Karie Adair, who is Tennessee’s first transgender woman running for office, has announced today that she will step down from the County Commissioner in Rutherford County race and place her full support behind fellow Democrat Jennifer Edwards.
Adair, who announced her run on Nov. 12, was running for the District 7 seat currently held by Mike Kusch. District 7 includes the Barfield and Salem communities in Rutherford County. Adair graduated from MTSU in 2009 and lives in Murfreesboro with her wife, Manda Turner-Adair.
When asked to comment further, Adair expressed, “I simply hope that I can find myself in a better place, one day, where I can step back up to the challenge of running for office and fighting for giving people a more direct voice in their local government.”
The Rutherford County primaries are on May 1. For more information on voting and upcoming elections, visit sos.tn.gov.
Read her full statement from her Facebook page below:
My dearest friends,
I make this announcement with a very heavy heart, but with the intention of respecting all that you have invested in me thus far, as far as hopes and time.
I am stepping down from the race for County Commissioner and giving my full support to fellow Democrat, Jennifer Edwards. I truly believe that Jennifer has what it takes to be a leader deeply connected to her community, ready to listen to the needs of her neighbors. I hope that you will offer her your full support, and step up to vote for her this year.
I am in a very difficult part of my life, where so much is changing for me on a daily basis, and there is so much that I am still struggling with. I believed I could make the commitment to being a representative of my community, but as my life stands at this point, there is far too much on my shoulders to assume such a great responsibility.
I will continue, in every capacity that I am able, to serve this community and stand up for the poorest, the ones most at risk, the ones who most need to be heard. I owe this county no less than that.
Thank you so much for your support.
Sincerely,
Karie Adair
