NASHVILLE – Tennessee House Democrats, who lost 14 seats in November, replaced their top leader today.
Caucus members elected Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, as Democratic minority leader over Rep. Gary Odom, D-Nashville, who had held the post for two previous terms.
Fitzhugh’s victory came on the second ballot after Rep. John DeBerry, D-Memphis, came in third in his attempt to become the first black in Tennessee history to hold the post. Totals in the vote, which was held by secret ballot, were not announced.
Republicans hold a 64-34 hold on the 99-member House. There is also one independent.
Fitzhugh, a rural West Tennessee Democrat, told colleagues before to the vote that Democrats after Nov. 2 “found ourselves in a completely unacceptable position. We cannot let this stand. We have a message. We don’t need to change our message. We just need to articulate it better.”