Troy farmer leads ticket after Pinion withdrawal

Jerry Grady stands aside the truck he has been campaigning from since announcing his candidacy in March for the 77th House District in Obion, Lake and the northern half of Dyer County.

"I can't believe it," said Grady, 66. "Whatever happened, happened. That doesn't mean I'm going to take it for granted; I'm still running a campaign. We need change."

Grady said he was unaware of Pinion's exit until informed by a reporter on Tuesday.

Ross Dubrule, a Tiptonville physician, is also on the Democratic ticket. Dubrule is on trial in federal court in Memphis for illegal prescriptions. If convicted, Dubrule's name would be removed from the ballot.

Under state law, since Pinion is an incumbent, the period for petitions to be turned in opens up for seven days after Pinion submits his withdrawal to all three county's election commissions.

Grady, a Democrat, sits on the Obion County Commission's budget committee. He has been on the commission on and off since 1982 for 18 years.

The district Grady represents stretches from his Possum Trot address north to Samburg and south to Cloverdale and the Dyer County line.

The commission is where he said he learned to be a fiscal conservative.

"The commission, like the legislature, runs on taxes. That's the peoples's money. You can't spend it like they've been doing, not listening to the people."

Grady's campaign platform includes a tax break on property taxes for senior citizens, ending unfunded mandates on local governments and low taxes.

He said he decided to run against Pinion "not because I don't like Phillip. It's because I don't think he was working for the people any more."

Grady said he will focus on keeping local governments and municipalities informed about legislation and issues before they become law.

The lack of information, said Grady, is why he said he and four other county commissioners in July 2007 voted to withdraw Obion County from the Tri-County Port Authority building the Cates Landing River Port north of Tiptonville. Grady seconded the motion. Grady's campaign manager, county commissioner Donnie Brasfield, also voted to withdraw.

"What that was about is that we were not updated on the progress [of the port]," he said. "Here we were up for $800,000 and there was nothing to show for it. There's still not a visible thing to show for it. And no one was telling us a thing about it."

"I'm all for progress," Grady said. "And I am definitely for the port. I will do whatever the elected bodies and county governments in Obion, Dyer and Lake counties, and taxpayers, feel is best."

Grady said he is concerned the Tennessee Department of Transportation is not being operated in line with its mission.

"TDOT needs to be funded the way it was intended to be and not move money here and there."

A recent issue in Obion County over county-owned asphalt plants, said Grady, is a case in point.

"Obion County wants a hot-mix plant to keep our roads in good shape. But the state comes down and says we need a feasibility study. That'll take a year to get done. I've got nothing against Ford Construction down there in Dyersburg, but if a county wants to pave its own roads, it should be able to."

Grady said he came to politics under the influence of his late uncle, Obion County political power Dan McKinnis. McKinnis, who played a role in the tug-of-war in the 1930s between Troy and Union City as the county seat, was a close friend of U.S. Sen. Estes Kefauver and served 12 years as Obion County Circuit Court Clerk. In 1956, he became county judge for another 12 years. Kefauver was able to gain McKinnis a presidential appointment to the now-defunct position as federal customs collector for Northwest Tennessee and Northeast Arkansas.

"He's the one who said I should run," said Grady, who also is a second cousin to former State Sen. Milton Hamilton. "I jumped in against 10 other opponents, and won. I've been pretty much at it ever since."

Grady retired in 1995 after working as a supervisor for the Tennessee Department of Corrections at the state's prisons in Lake County. He worked as an equipment operator for the former Holloway Construction firm near Newbern for six years before returning to farming and running a small building contracting firm.

Grady said if he is elected, he understands his position as a freshman representative could limit his effectiveness.

"But I will represent to the best of my ability the people of the district," he said. "That I can absolutely promise."