← Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
The Independent Plan to Flip Tennessee with Lauren Pinkston - Independent for Governor of Tennessee.
00:40:39
Tennessee looks like a red wall on the map. Look closer. Roughly 48% of eligible voters there are unaffiliated — the highest share in the country — and only a third of them bothered to show up last midterm. That's not apathy. That's the angry middle waiting for someone worth voting for. Lauren Pinkston, independent candidate for governor, joins Paul to make the case that 2026 is the year Tennessee breaks the one-party stranglehold, and she's got the math, the ground game, and the biography to back it up.
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- [00:00]
Lauren Pinkston
I have actively lobbied against legislation to close primaries here in Tennessee. And I remind people that, man, I lived in a communist country for five years. So I watched elections up close there, elections up close in dictatorships in other countries. And I don't want to see a one party state.
- [00:32]
Paul Rykoff
Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 553. I am your host, Paul Rykoff. It is Wednesday, June 17th. Around here we call that Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Wednesday because you never know what's going to happen in our world of politics, national security and culture. I'm coming to you from New York City, usa and the weather here is very nice and very happy. And the streets are closed because we got a huge parade happening here tomorrow. People are very happy, the energy is good. And I hope we can continue to share that energy with the country and with the world and with all of you on this show. Last night was another primary day across America. Another day when hundreds of thousands of independents were blocked from voting. Something we will continue to focus on on this show every single week. But today we are continuing our Meet the Independent Candidate series with a candidate who is running for governor of Tennessee that you will meet in just a second. She is compelling, she is inspiring, she is independent, and she'll be joining us in just a second. I'm going to bring you the five eyes that I bring you in every single show. Independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. And especially as we go into a summer of primaries and elections when so many independents are blocked out, when the parties rig the systems to discourage independents even from running, we are going to continue to bring light to contrast to heat. We are going to continue to elevate independent voices and we are going to help you stay inspired and stay vigilant. All right, today we are continuing our Meet the Independent Candidate series with the independent candidate for governor of Tennessee, Lauren Pinkston. Lauren is an independent. She is running on a campaign of reason over extremism, which I love. She's got a broad platform focusing on cost of living, education, infrastructure, accountability, rural communities and civil rights. She is a seventh generation Tennessean and talks about her background in starting a business with survivors of human trafficking, researching workforce gaps, leading nonprofits and advising global organizations. She's a powerful leader. I got to meet her just a couple weeks ago in person, but I'm happy she's joining us today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the great and powerful Lauren Pinkston. Welcome to Independent Americans, Lauren.
- [02:56]
Lauren Pinkston
Thank you, Paul. And your energy is incredible and I'm so grateful for the work you're doing in this space because there is definitely a realignment going on in national politics. And every conversation we have like this just helps affirm where the majority of voters really are right now.
- [03:11]
Paul Rykoff
Yeah, I mean, we got some new data on that yesterday that I want to get your reaction to as well. But I'm struck by your energy and your focus and your professionalism. You know, I think you're helping us break through with regard to the seriousness of independent candidates. Right. A lot of independent candidates in the past, especially in Tennessee, have been kind of gimmicks or fringes. You're really, I think, making a compelling case for somebody who's from there, who knows it and who can be a powerful leader. But let me ask you the first question I ask everyone. Where are you today, Lauren, and how are you?
- [03:42]
Lauren Pinkston
I am visiting my daughter today. So I'm on the road, but I am, I'm based in middle Tennessee, an hour south of Nashville, Phil. And I am having the time of my life. So had a great morning with my team and some meetings. But this is, this is a joy to do this. And I've, I'm in. I am, I truly am having the time of my life running this campaign.
- [04:03]
Paul Rykoff
So Tennessee is interesting and we're going to dig deeper into that. But one thing I want to pull out is you've got an independent mayor in Chattanooga who's been on this, on this show before, Mayor Kelly, who I think has been very effective. We've had Mayor Yemi Mobilotti in Colorado Springs. But can you talk about, you know, how you think about. I often have to tell people in the media, they say independents can't win. I said, well, they won, as you know, mayor of Chattanooga, they won as mayor of Colorado Springs, independents have won in Tennessee. And can you talk about what that means for your campaign and maybe what may be brewing below the surface across your state?
