Tennessee Senate Republicans met on Thursday, in Nashville to elect leaders for the 110th General Assembly where they voted unanimously to nominate Senator Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) to the top leadership post as Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate. Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey will continue to hold the position until the General Assembly convenes on January 10 when the full Senate will formally vote on his successor.
The Senate Republican Caucus also voted unanimously to re-elect Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) for a sixth term as Senate Majority Leader and Senator Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) for a fourth term as Republican Caucus Chairman.
“I am tremendously honored to be the nominee of my party for the position of lieutenant governor and speaker of the senate,” said Senator McNally, who serves as chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
“I am proud to serve with such tremendous and talented membership and am looking forward to building on the success we have seen under Lt. Governor Ramsey.
“Fiscal responsibility is the cornerstone of our success in Tennessee,” Senator McNally continued. “We have cut taxes, limited spending and balanced our budget. Our state carries little debt and boasts AAA ratings from all three credit rating agencies. But we still have challenges ahead and mountains to climb. I am confident Tennessee's best days are ahead of us. I look forward to standing before the full Senate in January and I hope I am blessed to serve as lieutenant governor as we enter a new era of Tennessee success.”
“I’m thankful for the vote of confidence from my colleagues,” said Leader Norris. “I look forward to leading the policy initiatives Republicans introduce in the upcoming 110th General Assembly.”
“Tennessee Republicans have long said it matters who governs. But I like to add ‘It matters how we govern.’ I’m looking forward to the continuity of leadership to maintain and increase the prosperity we’ve seen for Tennessee’s citizens,” he continued.
“Our caucus is blessed with great leaders, and it is a tremendous privilege to serve alongside them in this role as we continue to promote policies to ensure a better quality of life for all Tennesseans,” added Chairman Ketron.
Others re-elected to leadership positions in the Senate Republican Caucus were Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) as Treasurer, Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville) as Secretary and Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) as chaplain.
Senate Republicans hold 28 of the 33 seats in the Tennessee Senate, providing representation to citizens in all 95 counties in the state.