Van Hilleary, Republican gubernatorial candidate, held a press conference in Memphis today, answering a letter from Democrat Phil Bredesen by proposing a series of at least 10 flatbed truck debates between himself, the Democrat nominee, and independent candidate Edwin Sanders.
Hilleary said that if he is elected the Republican gubernatorial nominee, he will run a campaign "that takes my message straight to the people at the grassroots level."
"If I am elected to be the Republican nominee on Thursday, I will continue to take my positive message straight to the people. I started out this campaign at the kitchen table of a family in Bluff City, and I plan to take this campaign to the small towns and communities that cover Tennessee. That's why I'm proposing a series of debates set on the back of a flatbed truck, parked in the town squares of communities across our state."
Hilleary also challenged Bredesen to make an "unqualified and binding commitment" to follow Tennessee's campaign finance laws, limiting candidates' personal contributions to their campaigns. Hilleary said he agrees with Bredesen's statement that the issues facing Tennessee are far too important to confine public dialogue to paid television and radio advertising.
"That's why I am challenging you, should you be the nominee, to make an unqualified and binding commitment today to abide by Tennessee's campaign finance laws, agreeing to limit your own personal contribution to your campaign to the legal maximum of $250,000 in the general election," Hilleary said. "You have said in the past that your personal net worth is at least $100 million. The people of Tennessee will certainly be better served if you choose to make a binding commitment right now to a grassroots campaign that is not dependent on using that wealth in violation of the state's campaign finance laws."
Hilleary stressed the importance of providing voters from all regions and walks of life with "an unfiltered view of who we are and what we stand for."