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Chris Devaney Is The New TNGOP Chairman

By Kleinheider Posted on May 30, 2009 at 2:19 pm

Sen. Corker’s State Director Chris Devaney was elected chairman of Tennessee’s state Republican Party at the downtown Sheraton today in a squeaker of an election defeating current party treasurer Oscar Brock on the second ballot 28 to 25 with one write-in vote.

A third candidate, Rep. Eric Swafford was eliminated on the first ballot. Devaney will succeed Robin Smith in the role.

The campaign was briefly marred by accusations of financial mismanagement on the part of the current chairman as well as former Executive Director Devaney. Current Chief of Staff Mark Winslow was eventually moved to send an email to SEC members squashing the whisper campaign.

On the endorsement front, former Congressman Van Hilleary and National Committeeman John Ryder blessed the candidacy of Brock implying that other candidates might be biased in the upcoming governor race.

Devaney, meanwhile, boasted former Gov. Winfield Dunn as a supporter.

Devaney was a top aide to former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson and served as Executive Director of the Tennessee Republican Party under chairman Bob Davis. He and his wife Heather have four children and live in Chattanooga.

UPDATE:
Dru Fuller (FT: Devaney photo)
Andy Sher
The Associated Press
Chattanoogan
The official TNGOP release

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Comments

12 Responses to “Chris Devaney Is The New TNGOP Chairman”

  1. Heatseeker writes
    May 30th, 2009 2:33 pm

    The country club establishment beats the grassroots again. Guess Haslam is smiling.

  2. Devaney Wins: The Official TNGOP Press Release : Post Politics: Political News and Views in Tennessee writes
    May 30th, 2009 3:31 pm

    [...] The country club establishment beats the grassroots again…. [...]

  3. Mike Samoose writes
    May 30th, 2009 4:08 pm

    Heatseeker your analysis is incorrect.

  4. Joe Lance writes
    May 30th, 2009 4:10 pm

    I’m not sure how to interpret Heatseeker’s comment. I wouldn’t call either of the frontrunners in this race “grassroots,” in the sense that they are both very well established in the state party. Would Heatseeker have made the same comment if Oscar Brock had won?

    Also, what has Mayor Haslam smiling, exactly? I mean, as opposed to Lt. Gov. Ramsey, or Congressman Wamp? Again, aren’t all of these guys part of the establishment? What’s so very different about Haslam?

  5. Heatseeker writes
    May 30th, 2009 4:17 pm

    Ah, come on. You guys know what a load of crap you are shovelling. Chris is Corker, Lamar! establishment. They are the Baker wing of the party - the Haslam wing. Who is the chair of the Haslam campaign?

    Brock and Swafford are from the ideological wing of the party. Ideology lost.

  6. Donna Locke writes
    May 30th, 2009 5:01 pm

    I don’t know why I can’t get excited about this. But then, I’m just a redneck girl.

  7. TennRod writes
    May 30th, 2009 7:37 pm

    Were Alexander and Corker for Devaney? The state’s two statewide elected Republicans? The leaders of the Republican Party in Tennessee? Do you mean that, in the REPUBLICAN Party (as opposed to my party, the Democrats), the Executive Committee actually listens to, respects and follows their elected leadership? What a concept. Maybe my EC will try that sometime.

  8. Oscar Brock Congratulates His New Chairman : Post Politics: Political News and Views in Tennessee writes
    May 30th, 2009 10:27 pm

    [...] Chris Devaney Is The New TNGOP Chairman [...]

  9. Southern Beale writes
    May 31st, 2009 3:11 pm

    Oh wow, they picked a white guy! What a surprise!

  10. Perry writes
    May 31st, 2009 3:40 pm

    Hey SB, isn’t Chip Forrester a white guy? Wasn’t Gray Sasser a white guy? How is it the Dems, a party that boasts of such diverse membership, can’t find a minority to lead them here in Tennessee? At least the Republicans have had a woman in charge.

  11. Southern Beale writes
    May 31st, 2009 7:18 pm

    Yeah but Barack Obama is NOT a white guy! Nyah nyah nyah!!!!!!

  12. Anonymous writes
    May 31st, 2009 8:06 pm

    But SB, you didnt answer the questions -

    Is Chipster white?
    Is Gray Sasser White?
    Is there not a single minority in the whole state of Tennessee that the Dems can find for a leader?
    And wasn’t the last leader of the TN Rep party a (minority) woman, who kicked the Dems ass?

    And, finally, on the Barack thing, you are only half right.

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