The news that Tennessee House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower will not seek re-election to seat in the State House of Representatives was, I must admit, a surprise to me. The real shock came not in the idea that Mumpower might not be able to sustain the votes necessary to be Speaker of the House, or even that he would not seek the Leadership again, but that he would choose not to run for re-election to a seat that he would almost certainly win for an eighth time:
“I am so grateful to the people in Sullivan and Johnson Counties for their support of me,” Mumpower said. “It has been an honor to serve them, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I’ve lost a lot of hair and put what I can only guess is more than 270,000 interstate miles on my cars driving from Bristol to Nashville to serve the 3rd District. I have made many, many friends, and I thank all of you for those friendships.”
It is customary for those in politics to make flowery statements on an occasion such as this when it becomes evident that a long-serving public figure will not continue in their post. House Democratic Leader Gary Odom and Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike "Republicans are Racists" Turner said nice things about Mumpower. Kent Williams even got in on the act, thanking Mumpower from the Chair for his "wonderful service (Williams didn't think Mumpower serving was nearly as wonderful a year and a quarter ago). I will be a bit more honest...I like Jason, but it is on record that we've clashed from time to time.
When the history books of Tennessee are written, however, and our own period is remembered (we hope) for future schoolchildren in this State to study at a certain age, I believe in my heart that Jason Mumpower will be remembered for the exceptional figure that he truly is. Mumpower will not be noted for greatness because it was he who "led the Tennessee House Republicans to their first majority in history" since many others beside him worked for that day for so many years. Rather, he will most be remembered for having been elected to the House at an age so young, 23, that people reacted with some wonderment, and remained a member for so long that he managed to be chosen as House Republican Leader at an age (33) when many people interested in public life haven't even contested their first election. He will now leave the House celebrating his 37th birthday roughly a month and a half before his successor is chosen. At 36 years old, Jason Mumpower has managed to be in public life long enough for many people to have had a very full political career, and most folks who have been in the business of politics for 14 years and decide to leave the stage do so in the closing years, not the prime, of a very full and active life. Mumpower's exploits are positively enviable and yes, heroic.
I am very hesitant to use the word that some media and blogging outlets are using when referring to Leader Mumpower's announcement of his decision not to stand for an eighth term in the House yesterday-"retire/retires/retirement." At his age, I doubt very seriously that Jason Mumpower is retiring from much of anything. When he says that he is ready to move on to "new challenges," I have to believe that a young family and new professional goals are a part of those challenges, and that he, like every other decent person in public life knows that his first priority must lie with his own home (he rightly referred to his wife as "the Speaker of my House," and I am here to tell you unwashed unmarried people that in saying that, Mumpower has spoken the Lord's truth). No, I am not naive enough to believe that family was his only concern when making his decision, but I'd be willing to bet he had a nice talk with his wife and that was probably the clincher.
There is one political prediction I am willing to make with some degree of certainty: Tennesseans have not seen the last of Jason Mumpower.
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