May presented with Statesmen’s Award at annual Statesmen’s Dinner
Published 4:24 pm Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Contributed Photo Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, who nominated May for the Statesmen's Award, poses with ETSU Student Body and Washington County Young Republican President Mason Mosier.
Contributed Photo All winners of the Statesmen's Award from each of the nine congressional Districts were honored in front of their peers.
Contributed Photo This year's winner of the Statesmen's Award for the First Congressional District of Tennessee, Wanda May (left), poses with the recipient of the award in 2018, Linda Buckles (right).
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BY NIC MILLER
STAR STAFF
nic.miller@elizabethton.com
Recently, on July 31 at the Music City Center in Nashville, committee men and women from across the volunteer state attended the 44th annual Statesmen’s Dinner to honor those presented with Statesmen Awards as well as hear from leaders like Governor Bill Lee and House of Representatives Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Carter County was one of the many areas represented at this year’s Statesmen Dinner, with Republican Executive committee women Anita Taylor and Linda D. Buckles as well as Republican Executive Committee men Todd Fowler and Matthew Johnson all in attendance.
For those who are unfamiliar with the annual Statesmen Dinner, Buckles provided a little more context saying, “When we go to Nashville for the dinner, it is really just a big celebration.”
“We go to honor those who receive Statesmen Awards from each of the nine districts in Tennessee, and there are also public figures from the Republican Party who are there like this year’s keynote speaker Kevin McCarthy as well as Governer Bill Lee and Lieutenant Governer Randy McNally.”
Also in attendance for this year’s Statesmen’s Dinner were two former senators in the state of Tennessee who recently retired, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander.
This year’s winner from the first congressional district of Tennessee, which includes Carter County, was Wanda May. May was appointed by newly elected Congresswoman in the First Congressional District Diana Harshbarger.
It was a great experience for Buckles to witness her peer receive the prestigious award, as she was the recipient three years ago in 2018.
May, who has been a lifelong figure in the Republican Party for Tennessee, has served as a GOP campaigner in Johnson City for years, served on a state Committee with former senator Lamar Alexander, has served as the chair with the Washington County GOP Headquarters, and has helped numerous candidates in the area tremendously on being elected to their respective positions.
May even played a big part in welcoming President Gerald Ford to Freedom Hall, when the former Commander in Chief made his way to Johnson City to speak in 1976.
The next annual Statesmen’s Dinner will be held in 2022, and for more information on this year’s event, visit www.tngop.org.
