NASHVILLE — Here is the complete text of state Sen. John Wilder’s announcement today that he will not run for re-election after 44 years:
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Mr. Speaker and members of the Senate:
I don’t know what I should say, and I don’t know if I’m going to say what I should say. I’ve got it written down, and I’m going to say what’s written down anyway.
But I’ve been here 44 years as a state senator. And I was speaker for 36 years. And over my years of service I’ve seen us grow and change for the good.
When I first go here, we met in the corner of the chamber. We didn’t have an office, the governor brought the budget. We didn’t have staff, we didn’t have good standing committees with trained staff.
But today we have staff, we have offices, we have committees, we’ve got room, and we’ve got a $28.5 billion plus budget ... $28.5 billion.
I’m proud of it. I’m proud of the Legislature, I’m proud of this Senate. I’m proud of the difference that we’ve made.
We’ve done well in our three businesses. Which is education, and that’s higher education, nearly all. It’s roads. And it’s health care.
And health care is a load.
We’ve got some of the best roads in the nation. And our schools, our education is good.
And we did it because the Senate was the Senate. We were family. We were statesmen.
We were members of a party that got elected, but once we got here we were family. And we put the state first.
I’ve enjoyed serving. I’m proud of what we’ve done. We’ve made a difference.
Doug Henry is the only person who was here when I began. He continues to be Doug Henry.
I love this state. I love this Senate. It’s more a part of me than anything else that I’ve done or known.
Over the past years I’ve been examining where we are now, and where we have been. The differences we’ve made stand out.
I look back on all the good times we’ve had and the trials we’ve had and been through, and we’ve made it through it all. We’ve made it because of people who were willing to serve.
I tell you now — and I’m deviating a little bit here — I really believe we’ve got a higher duty to be legislators than we have soldiers in Vietnam. Public sentiment doesn’t know that. This nation needs it.
All my life I’ve wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do what God wanted me to do, and I didn’t know exactly what that was.
I’ve decided not to run for re-election.
I feel that the time I have spent serving has been worth the difference it’s made. If my life has made any difference, it’s because I was a soil conservation district supervisor and president of the National Association of Soil Conservation Districts and a state senator.
I wanted to be governor so bad in 1975, I could die. And my baby said ’I ain’t gonna live in that house that had them wine parties.’ So that ended that. But I would have been gone too quick.
I want to talk to all of you that have made a difference. And I want to thank those who served here and I want you to continue, and I want you to have a good staff and I want this state to be the best in the United States of America. And we’ve made a difference.
I want to encourage those of you who will stay here that you will vote your convictions. I never told anybody how to vote, but don’t let anybody force you.
You do what’s good and right for this state, and be constructive.
Each district needs good men and women who will vote their conscience. The good of our state and our nation depend on that.
And I tell you now that you’re good and I mean you’re good and I’m proud of every last one of you. You know I am.
Now, if I don’t change my mind, that’s what I’m going to do.
