Friday, February 26, 2010

We Welcome (Well, Not Really) Our New Republican Overlords

Our only real chance to keep the Governor's Mansion has decided to give up the fight:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Contact: Katy Cutright | 901-543-8683
katy@jimkyle2010.com

Kyle Withdraws Bid for Governor

Memphis Senator thanks supporters, continues to advocate for higher education reform

NASHVILLE - Memphis Senator Jim Kyle (D-Memphis) announced today that he will be withdrawing from the 2010 Tennessee Gubernatorial race, and issued the following statement:

"After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I have decided that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor of Tennessee.

It is clear to me that while our campaign had the assets to be competitive in the Primary, the legislative fundraising restriction, the economy, and my duties as Senate Leader have severely hampered my ability to generate resources which would have been vital to our success in the general election. Our state faces unprecedented budget and funding issues that cannot wait for the next Governor, and I plan to devote all my energies to working with Governor Bredesen and my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that the best interests of all Tennesseans are placed first.

I started this campaign for governor to help our state create the recession-proof jobs that will move us forward. My vision for accomplishing this task was to take "Higher Education to a Higher Place," and make our colleges economic engines for Tennessee. While no longer a candidate for Governor, I will continue to be an outspoken advocate to promote and define the solutions that answer our state's most pressing challenges, in both higher education and job creation. Perhaps, my exit from this race will enable some of my legislative initiatives, which will address these challenges, to be seen and heard more clearly.

For a guy whose Mom worked in a tire factory and whose Dad drove a truck, perhaps the most humbling support has been from Tennessee's working families. My parents' jobs were hard jobs, and because of the Unions they belonged to, they were able to provide a better life for our family.

I would like to thank each and every Tennessean who has assisted me in this campaign. I am proud to call Tennessee home. I have built a career in this great state, raised my family here, and will continue to pursue the same goal I set for this campaign: that we have a government that measures its success one citizen at a time."

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