Ramsey elected majority leader; Speaker vote still undecided

By BETH RUCKER, WKRN.com
Associated Press Writer
December 11, 2006

The Republican who likely will decide which party holds the state Senate speakership opted on Monday not to voice support for the Republican candidate.

Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, was unanimously re-elected to the top Republican position during the party's caucus meeting, running unopposed.

Mike Williams of Maynardville voted for Ramsey for majority leader but passed on the vote to make Ramsey the Republicans' candidate for speaker of the Senate in January.

Other Republicans present voted unanimously for Ramsey's candidacy.

"It means I've not made up my mind yet," Williams said of his pass on the vote. "This is not about one party, it's not about one person, it's about the business of the state of Tennessee."

Williams said he was listening to both Republican and Democratic opinions and would announce his vote when he has decided.

Ramsey, a 51-year-old auctioneer in the Tri-Cities region, doesn't want to see a repeat of 2004, when he was at the helm of a similar 17-16 majority that saw two Republicans _ Williams and Tim Burchett of Knoxville _ split from their party to vote for Democrat John Wilder.

"Times change and things move on and the people of the state of Tennessee have spoken not through one election cycle, but two election cycles," Ramsey said.

Burchett said Monday he hasn't committed to either candidate, though Ramsey has said he has Burchett's support.

Williams has not said how he would vote but has praised Wilder's ability to build consensus and for doling out powerful committee chairmanships to both parties.

Wilder's critics have labeled the 85-year-old as a crafty politician whose only real goal is to remain speaker _ something he has successfully done since 1971.

Wilder, a cotton farmer and banker from Mason, has said he expected to be re-elected speaker next month. He has also said that he would likely resign if he were no longer in the Senate's top post.

Ramsey would not say if he had sought any support from Democrats to get the additional vote or votes needed to be elected as speaker.

"I'm just going to hope Mike Williams does the right thing in the end and votes for me," he said.

Williams took issue with Ramsey's characterization of him as a patsy for supporting Wilder. He said he has supported many party causes, such as defeating a proposed state income tax in 2002.

"I think in my 16 years of service here I think a lot of things could be said about me, I don't think no person could ever say that I'm a patsy," he said.

Also on Monday, Republicans elected by secret ballot Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville as caucus chairman over incumbent chairman, Sen. Randy McNally of Knoxville.

Norris said he has wanted to be caucus chairman since an unsuccessful run for the job two years ago. "I guess it's my time," he said.

Norris, who was chairman of the transportation committee in the last General Assembly, said he hasn't thought about whether he would become majority leader if Ramsey succeeds in being elected speaker.

McNally said he thought the caucus elected Norris because they wanted a new direction. McNally acknowledged that he was probably a more moderate Republican senator than Norris, but said the vote more likely was for a change in leadership style.

McNally also said he didn't think he was voted out because the caucus lost the seat held by Jackson Sen. Don McLeary, who was defeated by Lowe Finney after switching parties midterm.

"It was simply a bad year for Republicans," McNally said.