Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga-District 10) is under fire for what has been called an “unbelievable show of arrogant disrespect” towards military veteran and newly elected Williamson County GOP Chair, Steve Hickey, during a recent Senate committee meeting.
The interaction occurred when Hickey appeared in front of the Senate State and Local Government Committee to provide public testimony on legislation that would essentially strip local GOP parties of their ability to conduct party business the way they see fit, putting the selection of local candidates in the hands of the state.
Critics of this legislation believe it was brought by sponsors Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 27) and Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin-District 65) in retaliation against the recent turnover of the Williamson County GOP.
Prior to the committee meeting, Hickey also emailed members of the committee urging them to vote against the legislation.
“I am fully aware of the political motivations behind this effort to constrain local political parties, specifically mine,” wrote Hickey. “However, I would ask you each to consider the ramifications of and precedent this action would set. Do we really want our legislature to force private organizations to accede to state power in their internal affairs, even if we believe there is some purported good?”
Hickey is not the only county GOP chair to oppose SB0799/HB0855, which would mandate that county GOPs use regular state-run primary elections to select party candidates for local positions like mayor, sheriff, or county commissioner.
Local GOPs in Tennessee currently have the option to host a caucus or convention in place of a regular primary election for local partisan positions.
Counties who used one of these alternative options during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles would be grandfathered in and could continue to use that method.
However, if one of those counties decides to switch to a regular primary election at any point, this legislation removes their ability to go back to a caucus or convention method.
“[SB0799] unduly infringes upon private organizations such as my county party,” Hickey stated in committee. “I would like to begin by addressing the root problem behind my opposition of this bill, crossover voting in open primaries that dilutes the voices of Republicans in our own elections. While this is illegal, it is a law that is never enforced.”
When committee members were given the chance to ask the GOP chair some questions, Gardenhire took this opportunity to grill Hickey on the definition of a Republican.
“Define Republican,” was Gardenhire’s demand of Hickey who responded by defining a Republican as someone who holds conservative values, honors the Constitution, and upholds the Republican Party platform.
This answer did not satisfy Sen. Gardenhire and the lawmaker proceeded to interrupt Hickey, aggressively telling the GOP chair to keep his mouth shut.
Sen. Gardenhire’s frustration was over the fact that Hickey had given both his own definition of a Republican and the state’s definition of a Republican, someone who has voted in three out of the last four Republican primaries.
“I want you to pick one and stick with it,” said Gardenhire.
The Republican lawmaker brought up the Sharon Statement, in an attempt to argue against Hickey’s insinuation that Republicanism and Conservatism are linked, mocking Hickey for not having heard of the document.
“Senator Gardenhire’s confused attempt to argue otherwise by invoking The Sharon Statement—ironically a statement deeply committed to limited government and individual liberty—shows how out of touch he truly is with core Republican principles,” Tennessee Stands wrote on social media.
Tennessee Resident, Don Beehler, called Gardenhire’s behavior towards Hickey, “outrageous and highly disrespectful treatment.”
“Sen. Gardenhire’s behavior is an excellent example of the contempt that many elected officials have for grassroots conservatives,” Beehler told The Tennessee Conservative. “Sen. Gardenhire owes Mr. Hickey a public apology.”
Beehler also said that to Hickey’s credit, “[he] maintained his composure and behaved in an exemplary manner” and that he would add the following to Hickey’s description of a Republican: “Someone who believes in limited government and understands that our representatives are elected to serve the people, not the other way around.”
Former GOP County Chair Jennifer Hamblin sent an email to Gardenhire following the incident which she called an “unbelievable show of arrogant disrespect.”
“For a Tennessee Senator to serve our state as long as you have, it is unbelievable how in one conversation your behavior erased any signs of intelligence, respect, and leadership,” Hamblin wrote. “Your behavior disgraced our legislative process, our state, our party, and your constituents. How dare you speak to a fellow Republican in the manner you did when your authority was granted by other Republicans who elected you!”
Hamblin told the lawmaker that he owed all Tennesseans an apology, “especially Mr. Hickey.”
While this might be a very blatant example of Gardenhire’s questionable behavior, it is not the only time that the Republican senator’s demeanor has fallen into that of “disrespect” or “bullying.”
Todd Gardenhire Incidents – Honorable Mentions
- Called committee audience members SOBs for snapping their fingers and told them to get the h*ll out of the committee room because they were distracting him, even though Gardenhire did not even notice the snapping due to hearing issues until another lawmaker informed him of it.
- Cursed at an InsureTN protestor back in 2015 after they asked if he would be okay with giving up his insurance.
- Told Sen. Brent Taylor that he was treading on thin ice after Gardenhire attempted to call him out of order for asking an unrelated question and Sen. Taylor proceeded to explain exactly how his question was related to the bill at hand.
- Criticized the Chattanooga Police Department for lacking diversity and demanded that the police chief respond.
- Stated in 2020 that he wore a mask because he respected other people and their healthcare, referring to a homemade cloth mask, insinuating that those who chose not to also wear a cloth mask were not showing respect for others.
- Told a committee audience member not to ever come back when the individual chose to leave after being singled out by Gardenhire for wearing a hat.
- Repeatedly interrupts public testimony in a frustrated manner, even when he is not chairing the committee, to tell members of the public to speak into the microphone even though the rest of the in-person and online audience can hear them, because he can’t hear them.
To watch the incidents described above unfold on video, click HERE.
