Outgoing District 30 State Representative Marc Gravitt issued the following statement today regarding the Republican Primary for the District 30 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

“Until now, I have strived to maintain a neutral position about my support on who should serve the citizens of southeast Hamilton County as the next State Representative in District 30. This is why I have attended events for both Republican candidates in order to show my neutrality.

“Part of a State Representative’s position is to build bridges, not to tear them down. You work to build relationships, not destroy them simply because people do not agree with you on a particular issue. Most importantly, you must listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision on what is best for the citizens of District 30.

“The Republican primary for the District 30 seat has gotten extremely negative, some would say outright ugly. A candidate should run on the issues, not slamming their opponent. Unfortunately, that is the direction all campaigns have gone – federal, state and local.  I want MY State Representative to run on the issues, not tear down the other person with personal attacks.

“Therefore, I have made the decision to join former State Representative for District 30, Vince Dean, in endorsing Esther Helton to serve the citizens of District 30.  Both of us have served this community for years and truly understand what kind of person we need in Nashville.  Esther has a servant’s heart, and I know she will work tirelessly for the citizens of Hamilton County.

“Lastly, I encourage my fellow Republicans to get out and vote in this important election as every vote will matter in this race along with many others in Hamilton County. Early Voting continues through Saturday, July 28, and Election Day is Thursday, Aug. 2.”