Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris DevaneyNASHVILLE - Fresh off Tennessee Republican victories in Tuesday's election, state GOP Chairman Chris Devaney of Lookout Mountain says in a letter he is running for another two-year term and asking for their support.
"We have reached a level of success in Tennessee that few state parties will ever see," Devaney says in the letter sent this morning to the 66 state executive committee members who make the decision. "I can say with confidence the TNGOP is one of the strongest party operations in the country. That said, we still have work to do for the 2016 cycle."
"Here's the bottom line," Devaney says. "I am optimistic about our future. I believe we still have new heights to achieve in Tennessee thanks to Republican leadership. For these reasons and more, I am asking you to be my partner once more as I run for re-election as your chairman."
Devaney's letter comes as state Rep. Rick Womick, R-Murfreesboro, fired off his own letter to state executive committee members. In it, he accuses Republican Gov. Bill Haslam of having meddled in both GOP legislative primaries and state executive committee contests in August to defeat hard-right members.
The governor, according to Womick, has displayed "the attributes of a self-serving autocrat" who "doesn't recognize the constitutional separations of power or honor the three co-equal branches of government."
Womick also warns that the governor's candidate for state executive committee chairman is his own campaign manager, Jeremy Harrell.
Said Harrell in an email to the Times Free Press: "As far as I know, Devaney is running for reelection and I support him."