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Chip Saltsman

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Chip Saltsman
Born
John Bruce Saltsman Jr.

(1968-03-24) March 24, 1968 (age 56)
Nashville, Tennessee, US
EducationChristian Brothers U. (MBA)
OccupationPolitician
Parents
Websitechipsaltsman.com

John Bruce "Chip" Saltsman Jr. (born March 24, 1968) is an American politician who has served as chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 1999 to 2001,[1] senior political advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and manager of Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign. He also worked for the Chuck Fleischmann campaign in Tennessee's 3rd district from 2009 to 2010.

Early life

Saltsman was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to parents Bruce Saltsman and Edna Elaine Saltsman. He attended Father Ryan High School, a Catholic high school in Nashville, and then Christian Brothers University in Memphis, where he earned his bachelor's and master's in business administration degrees. While at Christian Brothers, Saltsman was active in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the Knights of Columbus and student government.[2]

Political career

Under Saltsman's watch as state party chairman in 2000, then-Governor George W. Bush defeated then-Vice President Al Gore in his home state of Tennessee.[3]

Work with Frist

Saltsman followed this accomplishment by working as Development Director for Senator Frist at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2002, where he helped Republicans regain control of the Senate after the defection of Senator James Jeffords handed the chamber to Democratic control in May 2001.[4]

Saltsman then became Senior Political Advisor to Majority Leader Frist at VOLPAC, a political action committee chaired by Frist and dedicated to recruitment and support of Republican candidates for political office nationwide. In 2004, eighteen of the twenty-two races that VOLPAC supported were successful. And, in 2006, VOLPAC helped ensure the election of Senator Bob Corker over Harold Ford, Jr. in Tennessee.[5]

Saltsman was also an important figure in Senator Frist's preparations for a potential run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and was labeled "Frist's secret weapon" by Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post [6] and "a multi-talented superstar ... [who has] demonstrated uncanny, remarkable leadership in every endeavor he's undertaken" by Frist himself.[2]

Huckabee presidential campaign

Main article: Mike Huckabee 2008 presidential campaign

Saltsman was nominated by Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic as one of the top four campaign managers of the election cycle,[7] and has since been labeled a "noted GOP strategist"[8] with "a strong future on the national campaign-management stage."[9]

RNC Chair candidacy

Main article: 2009 Republican National Committee chairmanship election

Saltsman announced his candidacy for RNC Chairman, after frequent mentions prior to announcing.[10]

In his bid for the RNC Chairmanship, Saltsman was endorsed by: former Republican presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee,[11] former United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, and Tennessee House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower.[12]

Saltsman dropped out one day before the voting following a controversy regarding Saltsman's distribution of a CD containing the song 'Barack the Magic Negro".[13][14]

Fleischmann Congressional campaign

After incumbent U.S. Representative Zach Wamp decided to leave Congress to run for Governor of Tennessee, Saltsman became campaign manager for Chuck Fleischmann, an attorney and former talk radio host who sought the Republican nomination to succeed Wamp in the third congressional district seat.[15] Mike Huckabee endorsed Fleischmann in March 2010.[16][17] Fleischmann's biggest competition in the Republican primary was expected to come from former state GOP chairwoman Robin Smith.[18] The U.S. House Republican whip Eric Cantor, chief deputy whip Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican Conference chairman Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich had endorsed Smith.[19][20][21] Fleischmann won the August 5, 2010, primary, topping a field of 11 candidates with about 30% of the vote and edging out second-place finisher Robin Smith, who earned 28%.[22][23]

In March 2010, Saltsman was also hired as top gubernatorial campaign consultant for South Carolina Lieutenant Gov. André Bauer.[24] Bauer came in fourth among four candidates in the GOP primary in June 2010.[25]

Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission

Saltsman was appointed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton to join the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission in July 2022.[26]

References

  1. ^ Locker, Rick (July 24, 2008). "GOP chair won't say whether Rove ordered media ban". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  2. ^ a b Sullivan, Bartholomew, "CBUer running Huckabee campaign", The Memphis Commercial Appeal, February 4, 2008.
  3. ^ "CBUer running Huckabee campaign: Ex-Tennessee GOP chair makes national name". Commercial Appeal. February 4, 2008.
  4. ^ Ruble, Drew, "Newsmaker Q&A: Chip Saltsman" Archived 2009-01-27 at the Wayback Machine, Business TN, December 2007.
  5. ^ VOLPAC Website, Accessed October 30, 2008.
  6. ^ Cillizza, Chris, "Straw Poll Is First Test for GOP White House Hopefuls", Washington Post.com's The Fix, March 9, 2006.
  7. ^ Ambinder, Marc, "Off The Grid # 6: Campaign Manager Of the Cycle", The Atlantic Online, February 15, 2008.
  8. ^ Brewer, Clint, "On politics: Frist, GOP may have last laugh in 2010"[permanent dead link], Nashville City Paper, May 12, 2008.
  9. ^ Whitehouse, Ken, "Introducing the Political Futures Index", Nashville Post, December 18, 2007.
  10. ^ Wilson, Reid, "As McCain Slips, RNC Wannabes Get Bold", Real Clear Politics, October 29, 2008.
  11. ^ Huckabee, Governor Mike, "Chip Saltsman for RNC Chair", Huck PAC, December 8, 2008.
  12. ^ Brooks, Jennifer and Theo Emery, "Saltsman acts to become national GOP chairman", The Tennessean, December 9, 2008.
  13. ^ Stein, Sam (January 29, 2009). "Chip Saltsman Withdraws From RNC Race After 'Magic Negro'l Star Spanglish Banner' Stirs". Huffington Post.
  14. ^ Nagourney, Adam (January 29, 2009). "Candidate Linked to Obama Parody Song Leaves Race for G.O.P. Chairman". The New York Times.
  15. ^ "Fleischmann Says It Is Time For Conservatives To Go On The Offense". The Chattanoogan. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  16. ^ Lance, Joe (March 29, 2010). "Mike Huckabee Endorses Chuck Fleischmann". Chattarati. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  17. ^ "Mike Huckabee Endorses Chuck". Chuck Fleischmann for Congress. Mar 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  18. ^ "Smith, Wamp Win Straw Polls At Bradley County Lincoln Day Dinner". The Chattanoogan. March 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  19. ^ Sher, Andy (March 17, 2010). "No. 2 U.S. House Republican endorses Robin Smith". Chattanooga Times Free Press.
  20. ^ "Endorsements". Robin Smith for Congress. Archived from the original on 2010-07-24. Retrieved 2010-08-07.
  21. ^ Lance, Joe (Aug 2, 2010). "Newt Gingrich Endorses Robin Smith". Chattarati. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  22. ^ Republican Primary Unofficial Results, Tennessee Election Commission website, accessed August 6, 2010
  23. ^ Larry Henry, Fleischmann beats Smith in 3rd District, Chattanooga Times Free Press, August 6, 2010
  24. ^ "Bauer Switches Consultants". FITSNews. March 9, 2010. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  25. ^ Simon, Jeff (June 11, 2010). "Bauer endorses Barrett in S.C. runoff". CNN.
  26. ^ "Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission welcomes Chip Saltsman". Fox News. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
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