In a potential preview of Williamson County’s 2026 state Senate race, “Elevate 2025” candidates eased past “Williamson County Conservatives” this week in a battle to run the Republican Party from the right.
Though they weren’t on the ballot, the contest pitted Gary Humble of Tennessee Stands against Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, whose candidate, Brian Clifford, fell short of the Humble group’s Steve Hickey for the party chairmanship despite heavy spending.
Williamson County residents Gov. Bill Lee and his wife were among those sitting next to Johnson, who has spent the last two years burnishing his conservative bona fides after a close contest with Humble.
The atmosphere at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, an appropriate setting for wealth, was described as tense as Hickey captured 796 votes to Clifford’s 751. The rest of the candidate slate proved to be a replay of 2023, setting up a possible race of Johnson vs. Humble as the Senate leader seeks re-election and the post of Senate speaker, which would make him lieutenant governor and one of the state’s most powerful politicians.
Humble, who was ill and couldn’t attend the event, said he was “blown away” by the turnout which brought more than 1,500 votes for the chairmanship.
Opponents cast his group as backers of a Republican Party caucus, instead of a primary, something they apparently broached but that he denied. Humble said they’re more interested in closing Republican primaries statewide to keep Democrats from watering down outcomes. A bill by Republican Rep. Chris Todd of Jackson would do the trick.
The win for “Elevate 2025” marks a continuation from the last two years and sounds hauntingly similar to Project 2025, the national movement to reshape the federal government and give the president more power.
Humble wouldn’t say whether the group’s win gives him a victory over Johnson, though he acknowledged some people might categorize it that way. “That’s not what we were trying to accomplish here,” he said.
Johnson, though, spearheaded the Williamson County Conservatives PAC and asked the first few donors to give money in an effort to remove the Williamson County Republican Party board, according to Humble.
“It’s sad that Jack stole all those people’s money and pissed it down the drain,” Humble said.
Nashville businessman Baxter Lee gave $5,000 to the group in December 2024, and former congressional candidate Kurt Winstead kicked in $1,000 in January. The rest of the financials haven’t been filed.
State Rep. Todd Warner, a Chapel Hill Republican whose district includes part of Williamson, said it was clear Johnson was backing the Williamson County Conservatives.
More than 1,500 people packed into the Marriott Cool Springs Tuesday for the Williamson County Republican Party reorganization. (Photo: Submitted)
“It was very interesting to see the governor and the first lady there … in Williamson County,” Warner said.
Republican Rep. Jake McCalmon of Franklin called the outcome “tremendous” but said he would never support caucuses to select party candidates. He said he tried to stay out of the chairman race.
Johnson acknowledged he voted for Clifford, director of outdoor recreation for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, because he has “grave concerns” about moving to a caucus selection for local races. (Oddly enough, an effort to require primaries in local elections fell flat last year.)
“I’m just happy we set a new record for a county party convention. It was a huge turnout, and it was great,” Johnson said.
The Senate leader scoffed at the notion he’s concerned that the outcome could be seen as a victory for Humble over him, though he is starting to run for another four years already. Humble isn’t willing to commit to a state Senate campaign just yet.
But you can feel a collision coming, one way or another.
Crowded house
Opponents of the bill allowing Tennessee school districts to turn away immigrant students without legal documentation packed the hallway outside the Senate’s main meeting room Wednesday after the Education Committee approved the bill 5-4. Three Republicans voted against the bill.
It was the biggest and loudest crowd in memory at the Cordell Hull Building as tiny children with parents and screaming teens vented their frustration with lawmakers.
Amid the claustrophobia, a moment of clarity arose: Tennessee is preparing to block immigrant children from going to K-12 public schools (because of the expense?) but pay for kids to go to private schools, including those already enrolled.
Is this a conundrum? Or is it a hypocritical hypothetical? Maybe it’s both.
Either way, this was far from one of Tennessee’s shining moments.
Now that Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti doesn’t have to spend resources fighting President Joe Biden’s policies, he can turn that team of attorneys toward defending President Donald Trump’s Tennessee policies
Republican Sen. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin was among the four who voted against the measure. He said Thursday he didn’t believe the state should punish children for the mistakes of their parents or the government’s poor immigration policies.
The bill by Sen. Bo Watson, a Hixson Republican who chairs the finance committee, and House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland, puts the onus on school districts to determine whether they’ll require kids to show documentation before allowing them into classrooms.
