Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison came out swinging against her primary opponent as well as her fellow Republicans on the commission during an interview with KWAM NewsTalk Memphis host Tim Van Horn.
“I resent the RINO tag by people who don’t know me. I’m a full fledged, proud Republican and I’ll keep fighting for the community and my constituents,” she said during an exclusive interview on KWAM.All of the Republicans serving on the commission have endorsed Jordan Carpenter, her primary opponent.
“And what that’s really about is the divisive partisan politicians and tribal ideology and I prefer to focus on what we can do together and what moves Shelby County forward and not this we versus they mentality they have,” Morrison said of their endorsement.
She went on to say “I’m not going to go along to get along with the Republicans that have it wrong often.”
Following is a rush transcript of the interview.TIM: [00:00:04] It is a hotly contested Republican primary district four and last week we spoke with Jordan Carpenter and in studio today Brandon Morrison has come in to the studio to talk with us today. Commissioner, thanks for coming in in person. We appreciate your time. How are you?
MORRISON: [00:00:38] Good morning, Tim. I’m just so glad to be here. Good morning, Shelby County. Thank you for listening.
TIM: [00:00:43] OK, I need I need a quick primer if you can give me a quick elevator speech. The districts have shaken up, right? So this is District four. Tell us a little. Just real quickly. Is this due to the census and re-doing up Shelby County?MORRISON: [00:00:57] Yes. To be clear, I currently serve as a commissioner in District 13, which is East Memphis, and I represent. I’m the only Republican within the city limits with redistricting. I have a great opportunity to be a bridge because the new district also includes most of Germantown. And I’ll be representing 55,000 registered voters, and this would be the largest district in the whole county. But some districts are as small as 36,000. That’s a question for another day.
TIM: [00:01:30] So you didn’t move the lines moved around you, basically.
MORRISON: [00:01:33] Yeah, that’s great. And exactly, and I hope to be a bridge. Germantown is so important, and I’m just really excited to also represent them.
TIM: [00:01:41] All right. Let’s talk about well, since since we’re Republicans here, Brian, let’s talk about the elephant in the room and this this this surprised me a couple of months back where all four of the other Republican county commissioners endorsed your opponent, Jordan Carpenter. How did you respond to that? How do you feel about that? Then how do you feel about that now?
MORRISON: [00:02:07] Well, Tim, that’s certainly disappointing, but not surprising. And what that’s really about is the divisive partisan politicians and tribal ideology, and I prefer to focus on what we can do together and what moves Shelby County forward and not this we versus they mentality they have. I’m not going to just go along to get along. What’s more important is my strong relationship with both the state and the federal representatives, and I’ve been endorsed by all four of the sitting state Republican representatives. That’s Gillespie, White, Leatherwood and Vaughn. And you have to remember we Republicans are a massive minority in this county and the Left is definitely in charge. And what what’s really most important is electing more Republicans.
TIM: [00:02:54] You mentioned a tribalism from the rest of the Republicans. Can you talk specifically some instances on what you mean by the tribalism?
MORRISON: [00:03:05] Well, it’s just simply the things that my opponent is attacking me on represent tribalism. They have picked out, say, the three things they don’t agree with and I think they’ve got it flat wrong. We have to..
TIM: [00:03:19] What do they got wrong?
MORRISON: [00:03:20] Well, for instance, we need to get people trained off welfare into jobs and and my votes work to do that.
TIM: [00:03:29] Now you did not, you did not get their endorsements, but you got. And I saw on the Daily Memphian yesterday you got an endorsement from Jack Salmons, which Jack has held just about every position in town except for mayor. I mean, he has been a lifelong Memphian. And he is. He is. He is a proponent of consolidation. I remember the article back in in August where where he and Chase Carlisle were have been pushing for consolidation or to look into consolidation. And I know that in your most recent advertising, your recent flier, you mentioned that neither you nor Jordan Carpenter are for consolidation. Now in spite of the fact he is such a big proponent of consolidation do you still hold firm that you do not want to see consolidation in Shelby County?
