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Stockard on the Stump: Throw up the ball for 7th District race, as U.S. Rep. Mark Green steps away – Tennessee Lookout [1]
['More From Author', 'February', 'Sam Stockard']
Date: 2024-02-16
The Fly is open / Let’s go Peay.
The infamous cheer for Austin Peay 1970s hoops legend Fly Williams is becoming relevant again, this time as it appears nearly every politico in the state is ready to take a long jumper for the Clarksville-based 7th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Green.
State Sen. Bill Powers, a Clarksville Republican, confirmed to the Lookout Thursday, he is considering a run after numerous people approached him about seeking the post. (Oddly enough, Austin Peay is in his district.)
“It’s intriguing to me, and I’m gonna certainly take a look at it. It’s the prudent thing to do,” Powers said. He calls Green a “patriot” and says he appreciates his service to the country, while adding he has plenty of time to mull it: the filing deadline in April 4.
Powers, a car dealer, noted the largest Republican voting district in the 7th lies in Montgomery County, which could give him an advantage.
But Williamson County could be a stronghold too, since the 7th District was gerrymandered to take in a portion of the affluent area.
Former state Rep. Brandon Ogles, a Williamson County Republican, tells the Lookout he could enter the race. It hasn’t been that many months since he held a House seat.
Former U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi is being mentioned, too, in the aftermath of Green’s surprise, as well as former Williamson GOP chairman Omar Hamada. Speculation immediately focused on Green as a Tennessee gubernatorial candidate after his Wednesday announcement.
Others mentioned on a conservative radio talk show are (the sheriff’s been shot, round up the usual suspects) Robby Starbuck, Candace Owens, singer John Rich, former Nashville mayoral candidate Alice Rolli, Gabrielle Hanson, Morgan Ortagus and, of course, Kid Rock.
One person who won’t be taking up the 7th District challenge is Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson. I’m told his short answer is, “No,” and his long answer is, “Hell no.”
Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry announced months ago she would run against Green, a somewhat shocking development considering she resigned her mayoral post after admitting she had an affair with her chief security guard and pleaded to stealing city funds to pay for their escapades, albeit on Metro business.
Other Democrats are likely to pop up as well, because the 7th District contains sections of North and West Nashville, which have large Democratic leanings.
In fact, Green complained about the gerrymandering in the leadup to his last race when he beat Odessa Kelly, who won nearly 40% of the vote two years ago.
State Rep. Bo Mitchell, a Nashville Democrat, also is rumored to be considering stepping into the race.
Green, of Ashland City, held a state Senate post from 2012-18 and was former President Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Army in 2017, until he withdrew because of allegations he made questionable comments about minority groups.
Oddly enough, after winning in 2018, Green held more sway in Congress than in the state Senate, and he led the U.S. House vote this week to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of immigration at the Southern border. The vote came despite Republicans’ refusal to pass the immigration bill proposed by President Joe Biden and Mayorkas.
As an Army physician, Green said he was in the unit that captured deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Now, he helped derail our nation’s Homeland Security chief in the midst of what some are calling an “invasion.”
The accomplishment is dubious at best.
And not to derail Powers, but based on the haphazard list of potential candidates, we’d be better off if Fly Williams were pardoned for his Brooklyn drug crimes and moved back to Tennessee for a congressional run. He’s had an up-and-down life, but so have several of the potential candidates.
Stepping on LGBTQ folks
Members of the LGBTQ community took to the podium this week to blast Republican lawmakers for what they call the new “slate of hate.”
These bills do things such as target the Pride flag to keep it out of schools, allow people who can solemnize marriages to refuse couples based on “conscience and religious beliefs,” remove “gender identity” from school discrimination laws, stop same-sex couples from adopting and fostering children, require trans students who request identification by their chosen sex to be reported to administrators and parents, stop county certification of same-sex marriage licenses, and prohibit children from being taken out of state without parental permission for gender affirming care.
LGBTQ advocates say they’ve been in the same situation over the years with “fewer allies and fewer resources,” but will prevail again in battling “repackaged, regurgitated hate of decades past.”
Molly Quinn, executive director of OUTMemphis, said in the last year the organization saw requests for emergency services increase by three times to help families of children needing gender affirming care after the Legislature banned the treatment, in addition to work on mental health.
“We have grown to understand that the very folks tasked with representing us choose to harm us,” Quinn said in a press conference.