They make no bones about wanting a legal case that will go to the U.S. Supreme Court and overturn Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 decision requiring public schools to take all children regardless of immigration status.
So gear up for another legal battle.
On the semi-bright side, now that Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti doesn’t have to spend resources fighting President Joe Biden’s policies, he can turn that team of attorneys toward defending President Donald Trump’s Tennessee policies.
It could be a wash.
Just above “rock bottom”
The House Public Service Subcommittee this week killed Rep. Bob Freeman’s bill that would have required lobbyists to identify each bill and legislature measure they’re being paid to oppose or support.
Freeman, a Nashville Democrat, said afterward it’s “disappointing” that lobbyists and special interest groups have more power than the public or lawmakers.
“In Tennessee, I believe we have an uneven advantage for lobbyists,” Freeman said. That’s mainly because lawmakers have little, if any, staff to research bills.
Lawmakers rely on lobbyists to provide them with information, but sometimes they take advantage of that and hide the bill’s benefactor, he said.
“I think the people of Tennessee should know who is paying people to fight for bills and to propose bills and fight to have them passed,” Freeman said.
Lobbyists are required to disclose whom they’re working for but not where they stand on those matters. Freeman rejects the notion that disclosing that type of information would be too difficult.
I think the people of Tennessee should know who is paying people to fight for bills and to propose bills and fight to have them passed.
– Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville
Lobbyist Mark Greene, who represents lobbyists, said afterward the bill would increase workloads dramatically. Other lobbyists said they would have to disclose the legislature’s entire slate of bills because they move from one to another.
“We think it represents quite a bit more paperwork, quite a bit more exposure in terms of the potential for making an error,” said Greene, who shouldn’t be confused with U.S. Rep. Mark Green. “We’re going faster and faster every year, and we think providing this is of marginal utility.”
The only question for Freeman in committee came from Rep. Warner, who asked whether government-paid lobbyists would be included in the bill, meaning those who work for the governor and state departments. The committee’s attorney told him those people don’t qualify as lobbyists.
Regardless, this matter reminds me of something former Rep. Bob Ramsey used to say when referring to the lobbyist for lobbyists. “That makes you the mayor of rock bottom.” He probably softened the blow by handing out candy.
On the outs?
A group of 12 Democratic lawmakers who walked out of the governor’s State of the State address in February say they’re being blocked from passing any bills this session.
With only 24 members in the House, Democrats usually don’t pass many bills anyway. But this year, things appear to be worse.
Democratic Rep. Yusuf Hakeem of Chattanooga said it became clear to him this week when Republican lawmakers killed his bill that would have had security workers statewide wear matching patches to let people know they’re security, not law enforcement. He said it was backed by the Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission, in addition to Hamilton County law enforcement.
Hakeem said afterward he has the feeling it would be “extremely difficult for those of us who walked out to get a bill through. It’s very unfortunate.”
A group of Democrats walked out of Gov. Bill Lee’s State of the State address on February 13. From left: Reps. Justin Jones, Gabby Salinas, Gloria Johnson, Joe Towns, Antonio Parkinson, Vincent Dixie, Shaundelle Brooks, Jason Powell and Yusuf Hakeem. (Photo: John Partipilo/ Tennessee Lookout)
Democratic Rep. Sam McKenzie of Knoxville said he’s getting the same idea about repercussions against boycotters. He walked out of the State of the State in protest of Lee’s private-school voucher bill that passed in a February special session.
“We’re all here representing 70,000 people, and what I would say to (Republican leadership) is members of their party do things I find very inflammatory, very disrespectful,” McKenzie said.
Asked about the matter Thursday, House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said he wasn’t aware of any concerted effort to block those members’ bills, but he added if they were going to act like “knuckleheads,” then they deserve it.
“I got a Nikon camera / I love to take a photograph / So mama don’t take my Kodachome away.” *
*”Kodachrome,” Paul Simon
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
SUMMARY: Desmond Mills Jr., a former Memphis officer who pleaded guilty, testified during the trial of Tadarrius Bean and others charged in Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death. Nichols was beaten after fleeing a traffic stop; footage showed officers laughing while Nichols struggled. Mills admitted hitting Nichols out of anger after accidentally pepper-spraying himself and regretted failing to stop the beating. Nichols died three days later from blunt force trauma. Defense argued Nichols resisted arrest, while prosecutors said officers were “overcome by the moment” and failed to intervene. The trial, moved from Memphis due to publicity, addresses charges including second-degree murder amid scrutiny of MPD’s conduct.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:15:00
(The Center Square) – Democrats and Republicans from three states are supporting a 287-mile trail that would include Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
The lawmakers are asking for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said Wednesday the trail deserves a national scenic designation.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail is an invaluable part of my district in East Tennessee that thousands of Tennesseans and Americans hike each year, and the trail connects some of the most beautiful and pristine parts of Tennessee with Georgia and North Carolina,” Fleischmann said.
