I’ve been on the road listening to and learning from Tennessean Republicans at Lincoln/Reagan Day dinners and other grassroots events. In every corner of our state I’ve had the opportunity to listen to the concerns, suggestions and priorities of people who care about our Party and our State.

Here’s what I’m hearing:

1. Tennessee Needs Vision – What I hear many in our party saying is that Tennessee’s next Governor not only needs to focus on the problems of today, but also look to the future. Tennessee needs a Governor with a bold and dynamic vision of what Tennessee can look like in 2020 and a specific plan that will take us there together. Growing and attracting the jobs of the future is job one.

2. Education is Key – Tennessee can’t be satisfied with being near the bottom of the stat sheet in education. We need to move out of the low 40s in the rankings and move up quickly. We know that we can do better. Better schools mean better jobs and higher-family incomes for all Tennesseans.

3. Constitutional Issues Can’t be Compromised – We must always stand firm on the constitutional issues of life, marriage and guns that protect our Tennessee way of life.

Please join our campaign and give me your feedback in person or through our web site as we work together to make Tennessee’s future even brighter. I look forward to seeing and visiting with you as I travel throughout our great state.

After traveling all around the state this past month, we already have what no other campaign has in all three grand divisions — the vision, energy, passion and support needed to create a better and brighter Tennessee for our children and grandchildren.

Now, thanks to the generous support and hard work by so many Tennesseans, we exceeded all expectations Monday night and raised more than $600,000 at an event in the Chattanooga home of Eileen and John “Thunder” Thornton. More than four dozen East Tennesseans co-hosted the event, and I’m honored that my good friend, former U.S. Senator Bill Brock, served as the honorary chair.

With hundreds of thousands more dollars in pledges both from this event and upcoming events, I am pleased to report that we are way ahead of where we expected to be so early in our campaign.

I am very grateful to leaders like Thunder Thornton and Bill Brock and to so many others who have generously contributed and pledged their early support to our campaign. I am especially grateful to all of those who have gone to our web site and contributed whatever amount, large or small, that they were able to donate in these tough economic times.

Make no mistake, the people of Tennessee will ensure that money alone will not decide the outcome of this race for Governor. We may not end up raising and spending the most money in this race, but we are confident we will meet our goals and be successful on Election Day.