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To the Editor:
2020 will be an unforgettable, history-making year. Although it will be remembered for the pandemic, I am confident that not all memories of 2020 will be tragic.
On the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment being ratified I am thrilled that I can vote for a qualified and competent female candidate to represent Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District. On August 6, I will be voting in the primary election, and I can think of no better candidate than Diana Harshbarger.
As someone who has always been interested in government and politics, it has been impossible to look past the lack of diversity in Congress. The absence of female representation disheartens me because it sends a poor message to young girls everywhere. That being said, I am excited to do my part by voting to ensure that Diana Harshbarger becomes the first woman to represent my community as a U.S. Representative.
In August of 1920, Tennessee was the last state needed to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. It is time that this great state stops being last and instead takes the lead. I have hope knowing that Tennesseans can elect a woman exactly one hundred years after the efforts of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton succeeded in empowering women across the country.
Despite the hopelessness that this pandemic has spread, electing Diana Harshbarger to the U.S. House of Representatives will bring hope to youth and women during this monumental year.

Sincerely,
Maria Howard
Rogersville