The trail that winds through the Southern Appalachian Mountains was completed in 2005, according to Bob Cowdrick, president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, which has supported its development since 1980, according to the bill.
“This study would help protect our storied outdoor heritage for future generations, support local economies, and provide a wide array of recreation opportunities for everyone from day hikers to thru-hikers and solo trekkers to families,” Cowdrick said.
The trail’s path is made up of 95% of federal land. It passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. It begins at North Georgia’s Springer Mountain and ends at North Carolina’s Mount Sterling, according to the Benton MacKaye Trail Association.
The bill is cosponsored in the House by Democrats Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Lucy McBath of Georgia. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is also a cosponsor. Republican North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are cosponsoring it in the Senate with Rep. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. The bill is currently in the House Natural Resources Committee.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article reports on bipartisan support for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail, without advocating for a particular ideological stance. The language used is factual and neutral, primarily focusing on the collaboration between Democrats and Republicans from three states. The article does not show a clear bias in favor of one political party or the other. It simply highlights the specifics of the bill, its sponsors, and the potential benefits of the trail, such as supporting local economies and outdoor recreation. Therefore, it adheres to neutral, factual reporting without promoting a specific viewpoint.
The trio charged in a Tennessee political corruption case shared text messages in early 2020 complaining about the state’s failure to pay a mysterious vendor for work on lawmakers’ constituent mailers, at one point cursing the administrator in charge of handling invoices.
One text message from former Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson to ex-Speaker of the House Glen Casada said, “Connie’s a bi—.” Casada responded, “Agreed!”
Smith, who pleaded guilty in the fraud and kickback case and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, was referring to now-retired Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley, who handled payments for the state’s postage and printing program for lawmakers. Ridley held up payments because of problems with W-9 tax forms by the vendor, Phoenix Solutions, which was run by former legislative aide Cade Cothren, and Casada, testimony showed.
Smith testified she was “highly frustrated” because Ridley approved work without having the federal tax documents on hand. Eventually, Cothren sent the state a W-9 signed as “Matthew Phoenix,” one of the key documents prosecutors are using in the case to show deception by Smith, Casada and Cothren to direct business to Phoenix Solutions without state officials or lawmakers knowing who was behind the company.
Casada and Cothren had stepped down from their posts at different points in 2019 because of a racist and sexist texting scandal. Casada remained in the General Assembly but not as House speaker.
Connie Ridley, former director of legislative administration, shown leaving Nashville’s federal courthouse on April 25, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Another text displayed for the jury Tuesday showed the state had paid for work on a lawmaker’s constituent mailer but didn’t include taxes.
Smith and Cothren sent each other “incredulous” text messages and Smith added another one saying, “Quite the bullsh–.”
Smith, former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, met with Ridley to speed up payments in February 2020 when the state owed Phoenix Solutions $34,000 for work on several Republican lawmakers’ constituent mailers, including now-former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain, Rep. Dan Howell of Cleveland, Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes of East Ridge, Rep. Dennis Powers of Jacksboro, Rep. Susan Lynn of Mt. Juliet, Rep. Bud Hulsey of Bristol, Rep. Chris Hurt of Halls, Rep. Andrew Farmer of Sevierville and Smith and Casada.
Ridley testified earlier this week she didn’t find out Phoenix Solutions was run by Cothren until May 2020 when federal authorities told her to continue processing the New Mexico-based company’s invoices.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson ruled that prosecutors can present evidence showing the trio wanted to expand from constituent mailers, which are paid for with tax money, to House Republican Caucus work. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be limited to evidence about the postage and printing program because it is outlined in the indictment, not an effort to tap into caucus funds.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content highlights a political corruption case involving Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, presenting factual details about legal proceedings, text communications, and testimonies. While it exposes misconduct within a specific party, the reporting style remains largely neutral and focused on the facts without overt editorializing or broad partisan critique. This aligns with a center-right bias, as it scrutinizes members of a right-leaning party but in a relatively balanced and fact-based manner typical of moderate conservative or center-right news coverage.
