A Victory For East Tennessee

Dr. Phil Roe, a retired obstetrician and Johnson City mayor, unseated incumbent congressman David Davis by a whisker in Thursday’s Republican primary.

This is a victory for East Tennessee.

Davis, a hard-right conservative with no interest in working across the aisle, was ranked as one of the least effective members of Congress at the end of his freshman term. During the campaign, he kept the news media at arm’s length and the public in the dark, refusing to debate his opponent or engage in any unscripted forum.

Roe’s a different sort of fellow. If he wins the general election, he will bring a new attitude to the office. He’s approachable and shows every sign that he will listen to the concerns of his constituents – whether they are Republicans, Democrats or independents.

This isn’t a mere superficial difference. A congressman represents all of the people – not just those who belong to a particular church, club, political party or social class.

Davis seemed capable of connecting only with those who mirrored his beliefs down to the smallest detail. He was excruciatingly partisan at a time when his party was not in control of Congress; this left him marginalized.

Roe, on the other hand, honed his political skills as a mayor and city commissioner in Johnson City. As part of a local government, he was directly accountable to those he served. Likewise, his medical career put him in direct daily contact with a broad cross section of society. These skills will serve him well in Congress.

We hope that Roe will remain a “man of the people” rather than becoming a creature of Washington. And that he will remember that he serves all – not just a select few.

Roe still faces a general election challenge from Rob Russell, the Democratic nominee. Russell, an amiable East Tennessee State University instructor, faces a decidedly uphill trek to Election Day. No Democrat has represented the district since the 1880s.

The odds are in Roe’s favor. This doesn’t diminish Russell’s candidacy; he’s run a clean, issue-oriented campaign. With little funding, Russell won his votes the old-fashioned way – by shaking hands, knocking on doors and appearing at Democratic Party events all across the district. Roe employed similar tactics in his better-funded race.

If Roe wins, he will be a Republican freshman in a Democratically controlled Congress. In fact, political analysts believe the Democrats will tighten their grip on Congress in the upcoming election.

But this doesn’t mean Roe will be a marginal figure. He isn’t a partisan fighter; he’s a pragmatic conservative along the lines of Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. Alexander and Corker have retained their power and relevance in spite of their party’s minority status by working with like-minded, centrist Democrats on important issues. Roe is quite capable of doing the same.

We applaud all of those who cast their ballots in this election; they took the time to participate in the process. By doing so, they showed their respect for freedom and democracy.

Roe achieved a narrow victory – 460 votes. Davis won by a similarly small margin over Richard Venable, a former state legislator, two years ago.

Venable’s loss came amid election problems in Sullivan County; some voters were turned away because of them. Whether this effected the outcome, we cannot say. Venable asked for a recount, but the state Republican Party denied him.

Davis hasn’t yet conceded defeat. He’s making recount noises. Venable’s case sets a precedent; the state party should follow it. Davis doesn’t deserve special treatment.

Roe, too, can learn from 2006. Davis never reached out to those beyond his core supporters. It was a mistake. Roe should take note and work to represent all the people.