It is time to end our dependence on oil by developing safe and viable alternative energy sources. It is time to leave our children a clean, healthy and peaceful environment in which to live and raise their families."

Lugo was the Green Party of Tennessee candidate for US Senate in 2006. "In 2006 I ran with the Green Party. I think it was the right decision in 2006 but this is a different election season. Americans waking up to the cause of peace and they are looking for leadership on health care, the environment, education and poverty. I am a progressive, regardless of which party I represent. I think we need to come together this year to end the war and and bring America together as a country. We have so much work to do to reverse the damage of eight years of the Bush administration. We need to end the war in Iraq. It is time for us to address the housing crisis which is pushing Americans out of their homes. As a nation we need to come together on global warming and climate change and we need to address the growing crisis of poverty in and hopelessness in America."

Lugo thinks the time has come for a Democratic Senator for Tennessee, "We have had over a decade of Republican representation in the US Senate and look at where it has gotten us," Lugo said, "we are at the bottom of almost every social indicator for quality of life. We are near the bottom of the list in terms of health, education, life expectancy and even infant mortality. It is time to invest in the health of our state instead of wasting our federal dollars on war and corporate subsidies."

Besides the war in Iraq, health care is a major theme of his campaign for US Senate, "It is time to insure that every man, woman and child in this country has access to quality and affordable healthcare and I believe that a universal single payer health care system is the best way to achieve that goal. I believe that most Americans now favor single payer healthcare and it is time that our legislation reflects that value."

In 2005 Lugo was an active participant and supporter of the protesters who occupied the Governor's office during the Tenncare protests, "I was horrified when 323,000 Tennesseans were cut off of their health care and Tenncare was dismantled. I was an active supporter of the Tenncare protesters at the Governor's office and I still support what they did but I think that the only solution is to address this at the federal level. I think that health care is a basic human right, and that a majority of Americans support this today. We are facing a health care crisis in Tennessee where 700,000 people do not have basic health care. In addition 50 million Americans do not have health insurance nationwide. This is a moral issue which only the federal government can address. With a strong and determined will, we can achieve this and provide health care for all Americans."

Another major element of Lugo's platform will be to address the climate crisis facing our country. "I am proud to be running for US Senate in the home state of Al Gore. I am proud of the work that the former Senator and Vice President has done to address the global climate crisis. We need to get on board with global agreements on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Americans are waking up to the reality of global warming. We need to move away from coal and oil and move toward renewable sources of energy production such as wind and solar. We need to move away from our dependence on foreign oil, improve our public transportation, support green building initiatives and invest in technology that will move us toward a greener future."

The issue of immigration is also a key concern which Lugo plans to address in his Democratic Senate bid, "I believe that human rights are for everyone. It is time to stop breaking up families and terrorizing people who have come to this country to work hard and contribute to our economy. This is an especially relevant issue here in Tennessee, where the Hispanic population has nearly doubled since 2000. People are coming to Tennessee because they believe in the American dream and want a better life for themselves and their children. We need to issue driver's licenses so these people can go to work. We need to stop rounding up workers and treating them like criminals. We need to offer a path to citizenship to people who have become an integral part of our communities."

Lugo feels that the tide is turning in Tennessee, "I think that Tennessee is ready for a liberal in Washington. The outcome of 25 years of Republican leadership in Washington DC is war, a failed economy, poverty and a domestic infrastructure that is falling apart. We can see now that the policies of trickle down economics, union busting, and poverty level wages will not make America stronger. The middle class is shrinking and the federal deficit mushrooming because of reckless war profiteering, corporate subsidies and tax breaks for the most privileged members of our community. It is time for a positive change in Tennessee. It is time to turn away from the politics of greed and fear that the Republicans represent. Americans are ready for a compassionate government that addresses real human needs. It is time to invest in this country and to invest in our future. "

Democratic candidate Chris Lugo's full platform can be found at the website: Chris4Senate