NASHVILLE - State Rep. Curtis Johnson is telling fellow Republicans in a letter that he is running to replace Glen Casada as Tennessee's House speaker.
Casada has announced he plans to resign Aug. 2 following a scandal over explicit sexual texts and other issues.
Casada controversies
- Embattled Tennessee speaker Glen Casada resigns from leadership role
- Gov. Lee says he knows nothing of alleged Casada bribe to break school voucher vote deadlock
- Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton nominated by GOP lawmakers to be next speaker
- Casada denies offering National Guard promotion, pork barrel projects to win votes on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher bill
- Embattled House Speaker Glen Casada says he can't afford alimony
- Tennessee House GOP candidates for speaker vow not to follow Casada's style
- Democrats call on Tennessee Comptroller, Nashville DA to investigate Speaker Casada spending, hires
- Gov. Lee calls for August special legislative session to replace House Speaker Glen Casada
- Tennessee House GOP to meet July 24 to nominate replacement for Speaker Casada
- Gov. Lee to call Tennessee lawmakers into August special session to replace Speaker Casada
- House Democratic Caucus chairman says Speaker Casada's 'cronies' hope to retain power with special session
- Hamilton County lawmakers want House Speaker Casada to go sooner, not later
- Critics decry 'disgraced' House Speaker Casada's ability to name appointees to new sports gaming advisory, judicial discipline panels
- Rep. Curtis Johnson announces bid for Tennessee House speaker, pledges to 'restore credibility, trustworthiness'
- Vanderbilt poll: Voters across political spectrum say Glen Casada should step down from House speakership
- Casada, Carter trade barbs over Tennessee House speaker's resignation, replacement
- Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada announces Aug. 2 resignation, asks Gov. Lee to call special session on replacement
- Rep. Smith hopes to gain support from fellow freshmen in potential Tennessee House speaker bid
- Post-Casada job requirement: Ability to restore public trust
- Rep. Robin Smith on House speaker bid: 'I'm not saying I would never run, but at this time, I'm watching'
- Chattanooga area lawmakers share thoughts on GOP Caucus' no-confidence vote on Casada
- Timeline: The rise and fall of Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada
- Rep. Carter pledges 'clean break' as he announces bid to replace Casada as Tennessee House speaker
- Rep. Carter preparing petition to remove Casada as General Assembly member, not just as House speaker
- Tennessee Republican House Speaker Glen Casada announces his resignation
- Gov. Lee calls on House Speaker Glen Casada to resign or face special session
- Tennessee House GOP hits embattled Speaker Glen Casada with no-confidence vote
- Reps. Carter, Smith offer different takes on embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada
- Embattled House Speaker Casada faces 'no confidence' vote today in GOP Caucus but supporters may offer censure motion
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada attacks Mike Carter over criticisms
- Former top aide for Tennessee's embattled House speaker to stay on payroll until July
- Rep. Carter: If ethics panel is not 'above rank political maneuvering and conniving then we as a body are lost'
- Ethics Committee member Mike Carter calls on Tennessee House Speaker Casada to resign amid text messaging scandal
- Tennessee House GOP Caucus members to meet to discuss political fate of embattled Speaker Glen Casada
- Glen Casada controversy opens old wounds from 2018 Hamilton County state House GOP primary
- Tennessee legislative Black Caucus calls on Speaker Glen Casada to resign over racial texts, other issues
- Yet another Tennessee Republican House member calls on Glen Casada to resign
- Embroiled in controversies, Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada battles on after Lt. Gov. McNally says it's time to go
- Reps. Hazlewood, Carter lose faith in Tennessee Speaker Glen Casada amid text messaging scandal, other issues
- Tennessee Firearms Association head calls on House to oust Glen Casada as speaker
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada apologizes for text message controversies, pledges changes after some Republicans call for his resignation
- Tennessee House Democrats demand federal investigation into claims that Casada eavesdropped on private meetings
- Bill Lee wants public confidence 'fully restored' after Casada text message scandal
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada 'sorry' over text scandal but won't resign
- After admitting drug use, Tennessee House speaker's top aide resigns amid allegations of racist and sexually explicit texts
Calling it a "crucial time for the House as well as Republicans in general," Johnson, the former House speaker pro tempore who lost the speaker nomination to Casada in a December 2018 GOP Caucus vote, said "we must act quickly and decisively to restore credibility and trustworthiness to our body.
"When I ran for Speaker last November, I pledged to not play political games," the veteran lawmaker reminded colleagues. "That still holds true today. I believe that I am the best candidate to do this."
He wrote that serving six years as speaker pro tem has given him a "unique opportunity to work with Leadership in the House as well as working with the Senate and the governor's office."
Johnson also said that from his own experience "I know that the House can be operated efficiently and effectively, while still respecting a member's right to vote the wishes and conscience of their district.
"We need to be one caucus with the freedom to hear 73 voices."
Johnson also said "I know that I can bring trust and dignity back to the Speaker's Office," also pledging to "work with our members so that Tennessee can prosper and grow."
Johnson had been expected to join the list of Republicans seeking the post. Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah has formally announced, with Deputy Speaker Matthew Hill of Jonesborough saying he is running and current Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn of Knoxville, GOP Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton and Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson considering throwing their names into the hat.
The revelations of texts showing Casada jokingly or approvingly responding to then-top aide Cade Cothren's boasts about his sexual conquests led to a crisis for the new speaker who only assumed his role in January.
Written prior to Casada's becoming speaker, one of the texts from Cothren was an explicit racist reference to a black-majority West Tennessee House district. Casada, who didn't respond to it, said he never saw that or a number of other texts, including one in which Cothren bragged about snorting cocaine in a legislative office.
Other issues quickly piled up for the 59-year-old Casada, with a number of Republicans already feeling out on a political limb after the speaker pressed them hard to support Republican Gov. Bill Lee's controversial school voucher proposal.
On May 20, the GOP Caucus met and voted 45-24 to say they no longer had confidence in Casada. After the speaker said he would work to regain their confidence, Lee weighed in to say he should go and he would call lawmakers into special session to deal with the speaker.
After taking a trip to Europe, Casada returned and said this week he would resign Aug. 2, igniting yet another furor, with critics expecting him to leave in June. On Wednesday, after Casada attacked Carter, the Ooltewah lawmaker charged Casada was "intent on using his position and his substantial PAC funding to punish those who dared to challenge him and to use his position to pick his successor so that he will, in effect, be the shadow Speaker."
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.