MORRISON: [00:04:22] You know, that’s just a talking point, consolidation and how you want to define it? It’s a huge term.
TIM: [00:04:29] Yet now I don’t want I don’t want to muddy the water, but essentially one giant metro government like Nashville.
MORRISON: [00:04:35] No, I’m not for that. I’m for local control. Do you want a bunch of elected people that never look at other forms of government? There are multiple different forms of government, and I’m for local control, limited government and I believe the best government is the government closest to the people, smaller, not bigger government. What we have now is clearly not working well. We have the highest tax rate. We have poor services. So why would the other commissioners be upset that I am exploring ways to improve? It makes no sense, but I’m certainly not from Memphis taking over Germantown, heck, no.
TIM: [00:05:10] OK, so you disagree with Jack Simmons on on consolidation than you are? You are a firm?
MORRISON: [00:05:14] No. I’ve never once voted for a consolidated government. I’m hoping to open to exploring opportunities for reducing duplicative services. What we have now, as I said, is not working well and our tax rate is too high.
TIM: [00:05:28] Would that be do do duplicative services? Would that be consolidate if that were consolidation than you would, you would maybe look at that. Not trying to paint you into a corner. I’m just trying to get a negative answer.
MORRISON: [00:05:39] What I’m trying to say is, let me give you two examples that that have been successful. We worked on the Joint City County Venture for workforce development and economic development, and I, along with the now chairman, Brooks, made the chamber the clear front door so that when businesses are looking to relocate here, it’s more streamlined. Secondly, we have a joint venture for a cleaner community requesting the state help us clean up our highways. I got that passed on the county side and the city side and then we took it to Nashville and got more funding and contracts to clean up that road. We have to clean up the the highway near the airport. Can you believe how the trash along the road so that if that’s consolidated work working together, that’s that’s that’s an example of what I support.
TIM: [00:06:28] County Commissioner Brandon Morrison joins me this morning on Wake Up Memphis right now in District 13. But with redistricting, you are now going to be vying in the Republican primary for District four. And let me ask you this because I’ve had a few people mentioned this and we just had a guest on from Pacific Legal Foundation about mask mandates. And back in December of 2020, you you were among the nine who voted to give the Shelby County Health Department authority to fine small businesses who didn’t comply with the mandates that were put in place and the health department. As we’ve seen in hindsight, the state came in and had to take over the vaccine rollout, and we have seen them put tape around playgrounds. Businesses have been shut down. Can you what do you say to small business owners, especially in East Memphis, in Germantown, in District four, when asking for their vote, when the health department was given permission to go out and enforce and to generate revenue?
MORRISON: [00:07:54] Well, Tim, let me be really clear here I’m completely against mandates of any kind and this is a total misrepresentation of the facts. Just read the minutes is item 46 now.
TIM: [00:08:08] Did you vote?
MORRISON: [00:08:08] vote? Let me be. Let me explain exactly what happened here. The whole point was to keep businesses open. The very next vote was the stay at the stay at home order, which I rejected. This was in December 2020 before the vaccine, and it was in order to keep businesses open and we were successful. No businesses shut down and per my requirement, there was a sunset, so no fees were actually ever assessed, according to Dr. Sweat, at that time. Number one, the Liberals are in charge on the county commission. They’re in control, and the state gave our local liberal liberal leaders the control. They were prepared to shut down businesses. Number two, they always will be in control until we grow the local Republican Party and realize our platform works that other people realize that number three, every one of my votes is from a conservative mindset in hopes of getting the best deal that we can right here. Number four, that might be one of my proudest votes. I worked to find a compromise to keep businesses open, and I make every vote with my conservative goals in view.
TIM: [00:09:21] We’re coming up on the bottom of the hour break. Would you like to stick around for a few moments? You look like you do have a couple of other points, and I do have a follow up question on that for you if you can stick around for a couple of months. I’d appreciate that I want you to have your say your time this morning, commissioner. I appreciate that.
MORRISON: [00:09:36] I’d appreciate that I do have a few more things to say.