- [04:39]
Lauren Pinkston
I mean, this is baked into who we are as people. Andrew Jackson was an independent and was a third party candidate in his time. And then Davy Crockett walked away from him after he passed the Indian Removal act and said, I'm free to vote as my conscience dictates to be. Right. And he walked away. And so this is who we are as a people. And in the 250th anniversary of our country, I like to say that independence never goes out of style. So this is the year that we're in. This is what we're looking for right now.
- [05:08]
Paul Rykoff
I like it. We've been talking a lot about Independence Day which is coming up, will be a big one, but it's also Independence Day. Let me ask you to share with us and then we'll go deeper into Tennessee. Tell folks a little bit about yourself and who you are and why you've decided to make this big jump and run for public office and governor of Tennessee.
- [05:29]
Lauren Pinkston
Well, I grew up in rural West Tennessee, so small town, girl. My grandfather was a large farmer in the area and graduated from public school. School went on after I graduated from university, went to live in Memphis, where my husband was in medical school. We moved to South Carolina for his residency and I started my PhD program at Clemson University in International development. We moved to Southeast Asia, we moved to East Africa. So practiced, you know, international community development across cultures, across languages, and came back to the state that raised me and thought I, I can do if I can do this in a different language, I can do this right here at home. And I will say that coming back to Tennessee was prob. The most healing part of my entire life's journey because I got to be reunited with the people that raised me. And after having this global experience, it was being right here where people had instilled the values that had carried me across the world, still work. And I've been looking for a way to bridge all of those life experiences together. And this race was the chance to do that. I would not have jumped into this race if we didn't have a clear path to victory. So in Tennessee, where we had the lowest voter turnout in the entire country in the last election, the last midterm election, only 30, 43% of Tennesseans voted in that election. And I could not stand the thought of someone walking in to the governor's office having won about 4 to 5% of the primary vote in August, and just assuming that they get a seat to govern our state. And they needed a real competitor. And my likely competitors to the right and left are white women. I said, the only person who can go toe to toe with a white woman is a white woman. So here I am, and we're having fun.
- [07:10]
Paul Rykoff
I'm so fascinated by the race and I'm inspired by your candidacy. But also touching on this primary problem that I've been focused on a lot. I talked about it on CNN and other places. I'm going to talk more about it today when I go on television. And here on the show, we have a definite primary problem, and Tennessee is a really good example. But before we go deeper on that, let me ask you, why are you an independent and how do you define independent Lord?
- [07:34]
Lauren Pinkston
Intellectual honesty is one of the most important things to me and the freedom to think and act on my own is something that I've always carried with me. I have voted across ballots my entire life and have never registered with any party. And so here in Tennessee we have, I think we're one of seven states that still has a semi open primary system. And I have actively lobbied against legislation to close primaries here in Tennessee. And, and I remind people that, man, I lived in a communist country for five years, so I watched elections up close there, elections up close in dictatorships in other countries. And I don't wanna see a one party state that, that I live in because it doesn't represent us, it doesn't represent our values.
- [08:12]
Paul Rykoff
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- [13:19]
Lauren Pinkston
Absolutely. The beauty of my life experience is that I have this context that I can actually touch because of real world experience when it comes to being on the street and working with women who have been exploited for sex or being in, in interacting with mental health facilities, in advocating for one of my own kids with special needs, or in being with people in very wealthy parts of, of the country and of the world and being comfortable in those rooms as well and seeing how people with wealth are often treated. And I, I love what all Oliver Libby says in his book Strong Floors, no Ceilings. Like, we want to make sure that there's a strong, that nobody falls through, but we also want to make sure that there's not a ceiling of our innovation, there's not a ceiling on our wealth, because innovation drives so much of who we are and what we do. And I don't find any candidates that are protecting both of those at the same time.
