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May 13, 2009
McCormick out, DeVol in for Third District
Tennessee House of Representatives member Gerald McCormick (R-26) announced this week that he will not seek the Republican Party's nomination for Congress in 2010. McCormick had been considered somewhat an early favorite in the contest, even among other familiar names from Hamilton County.
The field is far from settled at this point, so further speculation on these others' intentions isn't worth much--although the prize is shiny enough to keep people interested, especially with a significant potential rival out of the way. We're all keeping an eye on state party chair Robin Smith and Senator Bo Watson, to name a couple. Wild cards are bound to surface as well.
Meanwhile, a candidacy has been launched in Anderson County for this seat, which has belonged to a Chattanooga area denizen for all of recent memory (depending on, I guess, how old one is). Since Chattanooga's metro area population dominates the district, a candidate from elsewhere, even Oak Ridge, has a lot of work to do to build name recognition.
I've written to Mark DeVol to ask whether he's running as a GOP candidate or an independent. His campaign site's content pegs him squarely as a fiscal conservative, but that can mean several things (especially, ahem, given Republican-controlled Washington from 2001-07). I'll update this site with more information as I receive it.
But back to Gerald McCormick. The good folks at Liberadio(!) posted some pointed accusations last week regarding possible motives behind McCormick's support for voter ID legislation: namely, that he was using it to bolster his electoral chances in the upcoming congressional race. Hindsight being what it is, I'm happy to confirm that my skepticism about those charges was apparently valid, because, even though I don't know Gerald personally, I have acquaintances who do, and such a cynical move seemed like a real stretch.
Is Rep. McCormick willing to carry water for the larger movement, in order to score some points toward ostensible future ambitions? Sure. But painting him as being for "voter suppression," with the explicit goal of which being his own electoral victory, just doesn't fit. I've been labeled a naif before, but I think I'm on the right track here. Educate me if I'm not.
Last word: "Mark DeVol" has to be one of the greatest names for a Tennessee politician in, like, forever. I'm pretty sure it translates to "the color orange." I could be wrong.
US House Elections | By joe lance | 11:36 PM
Comments
Thank you for you insight on this race.
Mark DeVol believes in the three "T's":
Term limits
Tort reform
Tax reduction
He is right on target with this thinking and should be considered a serious candidate. Congress is completely out of control. In fact, they have the concept of "control" backwards. They think it is THEIR job to control us. They have forgotten about..."We the People...", who created the Federal Government. We did not give up our Sovereignty in doing that. They seem to think that we did.
Robert H.
Oak Ridge, TN
Posted by: Robert Humphries at May 15, 2009 9:57 AM
Don't forget Chuck Fleischmann. Some of us are quite interested to see what type of campaign he puts together.
As for Robin Smith, we have already seen her stridently partisan style. Under her stewardship the state Republican party insisted (even over the McCain campaign's objections) in running commercials using Obama's middle name. Factual? Of course. But really: we all understand that the point was to play to less informed voters' fears that he is a Muslim. She thinks we didn't notice? This is not the type of representative we want for Tennessee's Third District.
Posted by: Ray Minner at May 15, 2009 12:28 PM
I have the pleasure to know Mark DeVol personally and I believe that he is neither Republican, Democrat,Liberal, or Independent. I think of him as a Coservative Constitutionalist. He is a hard working man who owns a business that he built from the bottom up. A remark like Obama's "...this is the best job I have ever had..." is a joke. Obama has never had a job. Mark knows what it is to be a Common Working Man with honesty and integrity as a foundation. The only thing one has to worry about is can such a good man exist in Washington? Beware Mrak when you play in a pit full of vipers one will surely bite you. Do you have it in you to bite back?
Ron Silvera of Knoxville and Kingston and a strong supporter of Mark DeVol
Posted by: Ronald E. Silvera at May 15, 2009 3:11 PM
I to know Mark Devol personally and where he runs as a republican or independent he will represent the third district with truth,honer and integrity.I must say this. If you don't want to here the truth,stick your finger in your ear and your head in the sand!
Posted by: Jeff Merritt at May 15, 2009 9:00 PM