Friends,

I'm sure many of you already know the good news of our recent win in district 62, but I'd like to congratulate our newest member of the Tennessee General Assembly, Representative Pat Marsh (R-Shelbyville), who won over 54% of the vote. 

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, this victory gives us 50 bonafide Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives and serves as a real shot of momentum for our party heading into the critical 2010 elections. 

Many Young Republicans traveled to district 62 and helped us win this critical seat by knocking on doors and making literally thousands of GOTV phone calls.  I want to recognize a few of them now:  

Robby Clapper (Shelby)

Jeremy Durham (Shelby)

Adrian Eddleman (Madison)

Brian Kelsey (Shelby)

James Maness (Wilson)

John McManus (Davidson)

Chris Rogers (Davidson)

Kate Yeager (Williamson)

4th Quarter Board Meeting

The 4th Quarter Board Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 21 at 10:00 a.m. in Germantown, Tennessee.  There will also be an opportunity to make GOTV phone calls and knock on doors to help Brian Kelsey get elected to the state Senate.  If anyone needs a place to stay the night before, please email me at chairman@tennesseetomorrow.com so I can arrange something for you.

Grassroots

Many of our members got involved in the race to help Pat Marsh become the next state Representative from district 62 while others are still helping the next state Senator from district 31, Brian Kelsey.  I encourage anyone interested in giving their time to let us know so we can put you in contact with Brian's volunteer coordinator.  Remember, calling Republicans and reminding them to vote is extremely important (especially in a special election), and it's something that can be done from anywhere.

Kelsey Early Voting: Nov. 12-25, Election Day: Dec. 1

Location: Memphis and Shelby County suburbs

Keep in mind that district 31 only went 53.8% for John McCain, so the general election is hardly a given.  That's why it's extremely important that we all support our fellow Young Republican and not take this seat for granted.

if you are interested in helping Brian get elected to the Senate, please email  chairman@tennesseetomorrow.com.

Christmas Party (12/5/2009)

The Tennessee Young Republicans are hosting the first annual Christmas Party Fundraiser and Philanthropy Event from 7-11 p.m on Saturday, December 5 at Jeremy Durham's home located at 5837 Sterling Oaks Dr. in Brentwood, TN.

We are asking for a $20/person or $30/couple donation for the Tennessee Young Republicans PAC.  Also, in the spirit of the season, we ask that you bring a new, unwrapped toy for donation to Toys for Tots. 

Don't worry about bringing anything else, food and drink will be provided!

Please either RSVP on facebook or send an email to Kate at vicechairman@tennesseetomorrow.com.

We hope to see everyone there!

Concealed Carry Permit Class

We also plan to schedule a concealed carry class in early 2010 for interested YRs.  If you are interested, please send an email to Kate at vicechairman@tennesseetomorrow.com and be looking for a date to be announced in the coming months.

P.A.C.

I'm happy to announce that the Tennessee Young Republicans PAC is now up and running with a balance of $2,500.  We hope to raise at least $10,000 to contribute to Republican candidates in the 2010 election cycle, but we cannot reach that lofty goal without the generosity of our members.  We hope that any YR able to do so will consider donating so that we can provide as much help as possible next year to Republican candidates all across Tennessee.

Also, if anyone would like to help raise money for the PAC, we have spots open on our finance committee.  Raising money for an organization is one of the best ways to gain fundraising experience before doing it for a campaign. 

If anyone can help in this capacity, please email chairman@tennesseetomorrow.com


Website

I want to recognize Don Johnson (Shelby) for all his hard work updating the website.  You should notice a number of changes including recent photos and current contact information.  We will also be adding an Events/Calendar Tab to the website.  Please email Kate at vicechairman@tennesseetomorrow.com with any upcoming events involving your clubs, elections in your area, etc. 

If you have any other ideas for the website, don't hesitate to email Don at secretary@tennesseetomorrow.com

 Appointments

I'm pleased to announce that Jenny Stites (Davidson) will serve as Events Coordinator for the 2009-2011 term.  She will oversee any events associated with the TYRF and recommend future activities to the board. 

If anyone else wants to serve in any capacity, please let me know and I will gladly find a place for you.