- [14:10]
Paul Rykoff
I love that. I mean, when I, when I hear you talk, you know, it echoes a little bit what I heard from Mayor Kelly. There's a pragmatism to it, a practicality to the brand of, you know, Tennessee independent that you're putting forward, which I think is really important because I think that's where a lot of the country is. And another reason why I think, you know, your state is going to be so important here, you know, I ran some of the numbers, thanks to our friends at Independent Voter Project. Now, according to them, There are about 2 million independent voters in Tennessee, which is. Which could be 57.9% of the 24 turnout of all eligible voters. Right. So if their numbers are right, and these are, you know, estimates, 48% of folks in Tennessee are independent, which is actually the highest number. Republicans are about 33.7%. Democrats are down at 18.2%. So we've been talking a lot about how independents aren't the spoilers. The parties are actually the spoilers. They're spoilers in elections and they're spoiling our democracy. But can you talk about the demographic opportunity here. When I see those numbers, Tennessee looks like the perfect place for an independent candidate.
- [15:16]
Lauren Pinkston
That's right. I've been saying that to people in national politics for years. Don't count out Tennessee because not only do we vote in a very nonpartisan way, we're very educated as a state. We've been a traditionally very purple state. It's only in the last 10 years that you see the super majority creeping in and having such a stronghold in our legislature. And so we are primed for this. We're very non institutional in the way that we think. Anyways, we've got Appalachia on the east and we've got a very Progressive Nashville, Middle Tennessee. 70% of our nonpartisan votes are in middle Tennessee. And I will tell you, spending time in rural Tennessee, even in west Tennessee, where I was born and raised, people are so fed up. And for people of faith and people who have served this country, I find that it is people of faith and veterans who are the most open minded about an independent candidate because they have served or their values don't align on either side and they're looking for something different. And it is so refreshing to hear every day someone tell me, Lauren, I just can't wait to vote. I don't remember the last time that I couldn't wait to vote for someone. And that feels so good. It's not something that we've experienced in a while.
- [16:20]
Paul Rykoff
Well, it's someone with integrity. People want integrity and they want fighters and they want people who aren't beholden to the party bosses or to the billionaires. And that's the space you sit in. But let's talk about who you're running against and what you're running against. The primary is on August 6th. You'll have a Republican primary where it looks like Marsha Blackburn will win. And then you've got the Democratic primary for governor where last I checked, you've got a couple of candidates there. Atwater, Cyr, Greene, Kurtz, McCants. Curious to hear your analysis over there. And then there are a couple of independent candidates as well that don't seem to be getting the traction that you're getting. But can you talk about the primary, which again happening in August. Right. Like pick a time when you really don't want people to come out. You know, in many ways it becomes kind of a coronation for the Republican candidate. But you've got somebody in Marsha Blackburn that probably hasn't really been challenged. You got somebody on the left that probably has no chance in hell. But Talk to me, please, about how you see that primary race and how it's going to set the stage for you. Lauren?
- [17:22]
Lauren Pinkston
Yeah, I give my opponent, Monty Fritz, a lot of credit, actually. He was working really hard in rural Tennessee, and he's got some good traction there in rural parts of Tennessee. He calls himself a constitutionalist, but he wants to kick every Muslim out of the state and once to and supports the death penalty for people who have abortions. And so there, the freedom of religion is not a part of his platform. So I don't know how you call yourself a constitutionalist. I don't think that's going to fly. If Marsha Blackburn does win in the primary race, that's going to be a really powerful place for us because people are going to be looking for someone else. And I can say this as a woman and as a woman who has been a leader, it's hard for people to get behind a woman because they are. They have a lot of preconceived ideas. But if there is a woman at the top of the ballot, I think we're going to have another 2016 situation where people were really hesitant around Hillary Clinton. And so women just have a lot of hurdles to jump over. And so this was a race where I could offer another option to a woman who people have grown to strongly distrust. She was my congresswoman when I was in high school. I sang the national anthem for her when I was a sophomore in high school as a class president. And please don't ask me to sing that again ever in front of anyone. But, you know, we've been under her leadership for a very long time, and people are quite disillusioned and they're looking for a way off. And, you know, can I ask you
- [18:49]
Paul Rykoff
to pause there for a second? Have Trump made an endorsement in that race, or do you think that he will.
