History Made in Madison County

We're watching history being made in Madison County. The filing deadline was yesterday for the county mayor's race and only Jimmy Harris and Don McLeary filed petitions. Both men are running in the republican primary in February. Jimmy Harris was appointed mayor effective July 1, 2007, making him the first republican to ever hold the office. But with Harris and McLeary running in the republican primary, and no other candidates, one of these men will be the first republican elected to hold the office of Madison County Mayor. That will be history.

Jerome

Madison County Mayor Campaign Kickoff

Mayor Jimmy Harris has scheduled a campaign kickoff for tomorrow evening at the Old English Inn in Jackson. Mayor Harris is campaigning to retain the office to which he was appointed earlier this year when the former county mayor was elected mayor of the City of Jackson. His only opponent so far (filing deadline is December 13) is former senator Don McLeary. McLeary has announced his intentions of running for the seat and has begun to campaign, but hasn't yet filed his petition with the election commission.

Harris' invitation boast several local and state dignitaries. These "hosts" of the party are: Republican Caucus Chairman Mark Norris; State Senator Bill Ketron; State Senator Paul Stanley; State Representative Jimmy Eldridge; Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork; Madison County Tax Assessor Frances Hunley; Madison County Register of Deeds Linda Waldon; and Madison County Circuit Court Clerk Judy Barnhill. Also, eleven of the Madison County Commissioners have signed on as supporting Harris.

The special guest at the event will be Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey.

A non-exhaustive list of others who are identified as hosts on the invitation are: Jim Ayers; Scooter Clippard; Carl Kirkland; and Jimmy Wallace. There are even some local democrats who are supporting Harris such as former City of Jackson Mayor Charles Farmer.

Harris has certainly brought out the big guns. I'm not sure where Don McLeary will find his support within the local republican party when it is obvious that the local and state republican leaders are lining up against him. McLeary has announced his plan to run in the republican primary on February 5, 2008. But he hasn't filed his petition yet. Is it possible he will file to run as an independent instead? Although he was one time a democrat, he can't win an election as a democrat again. The local democrats are still livid about him switching paties before the last election. So if he doesn't file to run as a republican, his only alternative is to run as an independent. But would there be any credibility in that? Once a democrat, then a republican and then an independent? I can't see it working.

Perhaps McLeary knows more about local politics than I do, but I still can't figure out his strategy. Particularly in light of this impressive list of supports for his opponent.

Jerome

Polling Started in Madison County Mayor's Race

I received a call tonight from a polling company that asked questions about the Madison County Mayor's race. I was interested to learn that one of the candidates is spending money on polling. My best guess -- and after talking to a reliable source -- is that the Jimmy Harris campaign may be the one polling. My source doubts that Don McLeary's campaign has enough money to be spending on polling. The pollster even mixed in a few presidential campaign questions for good measure.

The Madison County Mayor's race is an important one and will likely be decided in the republican primary. The qualifying deadline for all candidates for the mayor's office is December 13. So far only McLeary and Harris have picked up petitions. No democrats and no independents. If that holds true, then we will know who the next mayor will be in February even though the general election isn't until August.

I haven't found anyone -- republican or democrat -- who understands Don McLeary's thought process or strategy for jumping into this race. Earlier I opined that McLeary's strategy could only be for democrats and independents to vote in the republican primary in February. After talking to some democrat friends I'm convinced that this scenario won't happen. Most local democrats are mad at McLeary for switching parties and won't lift a finger to help him. In fact, I heard from a reliable source that some democrat lawyers in town called a republican lawyer and asked what they could do to help Harris beat McLeary. Interesting.

So if the crossover vote isn't going to happen, what is McLeary's strategy? Could he be hanging his hat on name recognition only? Is he hoping that republicans who aren't hard core party members will vote in the republican presidential primary; then see his name on the ballot for mayor and pull the lever for him because they recognize his name? Surely that isn't his strategy but what else could it be?

And what will McLeary do if he looses? There is no way the leadership of the local republican party will get behind him in any other race in the future after he's challenged Jimmy Harris. If he looses this race, then I suspect McLeary will be finished in local republican politics.

Jerome

Madison County Mayor Primary Contest

An interesting development has occurred in Madison County regarding the county mayor's office. Earlier this year Jimmy Harris was appointed county mayor when the previous mayor was elected mayor of the City of Jackson. Harris became the first republican to hold the office of Madison County Mayor in the history of the county. Harris has been business partners with the grandfather of the Madison County republican party, Jimmy Wallace.

Now comes word that Don McLeary will challenge Harris in the republican primary on February 5, 2008, which coincides with the presidential primary. You remember Don McLeary, right? He ran as a democrat and defeated long time republican state senator Bobby Carter. Then he switched parties and ran as a republican in 2006, losing to the democratic challenger, Lowe Finney.

What is McLeary's strategy for running against Jimmy Harris for this seat? Harris will certainly have the backing of Jimmy Wallace (close personal friend of Fred Thompson, by the way) and the republican establishment. Harris says that Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey will be in town in December to campaign for him. So if McLeary can't expect the backing of the republican base, who does he expect will vote for him? The only possible scenario I see is that he hopes for a lot of democrats and independents to vote in the presidential primary election, pick up a republican presidential ballot rather than a democratic one and vote for him. (Word on the street is that some democrats/independents have solicited McLeary to run but no concrete proof of this has surfaced yet.) If that is the strategy, I'm not sure I follow the logic. If the democratic presidential primary is still close after Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, won't the local democrats want to vote in the democratic presidential primary? If they do, then they can't vote in the local republican mayoral primary. And with Fred Thompson on the republican presidential primary ballot, won't a lot of republicans go to the polls to vote for him -- and vote for Jimmy Harris? It would not surprise me in the least that if Fred Thompson makes a campaign stop in Jackson between now and the primary that he has Jimmy Harris on the stage with him and encourages voters to support Harris.

Certainly McLeary can't run as a democrat or independent in the August, 2008, general election because he will loose all credibility having already switched parties one time.

It is an intriguing development in the local mayor's race and it will be interesting to see how the dynamics play out. And if McLeary looses I suspect he won't find the backing of the local republican establishment in any future races.

UPDATE: After I posted on this subject, an anonymous source told me that republican state senator Bobby Carter tried to recruit Don McLeary to run as a republican in 2002 for the state senate and that Bobby Carter would have stepped aside and supported McLeary. Instead, McLeary opted to run as a democrat. So the chronology of McLeary's involvement with the local republican party since 2002 is: (1) Refused Bobby Carter's overture to run for state senate as a republican; (2) ran as a democrat for state senate and defeated an ailing Bobby Carter; (3) switched parties and ran as a republican in his re-election campaign, loosing to Lowe Finney; and (4) Is now running in republican primary for county mayor against Jimmy Harris who supported McLeary in 2006 in his state senate re-election campaign. Also, there are some who believe that unless and until McLeary actual files his petition to run in the republican primary that he may actually file to run as an independent or democrat. This theory is based on who is recruiting McLeary to run, per my source.

Jerome