Republican businessman Bill Lee wasn’t known to many Tennesseans before this year’s race for governor. He’d been a major fundraiser for the GOP. But he’d never run for public office of any kind.
Lee touts that as a virtue.
In the latest in a series of interviews with the six leading candidates for governor, Lee sat down with WPLN’s Chas Sisk.
Listen to the conversation above, or read interview highlights below.
Interview Highlights
On not having any political experience:
“I’m kind of glad I don’t have government experience. You know, I don’t have experience from donors from multiple elections of mine. I’m not beholden to them. Don’t have experience with lobbyists who have influence.”
On how he would handle the transition from the private sector to the public:
“I think that is, again, is what leadership is about. Leadership really is about bringing people together, casting a vision, setting a course, developing a strategy, and that would be true with the legislature as well.”
On how being the boss of a company is like working with policymakers:
“In a business, you have banks, bonding companies. You have suppliers. You have vendors. You have customers. They’re not answering to me at all. And so you have to develop a strategy that is a win for all of them and makes it work for everyone. That’s what you do in business.”
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