- [18:53]
Lauren Pinkston
He's announced that he will not be making an endorsement in that race. And Senator Blackburn and Congressman John Rose were on a plane with him a few months ago to Tennessee, and they have both been working really hard, very diligently, to show their loyalty to him. And he has said that he will not be endorsing in that primary.
- [19:14]
Paul Rykoff
Got it. Got it. Thank you. And over on the Democratic side, I mean, how do you assess the landscape over there?
- [19:19]
Lauren Pinkston
Yeah, it's fascinating. I'd say that City Councilwoman Jerry Greene has been working the hardest across the state, of course, and I have a lot of respect for her and I agree with a lot of her policies. I think that it's dishonest to try to invigorate a base when you know that there's not a path to victory for your party. And so in a recent beacon poll, only 60, I would say 6. What did the Beacon poll say? 62% of Democrats did not know who they were going to vote for. And she was almost tied with someone who had just jumped into the race after the party, the Democratic Party, had tried to keep him off of the ballot because he's also running for Senate. So there's some inner turmoil within the party. I don't want to run this, I'm not running this campaign against anyone. But I will say something fascinating has happened. The elected Democrats in Tennessee are very supportive of my campaign and the Republican voters are very supportive of my campaign. And so it's been really fascinating to kind of watch what has unfolded because elected Republicans are trying to act like I don't exist because they don't want to push anybody else in my way and let them know they have an option. And Democratic voters are nervous because they think that I'm going to steal votes from their candidate that doesn't have a path to victory. So it's been, it's been an interesting little dance here, but that's, that's kind of how things have shaken out.
- [20:36]
Paul Rykoff
Well, you're, you're, you're, you're dancing well. I mean, you're navigating this battlefield, I think, with tremendous dynamism. But let me ask you the question I ask everybody. What is your plan to win? How are you going to do this? Right? People are going to say, oh, you know, you're the spoiler. You have no shot. Independents have never won. What's your, what's your counter to that and what's your strategy to win?
- [20:56]
Lauren Pinkston
Lawrence we can win with 775,000 votes across the state in a state of almost 5 million voters. That is wild, right? That path alone is something that we have leaned heavily into. We have again, 70% of our votes are here in middle Tennessee where I live. And it's just the time we just have to continue telling the story that there's a sleeping giant that has been waiting to wake up. And it is the independent base. It is value centered voters who want their tax dollars to work for them. And sometimes that means even more progressive ide is than the Democratic Party, even though they vote Republican because they just want their vote. They want their tax dollars to vote to work for them. And I speak about that all the time. I can't stand the thought of a hard working Tennessean having their money just thrown away with zero respect. And that's what we're watching right now with the leadership that we have. It's weak and it's uninspiring. So we have a clear path to victory there with 775,000 votes.
- [21:58]
Paul Rykoff
Do you have a breakdown among that seminar? And that's so fascinating. It's so important. Right. Because frankly what we've seen, especially with the Democratic socialists in so many primaries lately is the game is rigged and they've figured out how to run it. You're going to see that in New York. You've seen that in Washington D.C. last night you had a primary that was open primaries, was supported by 70% of the population. But the Democrats in city council shut it down and now you'll have a very far left of center candidate. But you have a pathway here that you're articulating very clearly. How do you break down that 700,000 people by party affiliation or their lack of.
- [22:36]
Lauren Pinkston
So originally we assumed the majority of our voters would be Democratic, but it's been the opposite. I'd say 60 to 70% of the people who have come my way are Republicans who are tired and fed up with their party and don't find their place there anymore. And there's a large part of our voter base that has just not voted in the last 10 years. And so we're looking of course closely at them. 15% of Gen Z voted in Tennessee in the last midterm. So we are going back to every college campus after August when students are back on campus, going to our technical schools and really talking a lot to the next generation of voters who are looking for someone to get behind and they're the most likely to vote independent out of anyone in any age bracket.
