NASHVILLE – State Rep. Robin Smith says she’s getting “encouraged” by some fellow Republicans as well as business people to run to replace current Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada, who says he will resign his post in June after the GOP Caucus approved a no confidence resolution this week.
“While I’m flattered, I have not announced that I’m running,” said Smith, a former Tennessee Republican Party chair, political and business consultant and freshman representative in an interview. “I’m watching. I’m not saying I would never run, but at this time, I’m watching.”
She noted that “No. 1, there’s not been a resignation, there’s not anything that’s been announced. And we all know a day in politics is as a thousands years. It’s almost biblical.”
“I’m getting a lot of calls of people,” Smith said. “I’ve had six members to talk with me about seriously considering running. I’ve had several business folks call me and ask about seriously running because of the understanding that I have about business, project management and things like that in the business world.”
Moreover, Smith said, “overwhelmingly, people I have heard from have been folks I have worked with over the span of time on grassroots elections.”