Pence set as keynote speaker for TNGOP Statesmen’s Dinner Aug. 3
News release from Tennessee Republican Party
Nashville, Tenn. – July 15, 2017 – Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released the following statement on the 2017 Statesmen’s Dinner:
“I am very excited to announce that the Tennessee Republican Party’s Keynote Speaker for the 2017 Statesmen’s Dinner will be Vice President Mike Pence. This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Republican Party as we continue to grow and gear up for 2018’s critical elections. With Vice President Mike Pence as our Keynote Speaker and Governor Bill Haslam as our Dinner Chair, we expect this will be one of the largest and most successful Statesmen’s Dinners to date. It will certainly be an event no Republican in Tennessee will want to miss.”
Democrat Karl Dean collects $1.2M for gubernatorial campaign
News release from Karl Dean campaign
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 6, 2017) — The Karl Dean for Governor campaign has quickly gained strong statewide support, raising over $1.2 million from more than 3,000 contributions in just four months. These are the totals for the campaign’s first financial reporting period, which ended on June 30.
As the former Mayor of Nashville, Dean is most well known in Middle Tennessee. However, his campaign’s broad outreach has garnered donations from 77 of the state’s 95 counties. Forty-three percent of contributions are from outside the city of Nashville.
“This marks the most raised in a single reporting period for any Democrat running statewide in Tennessee in a decade,” the campaign’s Finance Chairman Charles Robert Bone said. “Tennesseans are interested in progress, not partisan politics. Our state has benefited from two successful governors in a row who were former mayors, just like Karl. Our fundraising totals demonstrate that Karl’s executive experience and his common-sense approach are resonating with people across Tennessee.”
Black raising money for reelection to Congress, not a run for governor
U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who has been mulling a run for the 2018 Republican gubernatorial nomination for months, has scheduled a Washington fundraiser this week — $2,500 admission for a “PAC host,” $1,000 for a “PAC attendee” and $500 for a non-PAC person – with proceeds earmarked for her congressional reelection campaign fund, reports Tennessee Star.
Thursday night’s fundraiser will be held at Ocean Prime, one of the premiere eating establishments on Capitol Hill.
The menu, which features a Ribeye Steak for $52 and Dutch Harbor King Crab Legs for $65, is well suited to Washington lobbyists, but a far cry from the Cracker Barrels that dot the I-40 corridor of the Sixth Congressional District Black represents in Tennessee.
The news of Black’s Congressional fundraiser has veteran political tea leaf readers across the state of Tennessee scratching their heads.
Bill Lee fundraiser collects $1.3M for gubernatorial campaign
News release from Bill Lee campaign
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Surrounded by hundreds of supporters tonight (Tuesday), Conservative Williamson County businessman Bill Lee announced that his campaign for governor has raised $1.3 million at his first major fundraising event. The event took place this evening at legendary performer Michael W. Smith’s barn in Franklin.
Legality of Kelsey-PAC campaign money shifting questioned
There’s a money trail leading from the state campaign coffers of Sen. Brian Kelsey to radio advertisements used by an outside group to buoy his unsuccessful 2016 congressional bid, reports The Tennessean.
Kelsey’s trail involves the use of political action committees controlled by a private Nashville club (The Standard Club), a prominent but controversial GOP donor (Andrew Miller) and a well-known conservative advocacy organization (the American Conservative Union). It also may indicate illegal conduct by Kelsey and others, an expert said.
Ryan’s Knoxville country club fundraiser draws protesters
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan had private visits in Knoxville and Nashville Thursday with Tennessee Republican congressmen, reports the News Sentinel. Outside of Knoxville’s Cherokee County Club, site of a fundraiser, more than 100 protesters showed up despite the rain.
“He’s in there charging $10,000 for a photo op, and then we’re out here trying to make sure that we have health care next year,” said a soaked Gloria Johnson, a former Democratic state representative and the organizer of the protest, who joked that she left her raincoat at home.
Paul Ryan schedules Knoxville fundraiser with TN Republican congressmen
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is scheduled to visit Knoxville Thursday evening for a private fundraiser hosted by Republican members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, according to a widely-distributed invitation.
The invitation says basic cost of admittance is $2,500 per couple — $10,000 to come early and have a photo made with Ryan and/or the congressmen. Checks go to Team Ryan, a political action committee set up by the House speaker that, in turn, is affiliated with the National Congressional Campaign Committee, fundraising arm of the U.S. House Republican Caucus.
Presumably, Tennessee congressional delegation members will get a piece of the proceeds..
The invite says you have to RSVP to get the location, but Brian Hornback reports the reception is at Knoxville’s Cherokee Country Club with another gathering apparently planned afterwards at the home of James A. “Big Jim” Haslam II, Gov. Bill Haslam’s father and founder of Pilot Corp., to benefit the governor’s political action committee. Admission to the Haslam PAC fundraiser is $25,000 per couple.
TN Democrats raised $300K at Jackson Day dinner
News release from Tennessee Democratic Party
Nashville, Tenn. (May 22, 2017) – On Friday, May 19, 800 Tennessee Democrats from across the state gathered in Nashville to celebrate the annual Three Star Jackson Day Dinner. Attendees heard from elected leaders and candidates, paid tribute to President Barack Obama and looked to the future.
Jackson Day crowd (800) urged to turn ‘outrage’ over Trump into 2018 TN Democratic wins
A crowd estimated at 800 turned out for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s annual Jackson Day dinner Friday night and heard speeches that included criticism of President Donald Trump and optimism about the improved prospects for the party in the 2018 elections, reports The Tennessean.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was keynote speaker with others the group including former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who has announced as a candidate for governor, and House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, who had expressed interest in running for governor as well.
Bredesen, Freeman co-host fundraiser for Va. senator
Former Gov. Phil Bredesen and Nashville businessman Bill Freeman, who have been at odds over political matters in the past, are co-hosting a fundraiser for Virginia Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s 2018 reelection campaign on April 28, reports The Tennessean.
The event will be held at Valentino’s Ristorante, which is co-owned by Freeman.
To be a host for the lunch reception fundraiser at the West End Avenue restaurant, donors are to contribute $5,400, according to an invitation obtained by The Tennessean, while others are asked to donate $2,700 a person.
Ahead of the presidential election, Freeman and other Nashville Democrats welcomed Kaine at Valentino’s for an Aug. 23 fundraiser for the then-vice presidential candidate and his running partner Hillary Clinton.
Kaine’s Senate seat figures to be a top target of Republicans during the 2018 midterm elections, although at this point there are no declared GOP candidates seeking the seat.
