Remarks from Press Conference

I want to thank my husband Michael for being here to support me and for helping me to arrive at my decision here today. I wish our son was here too, but he is a Staff Sergeant in the TN Air Guard and he is in Africa right now, and our sweet daughter Grace and her husband Ben are working this morning.


I first ran for the office of state representative at 38 years old. My first year of service was at 39, and now at 45 I want to say thank you once again to the people of my district for allowing me to serve them and to state that serving in the Tennessee General Assembly has been one of the greatest privileges and opportunities of my life.

With that same sense of gratitude to the voters, I announce that I will file next April to run for state senate in district 17 in order to expand and extend the mission of public service on which I embarked in 2002.

My first professional job was working for Scientific Utility Products Corporation as a manufacturer’s sales representative; there I studied important disciplines like service, delivery and follow-up from authors that seem like friends such as Harvey McKay, Zig Zigler, and Dale Carnegie. Believe it or not, their witness helped lead me to Christ. I learned about excellence from Nicklaus Golf Equipment - what a wonderful organization. At the Colony Hotel I was taught precision. From Lee Harrison; multi-tasking and on my own I learned compassion for the small business person.

Each of these jobs in their own way prepared me for running for public office.

But when I say that for me, public service is a mission, it really is. A mission I have fully dedicated myself to so that I can serve my fellow citizens as their voice in a way that they would do for themselves.

Since our state senator's announcement this past June that she intends to seek the office of Wilson County Mayor in 2010, I have spent time traveling throughout the 17th District in order to meet the people and visit with the local elected officials. This wonderful experience has brought me many new friends, and I have learned much about the strengths and needs of the area.

It is evident that an attentive and experienced legislator is what is necessary to immediately start meeting the needs of the area. I would be proud to accept the challenge of working for my fellow citizens throughout the 17th district to help with the many infrastructure, economic development and education needs of the area; whether working to bring new jobs to Clay County, voting to finance the repair of bridges in Smith and DeKalb Counties or helping with school improvements in the upper Cumberland region; I pledge to the citizens that I will do my best to help with the crucial needs of the area just as I have dedicated myself to the issues of Sumner and Wilson Counties over the past seven years.

Through my strong conservative convictions I work to support Jeffersonian Principles such as limited government, states' rights, free enterprise and our constitutional rights. By traveling the 17th district what I have found is that the citizens of the area are like me; they’re conservative; and I am proud to share my strong conservative record with them; much of which is documented on my new website at http://www.votesusanlynn.com/.

I look forward to working for the citizens of the 17th district and will make sure that government stays within the bounds of its purpose, ensures that free enterprise is easily conducted, offers a quality education to get our young people off to the best start and so that government creates and maintains safe transportation corridors.

With great excitement, I look forward to undertaking this challenge.

If you are in the 17th district, I ask you today for your vote and for your support.

Thank you for being here.