Today Is Ramsey Day
Posted on March 5, 2009 at 10:35 amThe Lt. Governor is believed to making official today what Ken Whitehouse told you a week ago.
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Rep. Lincoln Davis A No For Governor
Posted on January 29, 2009 at 7:17 pmA presser confirms what everyone had pretty much figured:
After discussions with family and friends, and spending some time alone in prayer, I have come to the conclusion that I can be of better service to the state I love by remaining in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Anyone seeking a higher office has to consider not only what they can do in their new position, but what they give up for the people they represent. As a new member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will have a significant opportunity to practice fiscal responsibility of our nation’s finances and assure the priorities of my rural constituents are heard loud and clear. This recent appointment is an opportunity for the district I represent that I could not easily turn away from. Moreover, I can continue making sure Oak Ridge National Lab, Arnold Air Force Base, the University of Tennessee Space Institute and other regional needs have committed representation in Washington.
I believe our future Governor will need to be a good manager of our state’s resources, be a good ambassador, and surround him or herself with people of good character. Additionally, our State Constitution says that every child should be afforded equal access to a good education, which I hope will be the centerpiece of the incoming administration. Governor Bredesen has done an exceptional job given the mess he inherited and our current economic troubles.
My decision not to run for Governor does not take away from my unflinching commitment to the state of Tennessee, where I have spent my entire life. I will continue to travel the state, and seek out ways for me to best serve the people of Tennessee.
While Davis had more or less said before the start of even the 2008 election cycle that he would likely be a candidate for Governor in 2010, recent events indicated he probably would not, in fact, be a candidate.
As cited in the presser, Davis’s appointment to the powerful Appropriations Committee certainly played a big role. Other factors likely to have affected his decision was the historic (almost) handover of the state legislature to the Republicans and the handover of his own party to a radical band of Obama activists in stark rebuke of his wishes.
Also, the unfortunate verbal gaffe of his chief of staff, Beecher Fraiser, over then candidate Obama’s alleged “terrorist connections” and the resulting fallout probably didn’t help either.
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Could She Go And Do It Again
Posted on September 25, 2008 at 7:26 amOne of the big factors which benefited Marsha Blackburn back in 2002 allowing her to win her congressional seat was that she ran as a Middle Tennessean in a West Tennessee heavy primary.
Three major candidates from the Memphis area of her sprawling district split that vote giving the election to her.
Frank Cagle argues that in a 2010 GOP Gubernatorial primary containing any combination of two potential east Tennessee candidates could result in a Blackburn win. Assuming, of course, Bill Frist is not a candidate.
[Bill Haslam] and his brother Jimmy and their friends played a major role in electing U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. They learned statewide fund-raising for political races at their father’s knee.
The problem for Haslam and Wamp is that they will split the East Tennessee vote and could lose to Middle-West Tennessee Congressman Marsha Blackburn.
Blackburn’s congressional district runs from the heavily Republican “collar counties” in suburban Nashville all the way to Shelby County. There are more Republican votes there than can be achieved in a two-candidate field in Republican East Tennessee.
Blackburn made her name as a state senator from Brentwood who opposed the income tax and was a darling of talk radio. But her goal has always been the governor’s office and she has been working toward it for years. Her only handicap would be her inability to raise the kind of money Wamp or Haslam could accrue. The Republican establishment does not care for her at all.
Also complicating the picture is Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, from the Tri-Cities. Should he run, it would further split the East Tennessee vote and also help Blackburn.
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The Spirit of ‘94: Frist Calls Newt A “Visionary Leader”
Posted on April 28, 2008 at 8:11 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist uses his blog over the weekend to provide Kim McMillan with a nice little quote for a future fundraising letter:
As the Republican Party continues to grow, new ideas must be its fuel. That’s why I was honored former Speaker Newt Gingrich – a visionary leader and outstanding scholar – accepted my invitation to speak during an event benefiting the Tennessee Republican Party last Thursday.
Jimmy Naifeh All But Endorses Kim McMillan For Governor
Posted on at 8:06 amIn an article in the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, newly announced Democratic exploratory Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan paints herself as a Bredesen Democrat and seems to have found an ally in her move to box out Rep. Lincoln Davis in House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh:
When she first arrived on Capitol Hill in Nashville, it didn’t her long to win over such political stalwarts as state House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington. Naifeh — widely viewed as the most powerful politician in Tennessee other than Gov. Phil Bredesen — told The Leaf-Chronicle Saturday he could support a McMillan bid for governor.
“When she first came to the Legislature, we knew we had a bright star on our hands. She wasn’t considered a freshman legislator for long. She really began standing out in the crowd when she became majority leader.
“Kim is one of the brightest individuals I have ever served with. She always knows her subjects, and how to present them,” Naifeh said…
…”I am not surprised that she is interested in running for governor. I think she’d make an excellent governor, and I do see her as someone I could support.
“It’s time we broke that gender barrier in Tennessee,” he said.
MORE: Richard Locker
The 2010 Gubernatorial Race: It’s On
Posted on April 26, 2008 at 4:06 pmKen Whitehouse once again brings you the breaking news and, because its the weekend, he’s gonna let you at it for free. Former Democratic Majority Leader Kim McMillan has announced that she is forming an exploratory committee for the 2010 governors race:
In a statement released to NashvillePost.com regarding the formation of an exploratory committee, McMillan said, “The people of Tennessee want good jobs, close to home. We want to send our kids to first-rate schools and we want to have safe neighborhoods. I think these expectations are reasonable. I’ve spent much of my life in leadership and public service. I believe I have the experience, the perspective, and the desire to move Tennessee forward.”
For more go to NashvillePost.com.
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