- [23:17]
Paul Rykoff
Yeah, that's where it gets really exciting. Right. I keep saying the future is independent. If you look at all the latest numbers, including the CNN poll from yester, 60% plus of young people when they register for the first time are registering unaffiliated and independent. But part of the barrier is still primaries. I don't want to assume, but are you a supporter of open primaries? You're going to have a primary in August, which is an example in my view of how it's broken. Right. You're going to have the two parties dominating in a low turnout election that's likely to be dominated by the far left and the far right, which it almost always is. But can you talk about your position on open primaries and how we can make that system better?
- [23:54]
Lauren Pinkston
Yeah, absolutely. I am a spokesperson for Open Primaries, the organization, and have done a lot of training with them. I again have been spoken in testimony to our state legislature about trying to close primaries in Tennessee. And I speak often to the sacrifices that our veterans made in order to make sure that we all have the right to vote in Tennessee. So I am very much a proponent of open primaries. I had a Democrat attacking me yesterday about my voting history and was very clear that we have not had a competitive Democratic primary in my district in six years. And so I want to have, I want to have a say in who's going to govern me. And so I, I said, are you supportive of the Republican push to close primaries? And that shut that conversation down. I, I just think that it all falls apart really quickly. If every person doesn't have the right to vote for the people who will likely be their leaders, then we've lost the integrity of our Constitution and of the ideals that we've been upholding for so long.
- [24:49]
Paul Rykoff
So the big CNN poll, I covered it on the show yesterday. If folks didn't hear that or see that, go back and check it out. I'm gonna be talking about it a lot because I think it confirms what we know and what we've seen and what we've predicted on this show for five years, that the future is independent. But you're seeing the GOP is hemorrhaging, folks. And this might be an example of where you can pick up people who are disaffected by Trump. The left wing socialists, the Mamdani AOC Socialists, aren't going to do well in Tennessee. But can you drill down and tell us what you took away from that latest polling and what you're seeing? You know, Joe Rogan says we're politically homeless. I flip that and say we're politically free. We're not affiliated with these parties or beholden to these parties. And I think that's where more of America is. But they don't often have an option. Right? So they say they lean Democrat, they lean Republican because they usually don't have Lord Pinkston on the ticket. But what's your takeaway from that polling and the recent trend lines we've seen anymore?
- [25:44]
Lauren Pinkston
Yeah, I think you're exactly right. And it does take a special kind of candidate, someone who's willing to build infrastructure outside of the two party system. Somebody who's willing to work twice as hard. And I actually think that this is to my advantage rather than to my disadvantage because when I'm Watching from my competitors to the right and to the left. They're calling up their local party and they're saying, hey, I'm coming to Weekly county next Tuesday. Can you get people in the room? And that is such a weak way of, of talking to people who have already decided that they're going to vote for you anyways. Right? So to me, it's, it's putting out feelers. I was just on the call with my scheduler and saying, okay, we're going to this county next Friday. I'm going to look at the churches that I know in the area, connections that I have to those churches I'm going to. And I'm asking people, can I stay with you everywhere I go. We're not spending campaign dollars on hotel rooms like we are staying on people's couches on their floors like we are living this very much in the hands of voters. And we've had over 150 events with people who many times have never even been to an event, a political event at all, have never put a sign in their yard for a political candidate. And so we're building this completely outside of that two party structure. But as I said last week at an event, I don't think that people are looking for endorsements from a long serving candidate or, you know, someone who is a part of an endorsing agency. I think they're looking for an endorsement from their kid's pediatrician or teacher or someone in their church. And that means more to me than anything.
