I received an email this morning from Rebecca Ann Burke which is the first of seven statements explaining her candidacy for TN GOP Chair. Obviously, she is seeking the position that My Friend and State Representative Ryan Haynes is seeking. She took the initative to contact me and for that I present it to you. Good luck to both. Part of me doesn’t want to lose My State Representative, but we will see what happens on 4/11/2015 with the Republican State Executive Committee.
“Just a few weeks ago, we gave our nod once again, to a leader who has seen us through some exciting times during which our party solidified its position through all levels of government. Unexpectedly, his resignation brings to us, a very crucial decision about how to lead, who will lead and what this will mean to our goals in process. After having the opportunity over the past few days, to meet with over a dozen State Executive Committee members and talk with a few more in exploration of a possible candidacy, I have decided to pursue your vote to fulfill Chairman Devaney’s current term. Just as I did not have the opportunity to visit with all of you before making this decision, it is unlikely that I will have the pleasure of sitting down with all of you, personally before our vote, as I would like to do if the timing and notice of our leadership change had been different. It is an inopportune time, during Holy Week, to ask that you be interrupted by what appears to be half a dozen serious candidates. That said, the role of the Chairman often involves unexpected events, and one must move with the opportunities in the best, most expedient manner possible.
To be respectful of your time and realizing our time constraints, I will be issuing each day, for the next seven days, a communications to you personally. These briefings will introduce elements of my professional and political background relevant to this position, and on the last day, after at least phone contact with as many of you as I can reach, a proposed transition plan with goals and objectives, based on conversations with my you, SEC colleagues and our major donors. Just as important to me as having your support and enthusiasm for my leadership, is my concern that our major donors, as well be comfortable with my selection to lead the party. If at any time, it becomes clear that I do not have widespread support from any constituency, I will remove my name from consideration. I have only one interest and that is not my personal advancement nor future career goals. My only interest is that the party continue to be lead in a workman-like fashion and that my presence brings more achievement against our goals of securing Tennessee and supporting our Republican elected officials everywhere in the realization of great plans for the State of Tennessee. My state and my party come first. I seek only to be the best person to make sure the job gets done and gets done better than anyone else can do it. Lastly, I am one to honor my commitments. When others count on me to do a job, I am there, and I follow through. I have a professional commitment to be in front of 125 students for the next four weeks and I will honor that commitment. The timing here and my history of personal commitment to the job at hand, does not provide me the ability to abandon my responsibilities on short notice. That is what you would expect of me if I were elected Chairman. Thus, my personal visits in the next seven days will be limited to those I can reach outside of my teaching commitment to youngsters and teachers who depend on me. At the end of April, I am free of those commitments and thus can pursue this opportunity to be of service to you and the Republican Party as a whole.
My briefing tomorrow will address the type of Republican I consider myself to be. It will also include a personal profile. I think it is absolutely essential that you know everything you need to know and that there are no surprises. You will find my background to be crystal clean, of the highest integrity, and with a reputation for one thing only, a demonstrated history of working harder than anyone else. I will look forward to sharing more…
Thank you for your consideration. It has been my privilege to work with you as a fellow SEC member. I now look forward to the privilege of working for you.”
