Randy Boyd, Former ECD Commissioner, Joins Tennessee Governor's Race

NASHVILLE, TN — Randy Boyd, a Knoxville businessman who was one of Gov. Bill Haslam's top advisers, announced Monday he is running for governor, as expected,

The Republican served as Haslam's Economic and Community Development commissioner from January 2015 until he left the post last month. He first came into the governor's administration as a special adviser for higher education in 2013, helping to craft Haslam's Drive to 55 program, which drew national attention for the effort to increase the number of Tennesseans with a college degree. For more politics updates and other local news, find your local Middle Tennessee Patch here.

"There is not a better time to live and work in Tennessee, but not everyone is sharing in that success. So my campaign will be about expanding opportunities for every Tennessee family and community,“ Boyd said in a statement. “The opportunity for a better education — the opportunity for better jobs — and a better opportunity for everyone, regardless of where you live, whether you’re from rural Tennessee, the inner city, or somewhere in between. That’s how I’ve tried to serve in the past, and that is my vision for an even greater, more successful Tennessee.”

Boyd will be able to draw on significant personal wealth in his campaign; among his business endeavors are Radio Systems Inc., which owns, among other things, Invisible Fence, and two minor league baseball teams: the Tennessee Smokies, which play in the small town of Kodak in Sevier County, and the Johnson City Cardinals.

On a newly launched campaign website, Boyd, 57, says his focus will be on completing Drive to 55 by 2025, making Tennessee the number one state for high quality jobs in the Southeast and eliminating all distressed counties in the state by 2025.

Boyd is the second Republican to make his bid official, joining State Sen. Mark Green. Former Nashville mayor Karl Dean is the only Democrat to officially enter the race.

Image via State of Tennessee