- [27:10]
Paul Rykoff
Lauren, can you talk about the barriers to entry? You know, we hear from so many candidates, the hardest part is just getting on the ballot. Can you talk about the tactical components that you've had to overcome, what you have to do to get on the ballot? You mentioned a little bit of the fundraising disadvantage. I hope we can help you with the media landscape and put you on more of a national footing. But talk about what you've had to go through and what you'll have to go through just to get on the playing field alongside the Democrats and Republicans.
- [27:36]
Lauren Pinkston
Well, you're right, every state is different. In Tennessee, I think the actual strategy has been to make the barrier so low that there is such a long list of independents that people have to go through there. So this shocks people. And I, for the candidates who are running, you know, nationwide, they can't believe it when I tell them this, but it took 25 signatures for me to get on the ballot. 25. Which means that we have a very long list of independents who have never been serious about running. And they just woke up one day and they thought, I think I'll run for governor. And then they never turned in a single report of any of their financing. We've raised over a quarter of a million dollars and haven't slowed down at all. But we, you know, are going to have to make sure that name recognition is completely covering the state so that people will look down that list of independents to find my name. And maybe I should have changed my name to end with an A before
- [28:25]
Paul Rykoff
I launched this campaign because when I pulled it, and again, I didn't even assume that they were all I got. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. I think eight independent candidates that were leased on Ballotpedia here. But with that low barrier to entry, will all those people be on the actual voting ballot?
- [28:46]
Lauren Pinkston
That is my understanding. And I've got some calls into the Secretary of State's office to ask if they've never turned in a finance report to me, they should not be allowed to be on the ballot, but if they're not going through their own reporting standards. But we'll see, we'll see what happens. But I'm reaching out to as many of them as I can to ask for their support and to really put all independents together.
- [29:09]
Paul Rykoff
Lauren, any word on what the debate stages could look like? Given all that, you're obviously going to be ahead of the pack on the independents, and I hope you're fundraising and your grassroots support will be quantified in some way. Usually they do polling as a standard, but do you have any sense of what the debate landscape could look like
- [29:27]
Lauren Pinkston
in the fall, depending on who wins in the primaries? There's one candidate who is likely never going to appear on a primary on a debate stage. And I have had a hard time reaching her or my competitor to the left and asking them to run a disagree, better campaign. So we have asked them both, we've contacted their campaigns three times to create some media with me, just about how we will run our campaigns and stay focused on issues, not on attacking one another, and could not get an answer from them. So it'll be interesting to see. There's not a, there's not a strong precedent for debates in Tennessee politics, unfortunately, and, but people are looking for them and that's why we're using social media really, really strategically. We're pushing, we're trying to push three original pieces of content every single day to talk to people across, across the spectrum.
- [30:17]
Paul Rykoff
You're doing great. And I mean, you're, you're really strong on TikTok, you're getting to people. You know, we've seen you everywhere and I think that that's really important. Can you talk about where you think the outrage is in the state around the issues that have dominated the national conversation, in particular the war in Iran. Gas prices are slamming you in Tennessee, diesel prices are slamming you down there. I assume the tariffs have hit you pretty hard as well. And then you've also got the immigration issue. But talk about the outrage that you're seeing. And at least what I've seen nationwide is people across the board are pissed off about this war in Iran, especially because how it's impacting gas prices and they want stronger voices on those issues. But what are you seeing in Tennessee so far?
- [31:00]
Lauren Pinkston
Yeah, the war in Iran is, definitely has impacted the cost of a lot of things, but it is the cost of living and just the ability to live in a state where for so long we were one of the most affordable states to live in. That is not true anymore. In the last, in a recent list of the 10 top livable and affordable cities in the nation, there was no city in Tennessee that was there. So we have had this massive boom when Silicon Valley started moving to Texas and Tennessee and Florida for our tax havens. It has impacted our housing market remarkably. And in my county, we've seen housing go up 104% in one year and the average income has gone up about 2 to 4%. So, you know, people have just been priced out of living here. And with the tariffs, of course, you know, the, the ability to run your family farm is, is no longer a reality unless you can pivot. And so that's been a huge challenge for us as an agriculturally rich state. But the cost of housing is what everyone is angry about. And our $83 billion road infrastructure backlog that can't wait to inherit that one. But there's definitely been a national focus on politics where the real life, where the rubber hits the road here in our state. No one's really talking about that at the political level in our state government. And so people are feel that. And data centers, data centers are at the core of people's minds. And I think that a response to that is going to be a huge determinant for our election in November.
