So GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee wasn’t the only GOP gubernatorial candidate throwing his money at “the different kind of Republican,” State Senator Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), to help him get elected again in 2016.
Lee only gave Dickerson $1,000 in 2016, which, as it turns out, was significantly less than either of his two main rivals for the GOP nomination for governor, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), and Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd gave the liberal Republican state senator from Nashville.
Back before anyone really knew just what kind of “different” Republican Steve Dickerson would be – that is in 2012 before he was elected to his first term in the Tennessee State Senate, Diane and David Black gave him a total of $5,990 – an odd amount to be sure. But it looks like the bloom was off the rose a bit, so to speak, since after his first term mis-steps, they gave him a piddling $3,000 in 2016–three times the amount Bill Lee gave him that year.
But picking up after the slacker donors Lee and Black in 2016, and probably gearing up for his own campaign, Randy Boyd, along with his wife Jenny Boyd, together gave Dickerson a total of $6,000, a donation that preceded Dickerson’s endorsement of Boyd for governor, and was six times the amount Bill Lee gave him that year.
As a reminder why Dickerson is a bad investment for conservative donors, here’s a summary of his track record, from our OFF THE RECORD earlier this week:
- In 2015, Dickerson voted in the Senate Education Committee to give in-state tuition to illegal alien students and then voted again on the Senate floor to help pass that bill
- Also in 2015, Dickerson was the ONLY Republican to vote with Senate Democrats AGAINST Tennessee’s 10th Amendment challenge to the federal refugee resettlement program, Bill Lee sent him a $1,000 campaign donation
- In 2016, Dickerson had the LOWEST rating at 57% from the American Conservative Union Foundation putting him even lower than the highest rated Democrat Senator at 75%
- Dickerson punched in “present” at his desk according to the Senate’s posted roll call for the session during which the Senate passed a bill that would help avoid using taxpayer money to fund elective abortions. But this low rated Senator did not cast a vote on this bill.
Much better to have Steve Dickerson in the Senate than Erin Coleman or Philip North, the Democrats who ran against him!
ABSOLUTELY
SD, When did Websters change the definition of conservatism? Where exactly does Diane Black have a “conservative” record? Certainly, not as a US House member! Diane may be a great person, a fabulous nurse, even a wonderful mother/grandmother/wife. But one thing that she is not, is a Conservative! Yes, she knows how to play the political game, and how to fit in with the DC elite, but that is a far cry from being conservative.
K. I do not know what Webster’s dictionary has to do with defining political affiliations. Perhaps you might explain that reference. Never mind. Take a moment to visit the Heritage Foundation website. Sean Hannity describes the Heritage Foundation as “ No organization on earth is a better supplier of innovative, conservative ideas grounded in founding principles than Heritage.“ Wonder what he says about Webster’s? Anyway, they rate Diane Black at 86%. 100% is perfect. Trey Gowdy is rated at 75%. Mark Meadows is rated 97%. So Diane is sitting comfortable between Gowdy and Meadows. Nice. Bill Lee is rated 0. Randy Boyd is rated 0. Educate yourself before misleading other less educated Conservatives.
Kevin is EXACTLY correct. She is not what we think of Conservative.
A verifiable Conservative background is mandatory. Bill Lee has none. Vote Diane Black. MAGA!
Not a chance. She lost me long ago whe n she gave her husband a sole-source bid to get work for their own personal company giving them $$$$ millions off work done in Tennessee construction. She lost my respect and my vote. Voting for Randy Boyd.#MAGA
Thanks for setting the record straight regarding who supported who and when!
The big difference here is that Bill Lee supported a new to the “political arena”, Republican in a Democrat stronghold, Dickerson. A Republican State Senator who quickly fell right in line with his political establishment masters! Black and Boyd, who by everybody’s accounts are “political establishment insiders”, continued to fund the Dickerson even after he went off the rails! Why? Because he is one of them!