Images in graphic provided by Don Beehler
By Don Beehler [contributor to The Tennessee Conservative] –
In my three decades of living in Williamson County, the most dishonest campaign I’ve ever seen in our area has ended in failure.
At the Williamson County Republican Party’s (WCRP) March 4 reorganization convention, Elevate 2025, the real conservatives in this race, defeated all eight of their Williamson County Conservatives (WCC) opponents for party leadership.
Mercifully, the WCC’s strategists and creative team can now go back to working on campaigns for openly declared Democrats, where they will feel much more at home.
The old guard establishment folks who backed the WCC candidates are no doubt fuming about the results and mourning their inability to regain the power they lost in 2023. I won’t name names, but you know who you are.
Adding further intrigue, the “grassroots” WCC candidates were supported by a new PAC that’s shrouded in mystery.
The election results were razor thin, with more than 1,500 bona fide Republican voters split roughly 51% to 49%. A few of the individual candidate races were even closer and decided by less than 50 votes.
On the one hand, it’s encouraging the majority of bona fide Republican voters in Williamson County were too smart to fall for WCC’s disinformation and middle-school drama. And I’m sure glad I don’t have to pay the bill for WCC’s campaign — which likely was in six figures — but I suspect the people who funded this campaign can afford it.
On the other hand, such a close election should be a wakeup call to true grassroots conservatives. Negative campaigning that treats truth like an enemy can be effective, especially if the lies are told repeatedly and not refuted with truth. As Rush Limbaugh used to say, “It’s not the nature of the evidence; it’s the seriousness of the charge.”
To their credit, the Elevate candidates refused to get down in the mud with their opponents and instead focused on issues, solutions and their vision for the Williamson County GOP. However, if candidates don’t correct false accusations, some voters will believe the disinformation they are being fed. Countering lies with truth is not going negative; it’s necessary when one’s opponents get down and dirty because silence in the face of false accusations can be perceived as guilt.
And boy, were there ever some false accusations and deceitful claims! For starters, the WCC campaign pretended to be “THE ONLY conservative ticket” in the race and made the outrageous assertion in mailers that the Elevate slate “disdains grassroots GOP voters,” even though five of the Elevate candidates were part of the 2023 reorganization that was overwhelmingly elected by conservative grassroots voters.
WCC accusations against the WCRP leadership and Elevate candidates included:
- Vowing to cancel primary elections
- Conducting secret meetings and backroom deals
- Wanting to install nominees (a tactic ironically employed last year by a WCC candidate who also serves as a Williamson County Commissioner)
- Throwing certain groups out of the local party
- Withholding support for nominees, and
- Trying to steal votes
None of this was true, nor did the WCC provide proof of their claims.
Prospective GOP voters were treated to a barrage of mailers and texts using names/photos of individuals who had absolutely nothing to do with this contest, such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, George Soros and Barack Obama. The idea, of course, was to connect these well-known leftists with the conservative Elevate slate. So much for ethics and integrity.
But the lowest of the low was the comparison WCC attempted to make with Joseph Stalin, a man who murdered millions of his own people. A comparison like that really makes a compelling case for requiring candidates to pass a sanity test before running for office.
When voter registration for the convention hit 900, it became apparent the original venue was too small and needed to be moved to a larger place (as was the case with the 2023 convention). That was met by WCC charges their opponents were “trying to rig the Williamson GOP election.” A WCC mailer ran the headline, “LET’S MAKE THIS ELECTION TOO BIG TO RIG,” accompanied by a picture of President Trump.
The Elevate candidates had nothing to do with the change in location, and it’s unclear how moving the March 4 reorganization convention to a larger venue that accommodates more people is voter suppression, especially when notification of the new location was made well in advance.
Imagine the outcry if the original venue, which maxed out at 850 people, had been retained and hundreds of bona fide voters were turned away. But this was not about facts or reality; the WCC wanted to add to their list of perceived villains by calling into question the integrity of the independent Contest and Credentials Committee, which is responsible for running the convention and has nothing to do with either campaign.
Rather than commending this move so that every qualified GOP participant who wanted to vote was able to do so, the WCC folks chose to allege voter suppression and election rigging.
And, predictably, the news media coverage of the election focused on controversy. The Tennessee Star ran a very biased story about “voter suppression concerns” and reportedly censured comments critical of the coverage, while allowing other comments to appear online. NewsChannel 5 boiled the reorganization down to “primaries or caucus?”
The morning of the election Steve Hickey, Elevate’s candidate for chair, was a guest on 99.7 WTN radio’s Dan Mandis show. His opponent, Williamson County Commissioner Brian Clifford, had been on the show the day before. Mr. Mandis focused on the “primary vs. caucus” issue, but he grew increasingly frustrated when Mr. Hickey didn’t take the bait and give him the caucus-affirming soundbite he wanted.