- [32:25]
Paul Rykoff
So the one thing we haven't really talked about is that five letter word Trump. Independent candidates are approaching him in a lot of different ways. But what's your take here? I mean, he dominates every conversation. He's dominating the national priorities on everything from knocking down the White House, to changing the reflecting pool, to potentially hitting Cuba. You can't ignore him. He is literally the elephant in the room, in every single room. What's your answer to people when they say, you know, what's your stance on Trump?
- [32:57]
Lauren Pinkston
It is my joy and my honor to say his name as few times as possible on this campaign trail because he gets so much media and there is so much of our money that he has wasted through these policies over the last few years that we are going to have to rebuild after he has gone. But I do find that people who voted for him for the last 10 years, three times are looking for an off ramp. And it's not going to be towards someone who's pointing a finger at them and yelling at them and telling them that this is all their fault. Because honestly, the people that I talked to, I spoke with a woman yesterday who's a brilliant nurse, and she said, lauren, I was in tears, she was in tears telling me the story about her voting in 2016. And she said, I was standing in the polling booth and I honestly did not know who I was going to vote for walking into that room, that polling booth. And I was sick to my stomach checking a box beside his name. But I was so afraid that if someone was going to force me to abort a baby as a nurse, then I was going to be stuck losing my profession because of the values that I, that I didn't share with the other side. And that is where so many people have found themselves. They're single issue voters and they have tried to justify their vote for a decade and they can't do it anymore. And now they're ready to walk away and somebody needs to catch them. And that's why I'm here.
- [34:15]
Paul Rykoff
I think this is a really important issue for independents to focus on and to emphasize because a lot of Trump voters are ready to leave Trump, but they're not going to vote for Democrats.
- [34:23]
Lauren Pinkston
That's right.
- [34:23]
Paul Rykoff
That's two steps they need. One step off of the Trump train. And an independent who's compelling, who's talking about values, who has integrity, who can talk about faith, who comes from their community, is going to be the most likely off ramp, if that's what we're going to call it. Right. Let me ask you one final question, if I can, Lauren. You know, you're a parent, you've been fighting for kids and people who have been disadvantaged your whole life. But I feel like in this moment especially, kids don't really have a voice and they're kind of lost in the sauce. But can you talk about, you know, your perspective as a parent and as someone who's fought for kids and how that's going to guide your candidacy for governor?
- [35:02]
Lauren Pinkston
Well, you're exactly right. And kids don't have a voice because we have children that are running the state, running the state of Tennessee and our state government. We need an adult in the room. We need a parent in the room. There have not been children living in the governor's mansion since Lamar Alexander was our governor. And so we have a long way to go. But we do need an adult who's willing to focus on legislation that focuses on our children. That means expanding the number of options that we have in our public school system so that they're not cookie cutter schools. And we have kids with a variety of needs and disabilities and learning styles to be able to access Montessori school and nature school and steam schools through the public school system that we have in Tennessee. That means making sure that cell phones are banned in schools from bell to bell so that kids can turn their brains off and really focus on what's going on. Going back to some of the basics around education, Teachers are asking for textbooks and paper and pencil. Yes, we have to teach our kids about AI and we have to give them the tools that will lead them into the future. But we have to be talking about the way we're addressing mental health and the way that we are addressing the future for our kids and leaving them with an economy that they will never survive in. If 7Tech continue to amass the kind of wealth that we'd never seen in the entire world, what will be their future? Because we're looking at companies now and men and women who are so rich that they aren't just coming in and buying our farmland. They can come and buy our entire counties if they want to. And we have to decide who is going to be the adult in the room. And you're exactly right. We need a parent who is going to be protecting the future for our kids.