Thank You

Thank you all for the leadership you are showing in your home clubs and, again, thank you to all the YRs who went down to Shelbyville and helped make a true Republican majority in the Tennessee House of Representatives a reality.  We're on our way to great things in 2010.

In Republican Service,


Jeremy Durham
Chairman
Tennessee Young Republican Federation, Inc.

 Friends,

It truly is an exciting time to be a Young Republican in Tennessee.  On September 12, over 50 delegates from across the state gave up their Saturday to attend our convention in Nashville.  The feedback from the convention could not be any better, and we owe a huge thanks to the Nashville YRs for putting on such a great event.

Transition

In the past week, the new officers have gone through transition mode. We are still working on getting all the accounts and lists transferred to the appropriate individuals but we’re almost finished.  I’ve spoken to almost every new officer about a plan for their position and I’ve been very pleased with what I’ve heard thus far. 

PAC

We are also putting the finishing touches on starting the Tennessee Young Republicans PAC. We’ve drafted bylaws for the PAC and are prepared to present them to board members via email within the next day or so.  Once the bylaws are approved, we will file the appropriate paperwork to make the PAC compliant with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.

Grassroots

Many of our members are becoming involved in the race to help Pat Marsh become the next state Representative from district 62 while others are helping the next state Senator from district 31, Brian Kelsey, and some are even helping both.  Our organization is well-connected to both campaigns, and I encourage anyone interested in giving their time to let us know so we can put you in contact with them.  Both campaigns badly need volunteers, especially the Marsh campaign.  

Marsh election date: Oct 13
Location: Bedford County as well as parts of Rutherford and Lincoln counties. (An hour or so Southeast of Nashville)

Kelsey election date: Dec 1
Location: Memphis and Shelby County suburbs

Keep in mind that a victory for Pat Marsh would mean 50 bonafide Republicans for House floor votes and would also likely tilt two or three of the dead-locked House committees to Republican control.  This scenario would almost certainly lead to more Republican legislation making it out of committee and reaching the House floor.  We would also stand a great chance at passing the legislation once it is out of committees due to the aforementioned 50 bonafide Republicans voting on the measures.

Appointments

I’m still in the process of talking to the other officers about potential positions that may need to be filled, and I still need to speak with a few others who’ve spoken to me about helping in one capacity or another, but I’m prepared to announce the first two appointments for the 2009-2011 term.

Chris Rogers (Davidson) will serve as statewide grassroots director.  This role will include serving as chair of the TNYRs grassroots committee which will be composed of one member from each grand division and will determine in which races the state YRs should attempt to provide grassroots assistance.  Chris will also work with the regional directors as well as club chairs to ensure that the state YRs are making an impact on the ground in target races.  This will include recruiting YR members for organized walks. 

Tony Youseffi (Davidson) will serve as statewide finance director.  This role includes serving as chair of the finance committee which will be composed of one member from each grand division.  The committee will advise the executive board on the most effective ways to generate revenue for the TNYRs and the TNYRs PAC, and will actively participate in fundraising planning as well as execution. 

If anyone wants to help in any way, please let me know and I’ll find a place for you.

Vision

For those of you who were not able to attend the convention, I’d like to briefly explain where I’d like to see the YRs go in the next two years.

First, as with any organization, we must remain committed to growing our membership.  This is mainly a product of the efforts of local clubs and regional directors, but the state organization stands ready to help in whatever way we can.

Second, it is imperative that our organization becomes a grassroots force for Republican candidates.  Many state races are decided by only a few hundred votes.  Thus, one Saturday of work from a few dedicated volunteers can serve as the difference in many close elections.  Our organization must be willing to give our time to help Republican campaigns on a number of occasions if we truly want to make a difference.

Lastly, I feel that the establishment of Tennessee Young Republicans PAC will not only provide much-needed financial support to Republican candidates but also highlight the young professional talent in our organization and ultimately strengthen the network of our organization and its members.

I realize all these ideas will not develop into success overnight.  It will take hours and hours of hard work to accomplish; but I’m willing to help do that, and I hope you all will use your countless talents to make these things happen as well.  If we utilize the many resources we have, I’m confident that November 2010 will be a great time for our organization and for our party.

In Republican Service,

Jeremy Durham
Chairman
Tennessee Young Republican Federation, Inc.