Rep. Steve McManus Will Not Challenge Kelsey For Stanley Seat
Posted on August 17, 2009 at 1:07 pmThe path is getting cleared for the brash, young Representative from Germantown to become the next state Senator from the 31st district.
David Pickler, the financial services adviser and longtime chairman of the Shelby County School Board, elected over the weekend not to make the run and now Rep. Steve McManus has announced that he will not stand in the way of Kelsey either.
That pretty much eliminates all “serious” opposition for Kelsey.
The word from the man himself in an email sent minutes ago:
Fellow Tennesseans,
It is with the most profound sense of gratitude for the support from the hundreds of citizens, public servants, and business leaders from across the state that I have decided against seeking the Republican nomination for the vacant State Senate seat representing District 31.
Almost four years ago, I was humbled to receive the trust of thousands of citizens from Cordova, Germantown, and Memphis and was sent to Nashville to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Since that time, I have been given the opportunity to use my decades of experience in the financial services industry to work in the hopes of helping guide our county and our state through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
As Secretary of the House Commerce Committee and member of Finance Ways and Means and Fiscal Review Committees, my concentration on economic progress and stability is given adequate weight to make a difference for every Tennessean concerned about losing their home, their job, or their savings for retirement or their child’s education. With the certainty that next year’s budget will be much more challenging for the government and people of our state, I feel that my attendance in the House of Representatives is of a particular importance.
My contribution as a member of the General Assembly lies in my comprehensive knowledge of the economy. If I can better help the people of Tennessee emerge through this recession through service in the House of Representatives, than it is in that body that I will stay until I feel our state is as financially stable as possible.
With a spirit of service,
Steve McManus
State Representative
SEE ALSO:
Memphis Daily News
The Memphis Flyer
Comments
8 Responses to “Rep. Steve McManus Will Not Challenge Kelsey For Stanley Seat”
Be careful what you wish for, because Senator Brian Kelsey = 50D, 49R in the State House, courtesy of the Shelby County Commission (8D, 5R).
Then let’s see if any of that BS gets to the floor next spring.
Not for long, Steve. Special election will put an R back in that seat. Plus, Republicans are poised to pick up Cobb’s seat in the special election.
At any rate, a flip in which party holds a one-seat majority even temporarily would not affect the leadership - Kent Williams was elected (ugh) for a two-year term as Speaker, and the committee leaderships and memberships only change if he changes them.
I hate to agree with Hobbs… really hate it, but the only thing this is likely to do is make people in germantown and east memphis more fumin’ mad at the democrats that run the county com., and give one of their friends a sweet heart deal of job
Um, not so fast, my friends. Look at the timeline here. special election for 31 is December 3, IIRC, which gives a few days for certification, which doesn’t happen until mid-December, at which point a vacancy is declared. Then, just before Christman, the SCC appoints a Democrat, much to the screams of rage of the GOP.
Bredesen has two options here: 1) call for a special election, which would make the primary, let’s say, mid-March, with the general in late April or early May, by which time the session is over. Also, considering it will be Bredesen’s last session, he could determine that it makes no sense to force Shelby countians to pay for a special election for someone who will only serve three or four weeks.
Ramsey could stomp his feet and cry, but Williams won’t and it will all be moot.
50-49 D, folks. is Senator Kelsey worth it to you?
Steve,
AGREED. Kelsey has put the entire Republican majority at risk for his own political gain. That just shows how much he cares about other people…
If the Special Election for the Senate seat is Dec. 3, that’s within a year of the next election for the House. That means the appointee will serve until the next regularly scheduled election.
I also hear Ty Cobb is going to win the special election for his brother’s seat.
Thanks for the assist, OGB, that proves Senator Kelsey = 50D, 49R, oops, make that 50D, 48R, 1CCR.
The primary is all that counts. If Kelsey wins it then he resigns his house seat and baring some crazy funny business from Bredesen (which is not his style) the election to fill the House seat will be around Feb. Befor they start voting on anything big.
It is also possible that he has no “real” opposition and resigns early.