Live from Music Row, Tuesday 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 Robin Steenman of Williamson Families PAC in-studio to give her candidate recommendations.
Leahy: In the studio, perhaps the most dangerous woman in America: Moms for Liberty, Robin Steenman. A Texan. I knew why I liked you.
You’re a Texan like my wife. She’s a Texan as well. You’re from Tyler, Texas. You went to University of Texas. Were you an ROTC in the Air Force?
Steenman: I was, yes.
Leahy: You were ROTC in University of Texas.
Steenman: Yes.
Leahy: And you did that. And then you went and you spent 11 years as a pilot in the Air Force, left as a major. Now you moved here four years ago and you found that the Constitution needs some defending here as well as in the air.
So tell us now your focus, Williamson Families PAC. It’s a group that you’ve organized. It’s sort of an extension of Moms for Liberty, I guess, right?
Steenman: Well, they’re actually two separate, distinct organizations …
Leahy: Tell me about them.
Steenman: … but Williamson Families grew out of the need that was identified by Moms for Liberty.
Leahy: Got it. Makes sense. And you’ve had a lot of high-profile support for this.
Steenman: Correct.
Leahy: John Rich has helped with some fundraising.
Steenman: He’s been amazing.
Leahy: Yeah, he’s a great guy. Now you’re focused on local elections. And the local election that you’re focused on right now is today. If you haven’t voted, if you live in Williamson County, today is the day to vote for six school board seats that are up.
And there’s a total of 24 County Commission seats up in 12 districts, two for each. Let’s start with the school board. What are your recommendations from Williamson Families PAC?
Steenman: For the school board for today, for Williamson County’s primary, Super Tuesday – and by the way, we’re on track to exceed 2018 numbers.
Leahy: In terms of turnout from early voting. You’re on track, right?
Steenman: We are. And I’m asking everybody in Williamson County and the surrounding counties to get out and vote today, because your most important vote right now is local. That’s where we fix it, where it’s closest to your life, in your backyard.
Leahy: So this is a primary race, Republicans you’re talking about here. And then the general election will be held, R versus D, in August.
Steenman: Correct. August 4th.
Leahy: And so, don’t be confused that the August 4 election for federal candidates is a primary for the November general. But this is the local primary. Let’s talk about the school board seats.
Steenman: For the school board and for today … [the] primary is very important because you have to pick the right R on the ballot. You have the right Republican, the one that’s the true Conservative.
And we have invested over 1,500 hours to identify who the true Conservatives are on the ballot. And for school board, we recommend for District 2, Dan Cash.
Leahy: Dan Cash. Now, I live in District 2. I know Dan Cash. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s a friend of mine, but I am friendly with Dan Cash. And he’s an incumbent. He’s the one guy who’s not a left-wing lunatic on the school board.
Steenman: He’s one incumbent that has stood up for the kids on every single issue. Not just the masks, but the curriculum, too.
Leahy: So that’s an incumbent you’re recommending in District 2.
Steenman: Yes. In District Four, we’re recommending Elliot Franklin.
Leahy: Elliott Franklin was here in-studio. Very impressive yesterday.
Steenman: He is. He is an amazing guy. He’s so well studied. He’s got a heart for servant leadership. And he is running against a Pfizer lobbyist.
Leahy: That’s District 4. And in District6, who do you recommend?
Steenman: District 6. That’s an Independent for us. So that election is not going to happen until August. But District 8 is Donna Clements.
Leahy: In District 8, you’re recommending Donna Clements. What is it about Donna that our audience should know?
Steenman: She’s a 20-year resident of Williamson County, loves this county, but has an amazing background in education. So her passion is education, and she’s so knowledgeable on all of the issues and just has, again, a heart for student leadership.
Leahy: How about District 10?
Steenman: District 10, again, that’s an August 4th election, but that will be Doc Holladay. And then moving on to District 12, that’s another battleground district. That’s Jamie Lima.
Leahy: Jamie Lima in District 12. Why have you endorsed and recommended Jamie Lima in District 12?
Steenman: Jamie Lima is a Patriot dad who sees a need. And he stepped up to the call. And I first met Jamie when he offered us his business last June to present our Let’s Talk Wit and Wisdom event to the community. He shut down operations for an entire morning.
Leahy: Really?
Steenman: He did. And then he was present in the room as we gave our presentation on Wit and Wisdom, and he was outraged as a dad with a kindergartner headed into the school. He couldn’t believe what they were teaching.
Leahy: And Wit and Wisdom is a left-wing woke curriculum that’s been forced down and still is in effect, I guess.
Steenman: Still is there.
Leahy: It’s the kind of schools, despite the fact that you went through all this whole process outlined in the law passed last year. And Penny Schwinn, the commissioner of education, who was the adjudicator, apparently didn’t recognize that.
Steenman: She pushed it into 33 counties. So that’s one of the primary things, and he couldn’t believe it. And he said, well, somebody’s got to do something. So he stepped up.
Leahy: Let’s talk about the 12 districts. We got to go through them pretty quickly. Let’s go through District 1. Who do you recommend for 2? Just one [for County Commission].
Steenman: Just one for District 1? Lisa Lenox.
Leahy: How about District 2?
Steenman: Andy Moriarty.
Leahy: District 2 for County Commission. Andy Moriarty. I live in District 2, and I received all sorts of material from Andy.
Steenman: Andy is a strong rockstar Conservative. He’s incredible.
Leahy: District 3. Who do you recommend?
Steenman: Jeff Graves.
Leahy: Jeff Graves. Okay.
Steenman: District 4, Pete Stresser and Gregg Lawrence.
Leahy: Pete Stresser and Gregg Lawrence. So you’re recommending two.
Steenman: Williamson Families, we only recommend who we consider being the true rockstar Conservative. So if there’s only one there’s only one, and that’s the one we’ll endorse.
Leahy: How about District 5?
Steenman: Mary Smith.
Leahy: Mary Smith.
Steenman: I think it’s Mary Smith alone that’s over doubled the turnout in District 5.
Leahy: Hardworking.
Steenman: She’s on fire. Yes.
Leahy: How about District 6 in Williamson County Commission?
Steenman: We don’t have a County Commission candidate in 6. Christopher Richards in 7.
Leahy: What do we know about Christopher Richards?
Steenman: He is doing this again.
Leahy: He’s run before?
Steenman: He’s run before, but he loves his district and he believes in what he’s doing and he believes he can help. So he’s doing it again.
Leahy: How about District 8?
Steenman: Drew Torres and Barb Sturgeon.
Leahy: So you’ve got two, Drew Torres and Barb Sturgeon.
Steenman: Barb is an incumbent.
Listen to the 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.
