Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney
Joe CarrNASHVILLE - Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney on Saturday easily fended off a spirited challenge from former state Rep. Joe Carr, winning election to a fourth term as party chairman.
Republican State Executive Committee members voted 47-17 for Devaney. It was Carr's second defeat in four months -- the first was his unsuccessful tea party-fueled challenge to U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in the August primary.
In seeking the chairmanship, Carr said he had been encouraged to run in order to "bridge growing and unsettling divisions" between the party's establishment and tea party wings. Devaney, of Lookout Mountain, cited the party's progress during his tenure.
Following the vote, Devaney told executive committee members he looks forward to working with them as a "unified group" and stressed the themes that unite Republicans.
"Look, we're not always going to agree on every tactical issue or whatever," Devaney said. "But I think we can agree on a lot of the core principles of the Republican Party, which are traditional values, personal responsibility, free markets, individual liberty."
Earlier, Carr, who is from Murfreesboro, told members he was asked to run because of a "unique perspective" he gained from his U.S. Senate bid. He lost to Alexander by nine percentage points.
Now that Republicans have the governorship, both U.S. Senate seats, seven of nine congressional districts and overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate, Carr said, "Where do we go from here?"
Republicans "find themselves at a crossroads," Carr said. "There is a division within our party. And for us to ignore it or deny it doesn't have anything to with the fact that it still exists."
"You are the governing body in Tennessee for the Republican Party," he reminded members. "Not a handful of elected officials ... not some well-placed donors, but you. And if we're going to unite this party, it's going to take you to lead it."
When Carr first said he was thinking of running as a unifier, Devaney pointed out that Carr never endorsed Alexander after the primary. Devaney called that a "disqualifier."
Carr also raised concerns about a political action committee calling itself "Strong & Free PAC." The group, which has a pending complaint before a state campaign finance regulatory panel, spent thousands of dollars attacking tea party-style candidates for the State Executive Committee on a bogus issue.
Devaney has said he knew nothing about the group.
Neither the PAC nor Carr's refusal to endorse Alexander surfaced in their presentations Saturday. Devaney spent much of his time outlining the party's successes under his tenure.
Devaney recalled a lesson he learned working for U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm. He said the Texas Republican once told him that political campaigns are the "closest thing there is to war."
What he meant by that, Devaney said, is "we're in a war, a campaign, a political war, a campaign of ideas. And we're still in that war." Tennessee Republicans "are winning the battle," Devaney said. "But nationally we're still in that war, and that's why I'm running for chair again. Because I want to continue with you to fight that battle."
As the votes were being counted inside the state House chamber at the Capitol, Carr and Devaney spoke to one another in an outside hallway, teasing each other about their respective speeches exceeding allotted time limits. Following the vote, Carr, standing in the back of the House chamber, applauded, then left without speaking to reporters.
Devaney, a former state director for U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., first ran for the party chairmanship in 2009 during a mid-term vacancy created when Robin Smith of Hixson stepped down as chairman to run for Congress.
Another chapter in the Tennessee GOP's ongoing civil war between its establishment and tea party wings will play out on Wednesday as state Rep. Rick Womick, R-Rockvale, challenges House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, in the House GOP Caucus election.
Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.