Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the latest edition of Potneck News, your news source for all things Stewart County. Located midway between the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, on Barkley Lake, we are the heartbeat of America. Today is Monday, 10 August, year of our Lord, 2026.
The local elections are over, and it was a good one. By comparison to other counties in Tennessee, we had a healthy turnout. Not a great turnout but Stewart and Houston County were in the top four of voter turnout, comparatively speaking, statewide. That gives you an idea of just how few people determine the results of our elections. The County spoke and made clear decisions in every race. While there were several spirited contests, each race saw a decisive winner, and I want to thank all the candidates, from each and every race, for standing in the arena, for giving us all a choice. To the winners of the races, the field is yours, we ask you to uphold your promises and work hard to earn your money and even harder to keep our trust.
Now is always the time to begin thinking ahead. In 2020, for example, as your County Mayor, I refused to place a mask mandate on Stewart County. In fact, thinking ahead, I declared that Stewart County was open for business in May 2020 and our tax revenues skyrocketed and they have not slowed down since. Thinking ahead, thinking positive, I saw the needs of the people and worked hard to bring you the soccer fields, the Tractor Supply, the VA Clinic, and 1.8 million dollars in opioid relief money, among many other things. Imagine this county without them. Some might like it that way but, I will always believe it benefits the people better to have them. We turned 6,000 square feet of standing water and gravel in the basement of the Visitor’s Center to prime office space, tore down the old County Jail to make room for a Municipal Parking Lot and cleared the way for the Steven N. Douglas Emergency Communications District. We accomplished many things together because we never backed away from a fight and I stood my ground on opening up this County. My NO MASK mandate was very unpopular with a lot of people and I’m sure that was the beginning of the negativity that swallowed up all of our accomplishments. It’s taken five years to expose the truth, and I knew it would, but that was a suffering that had to be. I never wilted in protecting your liberties and I never will. I am pro Trump, but I am against war. But now, my friends, we have to look ahead again. There is no rest for the weary, not when our country is at stake. I am looking two years ahead. If God continues to bless us with the gift of life, we need to be ready in Tennessee for what lies ahead. I have a question for all of you in Stewart County. Do you know who Jay Reedy is? Do you know how long he has been in office representing you? How about 12 years? Can you name anything he has done to help you? I can’t. That’s why I just named several of the things we accomplished for this county in just four years. It takes work! Maybe he has something in Benton County? My contacts tell me no and he is not well liked. What about his home County of Houston? Being a commissioner, a mayor, a sheriff, or even a State Representative requires you, in my humble opinion, to bring a return to your home County and District. If I don’t see that, I’m not happy. I don’t see that from Mr. Reedy. I know we can do better.
Some folks that don’t know me, may not like me. Taking consequential stands usually requires a special kind of courage that the other side loves to ridicule and I took a lot of that. Some folks that do know me might even hate me. It could be. I can say, however, with a clear mind, that I NEVER punched below my weight. Everyone knows my archrival was deep state RINO and disgraced Mark Green, and I was proven 100% correct about his lack of commitment. You may not like me but, it’s not because I’m a liar and it’s not because I’m a cheater, it’s because I’m a truth teller and the truth is harsh, sometimes.
I expect more from a six-term Representative than 75% of the people not even knowing who he is. I think it’s time that Stewart County found its compass, set it to true north, and embarked on a journey to make this County’s voice, again, one of the strongest in Middle Tennessee.
How do we do that? I’m asking you today, each and every voter in Stewart County, to remember the courage we had in 2020, to remember the common sense we had, and choose me to take that common sense and courage to Nashville, as your favorite son, to represent the 74th District. It’s a big ask. You have that power. I’ve seen our election totals. We’ve all witnessed, in these local elections, that certain unopposed candidates can get as any as 3500 votes of confidence from Stewart County voters. Mr. Reedy, unopposed, got over 9000 votes from four counties. 4500 votes could make this race VERY interesting. Do you see your power? Can you look at my record and believe I am in it for you? IF Stewart County can choose a favorite son, a Stewart County graduate, a Murray State graduate, a Veteran, a retired Federal employee, a retired State employee, as well as your former Stewart County Mayor, to be your favorite son, if my home county can get behind me, my contacts in Benton, Henry, and Houston County will deliver this race to us. It all hinges on Stewart County! Can we put our differences aside for the 74th District and make Stewart County, once again, the driving force in Middle Tennessee that it once was.
Along with Benton, Houston, and Henry Counties, we can make our voices heard, strong and clear: 1) No biological men in women’s sports, 2) NO Unconstitutional sharia law anywhere in Tennessee and, 3) NO red/green communist/radical Islamic alliances.
If you believe I will work just as hard for the 74th district, for your values, as I did for Stewart County, I need your support. To my past foes, it is time to bury the hatchet now and put the district first. This is bigger than one county. We fight the same fight. Can 3500 of you rock solid voters in Indian Mound, Big Rock, Bumpus Mills, Dover, Hickman Creek, Standing Rock, Carlisle, Cumberland City, and Potneck see your way clear to sending me to Nashville? Can you trust that I will do for the District and the State what I did for the County? Stand on principle. That means that over twice as many of you that voted for me in 2022 would have to be happy to vote for me in 2028. Again, I realize that’s a big ask. Considering that, I’m asking you to do something that may have been overlooked in 2022. Look at my record. Don’t listen to the past detractors who, mostly, had TDS but they feel better now, too. Look at the BIG question and it always concerns growth; do we want to control this district? Do we? We can. Will we?
With 3500 votes in 2028 as our goal, this is how we start. More to follow.
Thank you,
Robert Love Brandon IV
RLB4