- [36:31]
Paul Rykoff
You're awesome. And I think you're such an important voice for our movement because you're really a multi sport athlete. You can talk about everything. I'm glad we're focusing on education and we talk about roads and talk about a lot of areas where the rubber meets the road. I offer this to every candidate in our Meet the Independent Candidate series. I'll give you 30 seconds or a minute. Why should everybody in Tennessee support you? And beyond Tennessee, Independent Americans all across this country and around the world are looking for fighters. Why should they spend their time, their money, their hours on you?
- [37:03]
Lauren Pinkston
I really believe that of all the states in the country, Tennessee has what it takes to make this happen. And I think that our people are prepared and are ready to do what the rest of the country is looking for. So we need to change the narrative that an independent can't win, because in this political climate, they absolutely can. And we couldn't do what we're doing right now two years ago. I don't think we can do it two years from now. So this is the year, and this is the moment to step in. People are fed up, they're exhausted, and they're looking for hope. And yes, hope is not a strategy. But by golly, we all need some hope right now. And it. It does motivate us to pull together. So whether you're in Tennessee or outside of Tennessee, it would be wonderful to have you jump in and support the campaign, because I really believe Tennessee is the state that can make this happen. We did it for women's suffrage. We did it for the civil rights movement. We're going to do it again in 2026.
- [37:49]
Paul Rykoff
Hell, yeah. I love it. I love it. And I'm going to remind everybody you've done it in Chattanooga. I mean, there is an example of what success looks like. A mayor who's been reelected, who's been a unifier, who's been very pragmatic, who's been a guest on this show. I hope we'll come back again soon. But, Lauren, you are bringing home and you're bringing fire and you're bringing fight, and you're bringing experience, and I think you're bringing a voice of reason that Tennessee needs and this country needs. So I hope everyone listening will spread the word about your campaign. We'll link to it in the show notes. I encourage everybody to volunteer, donate, and spread the word because you are such an effective communicator that I want to put you. I want to see you up against others who are challenging the viability of independence. There's such a. A exciting, formidable group of independent leaders this time.
- [38:37]
Lauren Pinkston
Yes.
- [38:38]
Paul Rykoff
You know, and 2026, we're not messing around. We got some real superstars, and I think you're one of them. So I'm grateful for your leadership. Thank you for joining me. I hope you come on again soon. Maybe after the primary back on again and we can dig into the latest.
- [38:51]
Lauren Pinkston
That's great. Wonderful. Thanks for doing this. Thanks for bringing all of us together and for highlighting and platforming. Good candidates. And I just am so grateful for what you do. It's been a joy to be with you.
- [39:01]
Paul Rykoff
Awesome. Thank you. All right, her name is Lauren Pinkston. She's running as the independent for governor in Tennessee. You need to follow this, folks. You need to see what's going on in Tennessee. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it far and wide with people in Tennessee, but anywhere, who need some hope, who need some inspiration, who are looking for independent fighters because we got them. I'm going to keep bringing them to you every week. Invite others to declare their independence. We're not homeless. We're not tribeless. We're free. So stay vigilant, my friends, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. No, you're not alone in your vigilance. We're all vigilant. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning into Independent Americans. I will be on News Nation today. I will be on Ms. Now, I'll be again on CNN and others. And tomorrow I will bring you some coverage from the Knicks celebration parade here in New York City, which will be some more hope. An example of teamwork and unity that I hope can inspire the country and the world world as we go into it, what will be a very, very dynamic summer. Happy Wednesday. We'll see you next time. Stay vigilant America tells me the left
- [40:05]
Narrator/Outro Voice
and right Our dreams for those without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow and it's not cool to believe in school but if I can say one thing I've seen the children of the revolution and the good trouble they can bring he says the red and blue identity depends the clues an island in the sea of rhetoric and I can rally go he tells me the left and right Our dreams with those without a clue and when you wait it's time to grow Power by righteous media.