Bill Lee, a Republican gubernatorial candidate and conservative Williamson County business owner, announced several staff additions to his growing campaign team.
Former Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney has joined the campaign as campaign manager and senior advisor and Tony Niknejad will serve as policy director. Other additions include Caroline Davidson joining the finance team and Majority Strategies will lead the campaign’s direct mail efforts.
“It’s humbling to have so many talented people join our efforts to help share my vision for Tennessee,” said Mr. Lee. “I’m grateful for the team we’re assembling. This is one more indicator of the excitement and enthusiasm we are seeing all across this state for our campaign.”
Mr. Devaney served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 2009–2015. During his tenure at the Party, Republicans gained a working majority in the Tennessee State House in 2010. The party also helped turn our Congressional delegation to a 7-2 Republican majority and elected a Republican governor that year. In 2012, both the State Senate and State House attained supermajority status. Mr. Devaney also spearheaded the Red to the Roots campaign, a program aimed at electing county and judicial candidates across the state. He most recently served as executive director of CNP Haiti, a Christian mission organization working to prevent childhood malnutrition.
"Bill Lee is someone I have had so much respect for over the years." said Mr. Devaney. "His conservative values and principles, and the fact he is not a career politician, are the reasons why I joined his team. I'm excited to be a part of this campaign and look forward to helping Bill win next year.”
Mr. Niknejad most recently served as Tennessee state director for the American Federation for Children. He also worked with the Republican Party of Kentucky in their historic retaking of the state House in 2016, as well as two Republican campaigns for congressional candidates in Georgia and Tennessee. He has also served as a policy staffer at the Tennessee State Senate and is the former chairman of the Davidson County Young Republicans.
Majority Strategies is the GOP’s premier voter contact mail, mobile, and digital firm. They have extensive national experience at the presidential, senatorial, and gubernatorial levels and count among their clients Senators Rob Portman (OH), Marco Rubio (FL), and Pat Toomey (PA) and Govs. Brian Sandoval (NV), Rick Scott (FL), and Matt Bevin (KY). Their Tennessee experience includes the state Republican Party, Tennessee Senate and House, and several Member of Congress.
Ms. Davidson most recently served as finance director for Karen Handel’s special election race in Georgia this year, widely recognized as the most expensive congressional race in U.S. history.