Ramsey kicks off gubernatorial bid with midnight fundraiser

Lieutenant Governor accepts first campaign check as soon as the law allows

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Ron Ramsey

Just as NCAA basketball teams celebrate "Midnight Madness" to kick off their drive to a championship, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R-Bristol) last night used the late hour to officially launch his campaign for the 2010 governor's race.

State law prohibits state legislators from accepting campaign funds from individuals until June 1, and that goes for sitting members of the State Senate that want to be governor. Ramsey took the law at its letter and waited until a few seconds after the clock ticked past midnight before he took his first campaign contribution. (Contributions from political action committees are still prohibited until the state legislature adjourns for the year.)

At Puckett's Grocery in downtown Franklin, a crowd of more than 250 people joined Ramsey to wait out the midnight "start time" and witnessed Williamson County's State Sen. Jack Johnson hand Ramsey his first check for the 2010 campaign.

Ramsey told NashvillePost.com that he was pleased by the turnout and excited to get started. When he addressed the crowd, he said that a few months ago, businessman Monty Lankford tried to give him a check but he had to decline because of the law. From that conversation, the idea of holding a midnight fundraiser was born.

"It does matter who governs," Ramsey said, "We have shown that on Second Amendment issues – and we will override Bredesen's veto and allow permit carrying gun-owners to carry their guns into restaurants. We have shown that on immigration reform and on protecting the lives of unborn babies."

The "master of ceremonies" for the event was radio personality Steve Gill. Also on hand were State Sens. Bill Ketron, Jim Tracy, Mike Faulk, Rusty Crowe and State Representatives Jason Mumpower, Glen Casada, Charles Sargent, Frank Niceley, Joe Carr and Matthew Hill, to name a few.

The primary for the 2010 governor's race is 14 months from now, in August of next year. Other candidates seeking the GOP nominaton are Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, and Congressman Zach Wamp of Chattanooga.