Roy Exum
If all goes as planned, County Commissioner Greg Martin will be sent by his peers to Nashville next week to join the state legislature and he will fit in just perfectly. The 58-year-old realtor is excited and eager for the job and the only thing he doesn’t like is how the job fell into his lap.
Greg will likely be chosen by the other commissioners next Wednesday to replace Robin Smith who has abruptly resigned her seat in Nashville.
He would maintain his interim appointment until November, when he hopes to be elected for a full term. “I’m definitely on the ballot for the August primary and I’m at the point in my life where I want to help Tennessee as well as my own neighborhood.
“If I go to Nashville I will resign my County Commission seat the day I am sworn into the legislature. Some people have asked I do both – I believe it is legal -- but the legislature is a full-time job that I am eager to do to the very best of my ability. After 10 years of public service I know everyone in the Hamilton County delegation – they are great friends of mine,” he said yesterday.
“Over the past 10 years of public service, I’ve learned many things which will help me represent the voters of House District 26, such as balancing a budget, making hard decisions about competing priorities and working towards one goal – what is best for the people I represent. There is no higher calling than to represent and serve the public. The voters who have elected me three times know they can trust me to vote our conservative values.
“I think there are two things that give me the greatest satisfaction; I have always voted on what I believed was best. I have never not voted my conscious, even when the decision was hard. And, secondly – you know this is true – I’ll return a phone call or an email. Serving the people is a tremendous honor and I deeply respect it,” Martin explained.
One huge plus for Martin is that State District 26 includes a lot of neighborhoods he represented as a county commissioner. “The people know what they are getting. I am proud of that. I will provide another positive conservative voice,” he said, knowing the Nashville legislature is so conservative it has a super majority.
In his campaign announcement, Greg laid the groundwork for his election in August. “As my campaign begins to take root over the next few weeks, I will be working to build my campaign team for this seat. Two very well-known community leaders have agreed to anchor my campaign, Tony Sanders will serve as campaign manager and Fred Decosimo will be my campaign treasurer.
"I look forward to meeting with my constituents in the coming weeks and months to hear what you believe we need to be doing in Nashville to make our lives better. There are many challenges facing our state and I promise I will do my very best to represent the values of the folks of House District 26 and the Great State of Tennessee.”
Greg Martin is the guy we want.
royexum@aol.com