Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Michelle Forman in-studio to officially announce her candidacy for Tennessee’s 59th State House seat in the GOP 2022 primary.
Leahy: Right now, we are going to make some news, because in-studio is our good friend Michelle Foreman. Michelle, welcome back.
Foreman: Good morning again. Thank you again for that welcome.
Leahy: You’ve been involved in politics here for a long time in the Republican primary. A native of Tennessee.
Foreman: Absolutely.
Leahy: A Nashvillian.
Foreman: Yes sir. I went to Brentwood Academy.
Leahy: Went to Brentwood Academy. You’re a graduate of Nashville School of Law.
Foreman: I am also a graduate of Lipscomb University.
Leahy: Lipscomb University. This is like Tennessee-born and bred.
Foreman: Yes.
Leahy: And now you’re a member of the state executive committee. There are 66 members of the state executive committee. You are one of those members.
Foreman: I’m one. That’s right.
Leahy: But you have an announcement to make today.
Foreman: I have an announcement. And I want to thank you for letting me make this announcement on your show.
Leahy: This is huge.
Foreman: It’s an honor. I am going to run for Tennessee State House District 59.
Leahy: District 59!
Foreman: Yes.
Leahy: You are announcing your candidacy for the GOP primary.
Foreman: Yes, I am in Tennessee House District 59.
Leahy: Tell our listeners what are the geographic boundaries of the new 59th district of the State House of Representatives.
Foreman: After redistricting, we saw that we had a new district that was created in Davidson County. So we’re very excited. That actually goes along the southern border of Davidson County.
So if you start over in the Bellevue area, it’s about Highway 96 to Highway 100. You come over through the southern part of Bellevue, you go through West Meade, Belle Meade.
Leahy: It includes West Meade.
Foreman: Yes, it does.
Leahy: And Belle Meade.
Foreman: That’s right. Oak Hill, Forest Hills. Northern Brentwood, I call it, because it’s Davidson County.
Leahy: Northern Brentwood. It’s not Yankee, but it’s northern Brentwood. It’s northern Brentwood. (Laughter)
Foreman: And then actually down into Cane Ridge. It’s a diverse city within itself. And so I’m really excited that that’s opened up.
It’s an area that I know well. I have been going back and forth within this district since I was very very young. A child, a 1-year old. (Chuckles)Â
Leahy: So, you know the highways. Not only do you know the names of the interstate highways, you know the names of the roads in this district. You have traveled them your entire life.
Foreman: That’s exactly right. In every part of this district, my entire life. As a matter of fact, going back to when we were waiting in line at the gas station, we’re talking about current affairs and waiting and waiting in line at the gas station.
I’ll never forget there in Green Hills and up and down Hillsboro Road just waiting for gas. So yes, I’ve been all over this district my whole life.
Leahy: Is there an incumbent in this district?
Foreman: There is not. It’s open.
Leahy: The party registration, is this basically even-steven R-versus-D? Slightly R, slightly D? What would you say?
Foreman: It leans Republican.
Leahy: It leans Republican.
Foreman: Yes, it does.
Leahy: Are there other candidates who have been announced?
Foreman: I don’t know of anyone who has formally turned their petition.
Leahy: Have you pulled papers, as they say?
Foreman: I have pulled my petition and I’ve turned it back in.
Leahy: You’ve already turned it back in!
Foreman: Already turned it back in.
Leahy: Has anybody challenged your bona fides?
Foreman: They have not and they have no reason to.
     Leahy: Because you voted in three of the last four statewide primary elections.
Foreman: Absolutely.
Leahy: So you are bona fide. If anyone were to challenge you’ve got the goods, you got the receipts.
Foreman: Yes, I do.
Leahy: You are a bona fide Republican.
Foreman: Yes, sir.
Leahy: We can say with 100 percent certainty that after April 7 you will definitely be on the GOP primary ballot for August 4th.
Foreman: Yes, sir.
Leahy: In the 59th district.
Foreman: That’s right.
Listen to the full interview:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
WHAT, you’re not throwing your hat into the 5th US Congressional seat race? As a certified ‘non-carpetbagger” haven’t you already met the newly minted criteria for whether a person should run for a specific political position or not?
Seems like we’ve lost our way when having the proper moral, intellectual and temperamental make-up aren’t the overriding criteria for serving as the representative for several thousand citizens!