Chip Saltsman
Encyclopedia
John "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, senior political advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
, and manager of Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign
. He also works for the Chuck Fleischmann
campaign in Tennessee's 3rd district
from 2009 to 2010.
to parents John B. Saltsman, Sr. 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.
.
In 1994, as the Republican Revolution
swept Senators Bill Frist and Fred Thompson into office, Saltsman was active in then-West Tennessee
Congressman Don Sundquist
's successful run for governor. Saltsman continued to work his way up through the Tennessee party ranks, becoming Tennessee Republican Party
chairman in 1998.
Despite his service with Governor Sundquist, however, Saltsman strongly opposed Sundquist's plan to impose a state income tax
for the first time in Tennessee history. The income tax plan eventually failed to become law due to strong grassroots opposition from conservatives across the state. Tennessee remains one of only nine states without a broad-based income tax.
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, despite President Clinton
's success there in 1992 and 1996 and despite the fact that Gore and his father had represented the state in the Senate for a combined 26 years. With a victory in Tennessee, Gore would have become President, rendering Bush's eventual Florida victory
irrelevant.
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.
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.
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 and "a multi-talented superstar ... [who has] demonstrated uncanny, remarkable leadership in every endeavor he's undertaken" by Frist himself. However, following the completion of his two terms in the Senate, Frist decided against a run for the presidency.
on February 1, 2007. Saltsman oversaw all aspects of the campaign, including political, fundraising, communications and operations, and he led the dark horse candidacy to a surprise second place in the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll on August 11, 2008 and then to victory in the Iowa Republican Caucuses
on January 3, 2008. Huckabee's campaign proceeded to record victories in Alabama
, Arkansas
, Georgia
, Tennessee
, and West Virginia
on February 5, 2008 or Super Tuesday
. Huckabee then won the Kansas Republican Caucuses
and the Louisiana Republican Primary
before ending his campaign on March 4, 2008 with 270 pledged delegates.
Saltsman was nominated by Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic as one of the top four campaign managers of the election cycle, and has since been labeled a "noted GOP strategist" with "a strong future on the national campaign-management stage." He is a frequent Fox News contributor.
Chairman, after frequent mentions prior to announcing.
Saltsman was the first candidate to release a specific plan regarding the future of the party, which can be viewed at Our Plan for Republican Victory.
In his bid for the RNC Chairmanship, Saltsman has been endorsed by: former Republican presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee, former United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey
, and Tennessee House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower
.
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
".
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. Mike Huckabee endorsed Fleischmann on March, 2010. Fleischmann's biggest competition in the Republican primary was expected to come from former state GOP chairwoman Robin Smith. 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. 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%.
On March 2010, Saltsman was also hired as top gubernatorial campaign consultant for South Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Andre Bauer
. Bauer came in fourth among four candidates in the GOP primary on June.
Tennessee Republican Party
The Tennessee Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Tennessee. It is often called the Tennessee Grand Old Party or the TN GOP.-Leadership and staff:...
from 1999 to 2001, senior political advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
, and manager of Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign
Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the 2008 presidential election in the United States on January 28, 2007...
. He also works for the Chuck Fleischmann
Chuck Fleischmann
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann is the U.S. Representative for . The district is based in Chattanooga and includes a large swath of East Tennessee, including Oak Ridge. He is a member of the Republican Party....
campaign in Tennessee's 3rd district
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes a north-south strip in the eastern part of the state. Current Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann has served since 2011....
from 2009 to 2010.
Early life
Saltsman was born in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to parents John B. Saltsman, Sr. and Edna Elaine Saltsman. He attended Father Ryan High School
Father Ryan High School
Father Ryan High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Nashville, Tennessee. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville and named for Father Abram J. Ryan.-Campus:...
, a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
high school in Nashville, and then Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university is run by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, 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
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity, the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
and student government.
Political career
Interested in politics from an early age, Saltsman's first substantial campaign involvement was with President George H.W. Bush's re-election effort in 1992United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
.
In 1994, as the Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
swept Senators Bill Frist and Fred Thompson into office, Saltsman was active in then-West Tennessee
West Tennessee
West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...
Congressman Don Sundquist
Don Sundquist
Donald Kenneth Sundquist is a former governor and congressman from Tennessee. A Republican, he served as the 47th Governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003...
's successful run for governor. Saltsman continued to work his way up through the Tennessee party ranks, becoming Tennessee Republican Party
Tennessee Republican Party
The Tennessee Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Tennessee. It is often called the Tennessee Grand Old Party or the TN GOP.-Leadership and staff:...
chairman in 1998.
Despite his service with Governor Sundquist, however, Saltsman strongly opposed Sundquist's plan to impose a state income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
for the first time in Tennessee history. The income tax plan eventually failed to become law due to strong grassroots opposition from conservatives across the state. Tennessee remains one of only nine states without a broad-based income tax.
Under Saltsman's watch as state party chairman in 2000, then-Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
defeated then-Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
in his home state of Tennessee, despite President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's success there in 1992 and 1996 and despite the fact that Gore and his father had represented the state in the Senate for a combined 26 years. With a victory in Tennessee, Gore would have become President, rendering Bush's eventual Florida victory
United States presidential election in Florida, 2000
The 2000 United States presidential election in Florida took place on November 7, 2000 as it did in the other 49 states and D.C., which was part of the 2000 United States presidential election...
irrelevant.