Instead, Mr. Hickey pointed out the problem the WCRP and Elevate candidates are highlighting, which is Democrats voting in Republican primaries. He clearly stated his preferred solution was for the General Assembly to pass a party registration bill, which is currently under consideration. Mr. Hickey went on to explain that all options were on the table and no decision had been made. This didn’t sit well with Mr. Mandis, who repeatedly asked him for a yes or no answer about whether or not the Elevate team would implement a caucus. But it was not a simple yes or no response because no decision had been made; all options to stop crossover voting were on the table.
(As a side note, I spent most of my career in public relations and journalism, so I was intrigued that in an interview lasting about 20 minutes, the only other question Mr. Mandis asked Mr. Hickey was why he turned down an interview with NewsChannel 5. Really Dan? Did you actually think your listeners were deeply concerned about the decision-making process Mr. Hickey used to determine which interviews he would do? What about the other issues important to voters, the accomplishments the WCRP has achieved the past two years and Elevate’s vision for the Williamson County GOP?)
That evening, in a packed convention ballroom with standing room only, Mr. Clifford’s speech referenced the Dan Mandis interview, and he told the bald-faced lie that Mr. Hickey “finally admitted, on air, that they [Elevate] in fact plan to cancel primary elections in Williamson County.”
The spontaneous uproar of boos and jeers was deafening. Many people knew that simply was not true. Keep in mind that Mr. Mandis lamented on air, after the interview, that he didn’t get an answer (or more accurately his preferred answer) to that question, which flatly contracts Mr. Clifford’s claim about what Mr. Hickey said in the interview.
It seems to me this was a turning point in the evening, which went downhill from there for the WCC candidates.
Mr. Clifford asked the audience whether they wanted a party that shrinks or grows, apparently unaware that the WCRP’s membership has grown by 68% the past two years.
He drew some hearty laughter when he tried to play the victim card by claiming his opponents had attacked him “relentlessly” during this campaign. It was an ironic comment given Mr. Clifford and the other WCC candidates spent weeks relentlessly attacking the entire Elevate team. Perhaps someone needs to explain to Mr. Clifford that demanding accountability for his false statements is not the equivalent of being attacked.
March 4 turned out to be a great night for true conservatives in Williamson County. Appropriately, it was on the same night that President Trump gave his stirring speech to a joint session of Congress, proclaiming “America is back.” The results of the 2025 WCRP reorganization convention was an encouraging indication that “Williamson County is back” as the grassroots conservatives once again beat the RINO establishment in David vs. Goliath fashion.
About the Author: Don Beehler is a retired public relations consultant in Franklin, Tennessee. For more information visit www.donbeehler.com.
7 Responses
This is an outstanding column that very accurately summarizes the Williamson County Republican Party reorganization convention. Thank you, Mr. Beehler, for an accurate assessment of how the so-called Williamson County “Conservatives” (WCC) behaved during their campaign. They and their supporters truly showed their character, and I hope that will be remembered for a long time.
But there is one aspect of the convention that has been missed by many: The fact that the WCC and their supporters requested a hand recount after the results were announced. Wait one second. I thought the Establishment believes the voting machines are infallible. How could these glorious machines render an incorrect total? How could they not be trustworthy?
Well, what hasn’t been reported is that after the hand recount of the chairman’s race, Elevate 2025 Chairman Candidate Steve Hickey gained three votes (ending total 798) and the WCC’s Chairman Candidate Brian Clifford lost one vote (ending total 750). How can that be? Hand recounts are meticulous, bi-partisan and overseen by many observers.
All other recounts were suspended because it was deemed that according to this race recount the results of all races wouldn’t change the results of the election. I thought voting machine totals were never wrong!
Just one more example that the voting machines can’t be trusted and should be jettisoned in favor of safer, more secure election processes: Hand-marked paper ballots, voted in precincts not vote centers (which pipe the internet into the voting location), counted by hand, using no machines (which can’t and aren’t inspected for nefarious components inside) for registration (to remove the internet in the voting location) or voting. Despite what the Williamson County Election Commission may claim, this CAN be done and not cost millions of dollars as they have said.
And it would return greater trust in our county elections.
Thanks to Don Beehler and TCN. Well done.
I agree 100% that > “if candidates don’t correct false accusations, some voters will believe the disinformation they are being fed. Countering lies with truth is not going negative; it’s necessary when one’s opponents get down and dirty because silence in the face of false accusations can be perceived as guilt.”
If someone intentionally lies, like Clifford’s sleazy bunch did, call them LIARS. I was there are when they lied I yelled “Liar”.
