On January 13, the Tennessee legislature came into session. Even though Republicans had a bare majority in the State House, Democrats elected Kent Williams Speaker. Williams is a Republican, but all the votes for him (except his own vote) came from Democrats. Williams says he will appoint Committee Chairmen from both major parties. See this article.
This Tennessee legislature appoints the Secretary of State. It is unclear as to whether Tuesday’s news means that long-time Democratic Secretary of State Riley Darnell will remain in office.
Having a legislature appoint ANY executive officer is Stone Age primitive.
Par for the course in a primitive southern State.
Of course, that’s exactly what happens in parliamentary democracies.
It has not been that long that Tennessee had only one state-wide party, the Democrat.
Now it has a party-and-a-half.
And it has lots of Tennessee people over in Iraq and Afghanistan risking and losing their lives “for democracy.”