photo by Joseph Dycus
Senatorial candidate Manny Sethi opened his Chattanooga office on Wednesday afternoon, and did so flanked for former Congressman Zach Wamp. Dr. Sethi is attempting to fill the void left by the retiring Lamar Alexander, who has represented Tennessee since 2003. The orthopedic trauma surgeon is running against Bill Hagerty, who has an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Mr. Wamp actually saw the lack of a presidential endorsement as a positive for the Sethi campaign.
“Well one thing is that Mr. Hagerty is a good man, but he’s the establishment candidate. There’s no doubt about who is supporting him and where he is coming from. The true citizen legislator and true outsider is a surgeon named Dr. Manny Sethi. He didn’t strategize a decade ago about 'how can I become a United States senator and how can I maneuver my way through this thing?' ”
Mr. Wamp said, "Article one says Congress has its job to do, and we don’t need any more cheerleaders for the president. We need rugged individuals representing Tennessee who will stand on their own two feet and stand on Tennessee’s best interests, and not just what the president wants to do.”
“There are three reasons why I am endorsing Dr. Manny Sethi for Senate,” said ex Congressman Wamp. “He is the true conservative in this race, and he will stand for fiscal responsibility when so many others have buckled. He is authentic and he will represent the people of Tennessee, not the establishment, in every decision he makes. Finally, he belongs to a new generation of conservatives who have the chance to lead our country to greater freedom and prosperity. We need more political outsiders and citizen legislators like Dr. Manny Sethi in the US Senate, and that is why I am proud to endorse him.”
“I am grateful to have the support of Congressman Zach Wamp, a true conservative leader in our state and a great representation of East Tennessee,” said Dr. Sethi. “Zach has spent his life fighting for our conservative principles and I’m humbled to have his vote and his support.”
Dr. Sethi cited healthcare as one of his points of emphasis as a senatorial candidate. He advocated for a movement away from a reliance on China for medical supplies and gear. Dr. Sethi also called the Republicans’ inability to repeal Obamacare as “the greatest broken political promise in our country’s history” and laid out his alternative healthcare plan.
“We need a free market-based plan that focuses on pricing transparency on an individual insurance market on paying for prevention,” said Dr. Sethi. “So I do believe as a physician, I am uniquely positioned for this time. But the bottom line is that I don’t think we need any more Washington insiders. It’s time for folks from outside of government, and that’s why I’m running.”
Dr. Sethi also spoke candidly about his family’s background as immigrants, and championed for stricter immigration laws.
“I think illegal immigration is a huge problem that continues in our country,” said Dr. Sethi. “We need to end chain-based migration and we need a merit-based system. We need to end birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants.”
Former congressman Wamp told those in attendance that Dr. Sethi is part of a new and more diverse generation of conservatives, along with Tim Scott and Nikki Haley and a few others. Dr. Sethi did not see race as being a possible issue for him as he campaigns through the state.
“Our name was a little different and my parents had an accent, but nobody ever made us feel (unwelcome),” said Dr. Sethi about his growing up in rural Tennessee. “That’s the problem with our country today, brother. People and our younger generation don’t see it like that. I see what brings us together and that’s what Tennesseans want. Rural Tennesseans and people across the state don’t’ care if you’re black, white, green, or purple. They want someone who is going to fight for them and be there for them, not someone who is going to sell out to the Washington swamp. So I don’t think it matters.”
Dr. Sethi is traveling across Tennessee over the coming weeks, and he stated his goal is to visit every county in the state as he campaigns. Aside from Chattanooga, the Sethi campaign is setting up offices in most major cities in the state.
“We are opening offices in the Tri-Cities, in Jackson, Knoxville, Memphis, and my home county of Manchester,” said Dr. Sethi. “If you are truly represent every Tennessean, you need to shake every hand and meet every voter, because that’s what people want and that’s what I want people to expect of me.”