Dr. Manish “Manny” Sethi on Monday announced he would seek to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
According to a story by The Chattanoogan, Sethi said he was running as an outsider.
“Tennesseans want a conservative outsider who will take on the Establishment, support President Trump, fight illegal immigration and work to repeal ObamaCare,” said Dr. Sethi. “That’s why I’m running for Senate.”
Many political experts were surprised by the timing because they were waiting to hear what former Gov. Bill Haslam would decide, according to a story by The Tennessee Journal: On the Hill.
But Sethi and his team apparently ran out of patience and decided to pull the trigger, using “outsider” themes echoing those made by similarly little-known Bill Lee when the latter was making surprise march toward the governor’s office last year.
Sethi called upon Lee consultant Jordan Gehrke, as well as Chris Devaney, a former state Republican Party chairman who served as Lee’s campaign manager, to handle campaign operations, TNJ: On the Hill said.
In December, The Tennessee Star reported on Sethi’s interest in running for the Senate seat. Sethi is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Sethi and wife Maya in 2011 founded Healthy Tennessee, a non-profit, The Star previously reported. The organization holds free health screenings, health care symposiums and provides health care prevention tips and information on nutrition.
In response to Sethi’s candidacy, Rebecca Woods, grassroots manager for the Tennessee Medical Association, tweeted, “TMA is excited that our member @DrMannyHT has announced his bid to the US Senate. Best wishes to Dr. Manny Sethi @tnmed”.
https://t.co/cMcmI6s5jX TMA is excited that our member @DrMannyHT has announced his bid to the US Senate. Best wishes to Dr. Manny Sethi @tnmed
— TMA Advocacy (@tnmedonthehill) June 3, 2019
In March, Sethi appeared on the Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy to talk about his non-for profit community based health care fairs. The men discussed the current situation for Tennessee’s healthcare, its fiscal downfall and accountability of patients.
Sethi stressed throughout the segment that there was a great need to “re-think” the current healthcare delivery standard.
The transcript and audio link are available here.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
[…] Last week, Sethi’s campaign announced its grassroots leaders in all 95 counties, The Tennessee Star reported. Sethi in June announced his bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), The Star reported. […]
[…] Sethi in June announced his bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), The Tennessee Star reported. […]
[…] The Vanderbilt University Medical Center orthopedic trauma surgeon in June announced his candidacy in the Republican primary to replace U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who is retiring, The Tennessee Star said. […]
[…] physician, Dr. Manny Sethi, in June declared his intent to run, The Star said. Sethi is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical […]
I think there’s room for a bigger nobody than Dr. Sehti. I think an unaccomplished person could “work” his way across the state, instead of just walking, and become our next Senator.
Someone surely needs to replace Lemar Alexander, and in a hurry! He has been ineffective and RINO for the past 8 years.
Well, he is certainly right about the need to re-think. However, he needs to be talking about the “healthcare industry”. I doubt that there is any actual “healthcare delivery standard”. If there is, it has little impact. We need to demand that those running for office speak plainly and truthfully, even if it is painful. That said, I have been impressed by Dr. Sethi when I’ve heard him speak.
I agree that those running for office need to speak plainly and truthfully, even if it is painful.
As long as he supports President Trump, he will get my vote over the former governor.
Most people who run as conservatives nowadays give the term, conservatism, a bad name. Many years before my time, Conservatism, meant something totally different than it would when people like Reagan and Goldwater beginning in 1964, would distort conservatism from its original Taftist and Harding meanings.
Conservatism used to mean caution, avoiding reckless foreign military adventures like Korea, Vietnam, etc.; avoiding bigotry based on race, ideology, and religion, and, above all, a major balance for Congress on all military and foreign policy matters. Beginning with Goldwater, conservatism as we once knew it would vanish. Unlike Taft, Goldwater wanted big military budgets and virtually no Congressional say-so on how to raise a military. Taft would never have tolerated such moves by Goldwater had he lived during the 1960’s. Prior to 1964, conservatives within the G.O.P. still tried to stay on good terms with black voters while leaving overt racism to the Dixiecrats. But in 1964, Republicans sold out to rabid racists and those who were prejudiced against non-conformists.
Thus, whenever I hear about a Republican wanting to run as an extreme “conservative” outsider like Manny Sethi, I get sick to my stomach. I could eventually see the day when Tennessee’s dominant Republican Party will split into two separate parties: one for the Tea Party; and another for the moderates and business wing while leaving the Democrats behind.
Well said, Bill. “Conservative” is an adjective. So I ask, what is it that you want to conserve? For me, I want to conserve the principles of the American Revolution enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and the words of the Constitution read in their grammatical and historical context. That means that the Federal Government is a creation of and an agent of the States and the People. It is restricted to its enumerated, delegated powers. (Note: the greater always delegated to the lesser). And, most importantly, the Bill of Rights declare the inviolable rights of the People which removes them from the purview of any preemptive government interference. For example, ALL Federal gun laws which pertain to the People, are unconstitutional and illegal since there are NO powers delegated to the Federal government for such. And without delegated powers the Fedgov may do NOTHING according to the plain, objective wording of the 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights!
So we have our first self identified “conservative” No Record Candidate announce his intention to run to replace Lamar Alexander. No record of votes having never held public office, apparently no record of significant financial contributions to conservative candidates despite being a very wealthy man for a significant period of time, and no record of advocacy for conservative causes through the years.
More troubling than Dr. Sethi’s lack of conservative credentials of any kind is the fact that his political associations have been with individuals on the centrist/tepid conservative side of the Republican Party which include an apparent close friendship with Chip Saltsman who is an election guru for centrist/tepid conservative candidates in Republican Primaries and a working relationship with Sen./Dr. Bill Frist, whose term in office was more or less a constant disappointment to conservatives.
Obviously there is nothing about Dr. Sethi’s candidacy that should represent anything worthy of a second thought to anyone interested in a solid conservative replacing the truly terrible Lamar Alexander which is not to say that the good Doctor won’t be useful. In this no-runoff state the more No Record Candidates/centrist and tepid conservative candidates we have to split the non-conservative vote the better our chances of electing a solid conservative to move the Republican Congressional delegation further to the right. To that end I wish the good doctor the best of luck.