Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate Casey Nicholson takes website live

Dr. Casey Nicholson of Greeneville, who announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Tennessee on Aug. 19, has now published his campaign website at www.caseynicholson.com
The new site features sections on Nicholson’s background and biography, his policy positions and platform and a donation portal where folks can now donate to the campaign either online or by mailing a check.
Nicholson, 43, is an ordained minister who decided to run for Governor after taking exception with current Governor Bill Lee’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. In Facebook posts since his campaign announcement, Nicholson has called for Governor Lee to opt to return Tennessee to mitigation strategies that were in effect in early 2021 as the state attempts to combat the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19.
In a statement, Nicholson said, “Today I’m once again calling on Governor Lee to instruct the departments and agencies of the State of Tennessee to resume virus mitigation strategies that were in place in the early part of this year. I’m not suggesting that we should shut down the state or close businesses, and I’m not in favor of returning to the same restrictions that were in place in March and April 2020. Rather, I believe that we should simply go back to the widespread use of masks coupled with social distancing and intentional cleaning regimens that were common in early 2021. We need that from the public and a return to the tier-based mitigation system that was in effect on a county-by-county basis earlier in the pandemic. We know that the delta variant of the virus spreads much more rapidly than the original strain of COVID-19, and we know that masks, social distancing, and good hygiene practices work to stop the spread of the virus. And, of course, we need to continue to do everything in our power to get people vaccinated, including the ongoing effort to vaccinate teenagers. Bill Lee chose to reopen Tennessee schools with virtually no safety precautions despite new guidance from the CDC on July 28th, and he pulled the plug on vaccine outreach to minors in the summer before school began. A month later, we have children on ventilators throughout the state, several Tennessee teachers have died from the virus, and our ICU’s are filled to capacity across the state with most hospitals fearing that they will have to resort to triage plans. Bill Lee’s plan to let everyone figure this thing out for themselves has failed, and I’m praying that Lee changes course now before more lives are lost.”
Nicholson had been calling for Lee to take action before he made his decision to run for governor. Then, on Aug. 16, Governor Lee instituted an executive order undermining local public school boards ability to enact mask policies aimed at keeping students and teachers from spreading the virus and ultimately contributing to community spread. Nicholson announced his campaign for Governor three days later. On Sept. 3, Tri-Cities NBC affiliate WCYB reported that the Johnson City School System saw an immediate flattening of student coronavirus rates the day after the system implemented a mask mandate. Two weeks into the new mask policy student virus rates remained flat despite steadily rising in the first two weeks of school.
In less than three weeks since announcing his campaign, Nicholson has grown to have a few hundred people following him on Facebook and Twitter, and his campaign website is fully funded by first round campaign donors. The new site offers Nicholson’s policy positions on not just COVID-19, but also guns, abortion, marijuana legalization, LGBT issues, public education, and more.
Nicholson’s Aug. 19 campaign announcement can be found at https://m.facebook.com/caseynicholson/photos/a.1101262026669775/4043147169147898/?_rdr.