MEMPHIS, Tennessee — "This movement has spread and it can light Tennessee on fire to make history," (D) Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Marquita Bradshaw said.
Thursday night, Bradshaw celebrated her U.S. Senate primary win and reflected on her mother's influence.
"Her and a network of people across the United States in the environmental justice movement - they were my mentors. They prepared me," Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw continued her mother's activism in nearly a dozen groups, including the Sierra Club and as a founding member of 'Youth Terminating Pollution.'
The single mother grew up near a toxic Superfund site.
"It made me stay true to south Memphis, knowing that I have to tell the truth of what happened in my community," Bradshaw said.
In Bradshaw's first run at any elected office, she chose a statewide race, won, made national headlines, and shocked the political world.
"What's surprising about someone telling the truth and wanting to work with people?" Bradshaw said.
"The one thing about Marquita that I remember is her passion spilled through her voice," Leaders of Color National Director Mike Bland said.
Bland met Bradshaw last year when she graduated from the Leaders of Color program, which recruits minority candidates.
Bland couldn't be prouder as Bradshaw made history as the first Black woman to win a statewide primary.
"There are little girls all over the state of Tennessee, in Memphis, in Chattanooga, in Knoxville, who now see Marquita Bradshaw and say, 'I can do this'," Bland said.
Bradshaw now faces Republican Bill Hagerty in November's U.S. Senate general election.
"I'm looking forward to this fight and it couldn't be more at stake right now. We've got to stand up to the radicals in Washington that want to push off the cliff into socialism," Hagerty said Thursday night at his victory party.
The former ambassador to Japan also thanked President Donald Trump for his support.
"It's not just my election here to become your next U.S. Senator, we have to send Donald Trump back to the White House for four more years," Hagerty said.
