Stewart Not Yet A No On Race For Party Chair
Posted on November 12, 2008 at 10:29 amWith Gray Sasser today making clear he will in fact depart the Tennessee Democratic Party, the race for Chair can now officially begun.
Chip Forrester, the current party Treasurer has put his name out there and Ken Whitehouse has reported that former Obama state political director Jerry Martin as well as attorney Charles Robert Bone are also feeling the race out.
Post Politics has been hearing another name people have been tossing about in regards to this race and that is newly elected state Representative Mike Stewart.
Stewart, a Waller attorney, recently ran a successful and well-funded race against a fellow progressive for the state House seat of the retiring Rob Briley. Word is that folks have been encouraging Stewart to make a run for party chair and Stewart doesn’t deny, via email, there has been some interest.
“I have been approached to run by people who know about my longtime interest in grassroots campaigns. I have not said no, but I am focused on serving as a Representative for District 52 and being a loyal member of the House Democratic Caucus,” stated Stewart.
While this a far cry from throwing his hat in, if he were to say yes, he does not believe that serving simultaneously as a legislator and party chair would be an insurmountable obstacle, as some, citing recently passed ethics laws, have suggested.
“Rep. Harwell served as Republican Chair, so it is doable. However, it only works if Party leaders, and in particular the House Leadership, decide that it makes sense,” Stewart explained.
Comments
3 Responses to “Stewart Not Yet A No On Race For Party Chair”
Don’t tell anyone at the Nashville Scene…
Some people are greedy.
I like the idea of Obama’s guy getting the job. He may have some clout getting the Prez and national Party funds here.
Oh, come on. Since when is it ever going to be anyone other than Bredesen’s handpicked boy?
Although the revolving door will finally shut in 2010. Shame that it’ll probably take losing the Governorship to make the powers that be in TN Dem circle realize what they’ve done to the Party brand in this state (nothing good).