Work with Frist
Saltsman followed this accomplishment by working as Development Director for Senator Frist at the National Republican Senatorial CommitteeNational Republican Senatorial Committee
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to that body. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign 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.
Saltsman then became Senior Political Advisor to Majority Leader Frist at VOLPAC, a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
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
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
over Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
in Tennessee.
Saltsman was also an important figure in Senator Frist's preparations for a potential run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Republican presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
and was labeled "Frist's secret weapon" by Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post and "a multi-talented superstar ... [who has] demonstrated uncanny, remarkable leadership in every endeavor he's undertaken" by Frist himself. However, following the completion of his two terms in the Senate, Frist decided against a run for the presidency.
Work with Huckabee
With Frist's departure from public service, Saltsman became National Campaign Manager for Governor Mike Huckabee's presidential campaignMike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2008
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the 2008 presidential election in the United States on January 28, 2007...
on February 1, 2007. Saltsman oversaw all aspects of the campaign, including political, fundraising, communications and operations, and he led the dark horse candidacy to a surprise second place in the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll on August 11, 2008 and then to victory in the Iowa Republican Caucuses
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
on January 3, 2008. Huckabee's campaign proceeded to record victories in Alabama
Alabama Republican primary, 2008
The Alabama Republican primary, 2008 was held on February 5 and had a total of 45 delegates at stake. The winner in each of the 7 congressional districts, Mike Huckabee, was awarded all of that district's delegates.- Results :...
, Arkansas
Arkansas Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Arkansas Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008, with 31 national delegates.Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee was the winner of this Primary.-Results:...
, Georgia
Georgia Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Georgia Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 72 national delegates at stake. Mike Huckabee was the winner of the primary.- Results :* Candidate dropped out of the race before the primary- See also :...
, Tennessee
Tennessee Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Tennessee Republican primary took place on February 5, 2008 , with 52 national delegates. Mike Huckabee narrowly defeated John McCain to win the largest share of Tennessee's delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia Republican caucuses, 2008
The West Virginia Republican caucuses took place on February 5, 2008 to select 18 delegates to the 2008 Republican National Convention. An additional nine delegates were selected in a primary election on May 13, 2008, for a total of 27 delegates to the national convention...
on February 5, 2008 or Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
. Huckabee then won the Kansas Republican Caucuses
Kansas Republican caucuses, 2008
The 2008 Kansas Republican caucuses took place on February 9, 2008.By the evening of February 9, Fox News and CNN projected Mike Huckabee as the winner of the Kansas Caucuses.The Associated Press also called the race for Mike Huckabee.- Results :...
and the Louisiana Republican Primary
Louisiana Republican primary, 2008
The 2008 Louisiana Republican primary took place on February 9, 2008.Under Louisiana Republican Party rules, since no candidate received a majority of the vote, no delegates are pledged as a result of this primary. 21 delegates have already indirectly been assigned via the Louisiana Republican...
before ending his campaign on March 4, 2008 with 270 pledged delegates.
Saltsman was nominated by Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic as one of the top four campaign managers of the election cycle, and has since been labeled a "noted GOP strategist" with "a strong future on the national campaign-management stage." He is a frequent Fox News contributor.
RNC Chair candidacy
Saltsman announced his candidacy for RNCRepublican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
Chairman, after frequent mentions prior to announcing.
Saltsman was the first candidate to release a specific plan regarding the future of the party, which can be viewed at Our Plan for Republican Victory.
In his bid for the RNC Chairmanship, Saltsman has been endorsed by: former Republican presidential candidate Governor Mike Huckabee, former United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey
Ron Ramsey
Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey is the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the State Senate. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S...
, and Tennessee House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower
Jason Mumpower
Jason Everett Mumpower was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing the 3rd District, which consists of all of Johnson County and part of Sullivan County....
.
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
Barack the Magic Negro
"Barack the Magic Negro" is a song by American political satirist Paul Shanklin who wrote and recorded it for the Rush Limbaugh Show as satire after it was first applied to presidential candidate Obama by movie and culture critic, David Ehrenstein, in a Los Angeles Times op ed column of March 19,...
".
Later career
After incumbent U.S. Representative Zach WampZach Wamp
Zachary Paul "Zach" Wamp is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
decided to leave Congress to run for Governor of Tennessee, Saltsman became campaign manager for Chuck Fleischmann
Chuck Fleischmann
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann is the U.S. Representative for . The district is based in Chattanooga and includes a large swath of East Tennessee, including Oak Ridge. He is a member of the Republican Party....
, an attorney and former talk radio host who sought the Republican nomination to succeed Wamp in the Third Congressional District
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes a north-south strip in the eastern part of the state. Current Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann has served since 2011....
seat. Mike Huckabee endorsed Fleischmann on March, 2010. Fleischmann's biggest competition in the Republican primary was expected to come from former state GOP chairwoman Robin Smith. The U.S. House Republican whip Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he became House Majority Leader when the 112th Congress convened on January 3, 2011...
, chief deputy whip Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican Conference chairman Mike Pence
Mike Pence
Michael Richard "Mike" Pence is the U.S. Representative for Indiana's , and previously the , serving since 2001. The 6th district covers much of Eastern Indiana. He is a member of the Republican Party....
and Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
had endorsed Smith. 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%.
On March 2010, Saltsman was also hired as top gubernatorial campaign consultant for South Carolina Lieutenant Gov. Andre Bauer
André Bauer
Rudolph Andreas "André" Bauer was the 87th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
. Bauer came in fourth among four candidates in the GOP primary on June.