In the past I’ve supported Jack Johnson and Bill Lee, but from now on I’ll oppose them. I don’t have any use for crooked, lying people.
I saw a lot of people connected to the Williamson County Political Machine there in force. They disgust me and I think Clifford is disgusting and can’t be trusted. I don’t trust anyone who supports him. We need to vote out anyone who is part of the Machine, which is most of the County Commission. If you aren’t sure who they are, just ask any of the GOP officers. They have doubled our County debt in 2 years. Here’s an example of what goes on > I’ve been told by a reliable source that the Mayor’s friend who he hired as an “expert” consultant has been paid over $1.7 million to “advise” the County.
Well written. I have much more commentary to add, but I dare not. The convention is over and it’s time to think about the future of Williamson County and how we mend fences, if that is possible.
Indeed this “. . .close election should be a wakeup call to true grassroots conservatives” to the effect that what we need in Williamson County is a “new PAC shrouded in mystery” devoted to supporting only solid “hard-right” conservatives to compete with the WCC PAC.
I was at the convention. Good summation article. I was amazed that the WCC was able to say the blatant lies they stated. Amazed. Brian and his slate came off as slimy and liars. I’m not sure why the WCC was saying what they did about the voting. Do they not understand that we need closed primaries for R’s crossover voting or are they closet Democrats who know that closing the primaries will not allow them to get elected? I used to support Bill Lee and Jack Johnson and other candidates but this made me realize they are really Democrats in Republican clothing. I now will be supporting the “true” Grassroots…. It’s a shame they are going the way of Democrats like Gavin Newscum with their tactics.
My opinion is this > It isn’t possible to trust the members of the Political Machine because many of them are devious liars – they are Bad Guys and their motivation is power and control and money. They will look you in the eye, smile and lie to you – honest people don’t do that and it’s hard for honest people to understand the Bad Guys. That might be hard to believe but it’s true. It was clear in this election. They are very clever. This was NOT an “honest” difference of opinion.
Look up the definition of a Political Machine. Calling them the “establishment” is inadequate and doesn’t convey how Bad they are. That’s what is going on. I spent almost a year studying the County Commission. They control that and I think some of the Franklin politicians are also part of the Machine and various other State politicians. Some of the sneakiest ones weren’t wearing the “We’re the Conservatives” sticker because they are sneaky but you could see who they were hanging out with. Just remember – “Birds of a feather flock together”.
They can’t be trusted any more than a poisonous snake. If you’re honest and let down your guard, they will take advantage.
I think the effort should be made to educate voters who were deceived by the Bad Guys.
A lot of people may have been deceived by the lying mailers that the Bad Guys sent out.
There’s an article about this bunch at https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/why-does-the-williamson-county-political-machine-want-to-build-the-most-expensive-jail-in-tennessee-in-a-blasting-zone/
The article was published in Sept. 2024 and says > “In April 2023, there was a revolt and new GOP officers were elected. I’ve heard the Machine is upset because the new officers are honest conservatives who are trying to do the right thing and don’t take orders from the Political Machine. I’ve heard the Machine is going to try to re-take control of the County GOP.”
Warning to the Machine > I know a lot more than I’ve written. If you mess with me, I’ll retaliate and publish details you don’t want people to know.
Someone asked me why I call the Williamson County Conservatives “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only). Here’s why: True conservative Republicans don’t . . .
– Trash their fellow Republicans by assaulting their character, question their integrity, lie about their actions and link them with well-known leftists who hate America like George Soros.
– Disrespect their local Republican party leadership board, referring to it as “the regime”; make false accusations against those leaders; and compare them to despicable individuals like Joseph Stalin.
– Label as unethical independent entities such as the Contest and Credentials Committee, and scream voter suppression/election rigging when the CCC deems it necessary to move an election to a larger venue so that everyone who wants to vote is able to do so.
– Lie about who they are (“THE ONLY conservative ticket” in the race).
– Put their personal agenda and lust for power above the best interests of the party.
– Make deceit the centerpiece of their campaign and say virtually anything to win an election, with no regard for the long-term damage done to the party as well as to individuals.
– Fracture the local party by using divisive, hateful language against fellow Republicans.
– Refuse to debate issues and instead focus on personal attacks and disinformation.
– Refuse to address solutions to crossover voting and thereby provide support for continuing the practice of Democrats voting in Republican primaries.
– Dishonor God by bearing false witness against their opponents, the WCRP leadership and the CCC.
The Williamson County “Conservatives” have done all that and more. They are power-hungry RINOs who don’t care about the local Republican party; in fact, the majority of their candidates are not even members of it. Based on their post-election Facebook comments, it appears they would rather destroy the party than admit defeat.