The House and Senate already passed the bill allowing preachers to refuse to marry couples. Sen. Mark Pody, though, skipped the bill’s most important words this week when he introduced the measure, leaving out the part about discrimination.
Most people paying even mild attention likely caught the omission.
But while some lawmakers scoff at the notion this is legalized discrimination, instead calling it a “freedom” measure, you have to wonder about a Jewish couple that was refused service some 2,000 years ago as the young woman was prepared to give birth. The inn had no room, so they stayed in the barn.
Interestingly enough, while the House Education Administration Committee passed the flag bill this week in spite of legal concerns, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said Thursday he plans to talk to a sponsor because it could prevent a school class from having a country’s flag next to the chalkboard (whiteboard?) as they study the nation.
Could this be another case of McNally giving the cold shoulder to an anti-LGBTQ measure? This bill might not fly after all or at least not as worded.
As for the marriage bill, McNally pointed out he is allowed to conduct marriage ceremonies but says he believes only trained ministers should handle the task and declines to solemnize regardless of who makes the request.
Democratic Rep. G.A. Hardaway says the slate isn’t as much an effort to hammer the LGBTQ people as it is to throw red meat.
“I think it’s a matter of they’re trying to get votes. I think it’s not good public policy. But for them, it’s good political strategy,” said Hardaway, a Memphis Democrat.
How dare he? Politicians on Capitol Hill trying to keep control? Somebody get me a doctor.
Campbell amends complaint
Former state Rep. Scotty Campbell, who was unceremoniously sent home last year following revelations who allegedly harassed an intern, amended a public records lawsuit he filed against Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley.
Campbell, an East Tennessee Republican, notes in the new filing that as a state employee he should have been entitled to review his personnel files after he was accused.
It also adds that a complaint against House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison was made by at least one female intern, news of which would be “detrimental” to Faison’s career, “which seems to be why in large part the (Office of Legislative Administration) has refused to disclose the requested records.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton has denied that any such complaint was made against Faison, even though the state turned in two pages of notes about a complaint against Faison as part of a separate public records lawsuit brought by Brian Manookian in the Campbell matter. Manookian’s lawsuit is designed mainly to find out how much the state spent to move the young woman and who authorized the expense, all of which is supposed to be kept secret under House rules.
An amended complaint from former Rep. Scotty Campbell alleges at least one female intern failed a complaint against House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby.
Sexton also claims Campbell’s lawsuit is “meritless.” But Manookian is appealing Chancellor Russell Perkins’ ruling in the initial Campbell case that the records should remain closed to the public. We have a sneaking suspicion he won’t give up easily, even though he’s the subject of a federal “cyberstalking” investigation after heavily criticizing Speaker Sexton, who says he’s surprised anyone would think he has the power to ask for such a probe.
In trouble
The “Glo-Jo” no-no bill that would stop candidates from being on a ballot twice in the same election appears to be struggling – at best.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Richard Briggs, swore Thursday morning on the Senate floor it was not designed to stop Rep. Gloria Johnson from running for U.S. Senate and re-election to her state House seat this year (she’s already qualified for both).
But after describing why candidates shouldn’t be on the same ballot twice, “You’re throwing everything up there and seeing what will stick,” Briggs, a Knoxville Republican, postponed his bill for a week.
Did he feel a cold wind blowing? Surely, (and please don’t call me Shirley), no good Republican would try to be dishonest with voters and run for two seats at the same time. Or would they?
Speculation centers on U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and whether she will be on the ballot for re-election and the vice presidency for former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, if he’s not in jail, which probably won’t happen because his attorneys will be fighting this slate of charges against him for the next decade.
OMG, another run-on sentence.
A hard road to travel
State Rep. Ron Gant, despite numerous surgeries, remains hobbled after being hit head-on two years ago by a drunk driver.
He wants to do something to take drunk people off the roads, and that means, so far, trying to stop retail stores from selling refrigerated or cold beer. The thought is that people get off work, buy a 12-pack and start drinking on the way home, potentially driving drunk and causing a deadly crash.
Considering the injuries he sustained, the idea is understandable. But key House Republicans say the bill faces a tough road. In fact some co-sponsors raced to take their names off the bill when they found out what it would do.
The problem is that every store in the state would have to turn off its refrigerators and sell room-temperature beer. Sales would be cut, and businesses would go bankrupt.
Or would they?
“Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain.” *
(* “Jungleland,” Bruce Springsteen)
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