Being raised in Ripley Tennessee, State. Rep. Craig Fitzhugh can see the  similarities in Carter County.

And with that background, and serving the 82nd District in the state House of Representatives since 1994, Fitzhugh is hoping to carry that experience to Nashville in a bid to become the state’s next governor. Fitzhugh visited Elizabethton on Saturday, May 19, and held a question-and-answer session with the public inside Dino’s Restaurant.

Fitzhugh is ramping up campaign efforts with the Democratic Party gubernatorial primary scheduled to take place Thursday, Aug. 2. The winner of the Republican and Democratic Party primaries will then meet in the November general election.

During the weekend trip to Northeast Tennessee, Fitzhugh quickly spoke about the importance rural communities have to further anchor the growth of the state.

“I’m a rural guy from the other end of the state,” he said. “I know rural issues. I know the challenges that rural communities have and I’m committed to helping the people. I’m committed here just like I am on the other side of the state. It was great to hear from the public about issues that are near and dear to all of our hearts.”

With both city and county schools system bringing up Carter County’s declining population, Fitzhugh mentioned that if he were to take office, one goal would be to keep fix that issue.

“I decided early on in the campaign that we have issues, from all parties, that we’ll never agree on. We need to find the issues that we can all agree on that we need to do better at,” Fitzhugh said. “When it comes to those issues, the biggest I’ve heard from are about education, healthcare and jobs and infrastructure. Those are the issues that were brought up today. Small or large communities, everyone is in agreement that these are issues we need to work on. If we can improve those three things, everyone will do better.

“Just like from my end of the state, a lot of industry has gone offshore,” he continued. “The thing that comes to my mind about this area is the environment and the beauty of nature. We need to draw on the strengths in our community. Making sure our children are educated and that there are opportunities for them to continue to stay in the area to raise their own families. My biggest goal is to reach out to those that have left communities and see what we can do to bring them back. It has been a learning experience. It all comes down to quality of life, adequate healthcare and a clean and beautiful community.”

Fitzhugh is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and served in the Air Force. If elected, he added he will carry on work with legislators on both sides of the aisle to promote positive change and progress for the state.

The public also had the opportunity to speak with Marty Olsen – First Congressional District U.S. House democratic candidate that is challenging incumbent Rep. Phil Roe in the upcoming election.

Olsen, from Johnson City, mentioned that prior to arriving at Dino’s, he was able to speak with downtown business owners about what can be done to help improve development.

“Our campaign is making significant progress,” he said. “It’s been great to hear the issues that are important to the citizens.”

The public can visit craigfitzhugh.com to learn more about Fitzhugh and how to get involvement. Visit olsenforcongress.com to learn more about Olsen’s campaign.