Tennessee House Republicans elect Casada to replace McCormick as majority leader

Mike Carter - 29th District

House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, has said he will give up his leadership post to, in part, devote more time to his business interests.

NASHVILLE - House Republicans today elected Rep. Glen Casada over Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah this afternoon as their new majority leader to replace outgoing Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga.

The race took a dramatic turn as Casada, the current GOP Caucus chair, denounced a video posted on an anonymously run blog, charging it was selectively edited to destroy his candidacy, his reputation and his marriage.

The video shows Casada in a Nashville restaurant bar, speaking with a young woman.

Casada said what it didn't show was that there were nine other people at the gathering and they were deliberately blacked out in a malicious effort to deceive lawmakers and others.

"These are outrageous tactics," Casada charged, later adding that if elected "I will expose these people. Help me stop this."

The young woman was the girlfriend of a House aide who was sitting beside her but not seen in the video, Casada and others said.

The conservative blog frequently attacks some Republicans, including House Speaker Beth Harwell and Gov. Bill Haslam.

Carter denounced the video, saying it was beyond the pale.

Casada did not charge that Carter, an attorney, had been involved.

Carter said he "absolutely did not" have anything to do with the video. "It was as big a shock to me as it was to him.

"It was a gross distraction. It was unfair to Glen and it was offensive to all of us."