TIM: [00:09:39] You got it, OK? Coming up, we’ve got more with County Commissioner Brandon Morrison. She wants your vote in District four, she’s talked about the vote, allowing fines for the Shelby County Health Department on small businesses. I’ve got a follow up question. She’s going to have her say. We’ve got more questions coming up. Bottom of the hour news, weather and traffic. And Bill O’Reilly’s morning update on the way on Wake Up Memphis. It’s to. I. Welcome back to day 36 on the money 991 to seven point nine FM, 998 streaming all the time at Money 990 dot com, joining us in Studio District 13 County Commissioner. But because of redistricting is running in District four, Brandon Morrison is in studio. Joined us last segment gracious enough to stick around for the next segment. Thank you for doing that. Welcome back! And we left off at the break. We talked about the vote in December of 2020 regarding the Shelby County Health Department. You were the only Republican to break and vote for allowing finds finding authority of the Shelby County Health Department on small businesses, on restaurants. And you didn’t quite get a chance. I want to ask you and give you your say. What do you what do you say to businesses and to restaurants when going in shaking hands and wanting to put up fliers about your vote? Then on essentially allowing the Shelby County Health Department to put their boot on the neck of the businesses?
MORRISON: [00:11:27] Well, well, Tim, I think as I said before you, you’ve got to read the minutes and understand that the whole point was to keep businesses open. And that’s what that vote accomplished in December of 2020. It actually was just an emergency, and I required a sunset, so it’s not even in place anymore. And it was successful because we were successful in keeping businesses open that what you’re telling
TIM: [00:11:52] me a $50 fine. The ability to find somebody 50 $50 at a time was the difference between being closed and open, because that’s what it sounds like you’re telling.
MORRISON: [00:12:01] Well, the Liberals definitely were would like. They’re in charge and they would have liked to close businesses. There was a stay at home order that followed that. So, you know, if
TIM: [00:12:13] you voted no, if you had voted no, would the Republicans have been in charge at that point? If you’re if you would have voted no. Would that have stopped them at that point?
MORRISON: [00:12:22] Well, let me let me help you understand how county commission works. And maybe the listeners can understand there are 13 of us on the county commission and the Republicans are not in charge. They’re just five of us and it takes seven votes to get anything done. And maybe if the listeners understood more about me and why I serve, it would help as well. You know, I’m a lifelong Memphian and I love Shelby County and I love Drew Holcomb song. I was born here and raised here, and I’ll make my grave here. It’s home I serve because I have the time I’ve raised my five children, and now I have the time to give back and I want to continue to serve. And if we’re going to change the divisive trajectory of local government, it starts here and nationally. What’s happening is a disgrace and I hope to be a part of the ground roots effort to change the divisive trajectory.
TIM: [00:13:18] And what I heard just a moment ago, commissioner, was that the Democrats run the city, the Democrats run the county and that you voted with them because they run the county. Is that? Is that a fair assessment? Am I? Am I hearing you correctly?
MORRISON: No, not at all.
TIM: Because they’re in charge that you have no other option but to go along.
MORRISON: [00:13:40] No. And as I said before, I’m not going to go along to get along with the Republicans that have it wrong often. But on most votes say there have been thousands of votes. I would guess I have the most fiscally conservative record of any commissioner out there. Let me give you an example of a tiff that happened back a little bit ago. That’s a tax increment financing tool for development. And there was one I don’t know how much you understand about TIFF’s, but typically they’re 75 percent, 25 percent. And so the county keeps 25 percent of the tax for business government services. And the commissioners, all of them voted for a 95 percent tiff out in Millington, and that was not fiscally conservative. That’s an example where, you know, I really couldn’t believe it for smart business development, but not something like that, and I’m going to do my homework and make the right vote. I’m an authentic Republican with conservative family values, and I believe in smaller government and personal freedom.
TIM: [00:14:53] With all due respect, Commissioner, I do understand how local government works. And what I do understand is is that you did vote with the other eight Democrats to bring more big unelected government to Shelby County. And with that being said, is your opponent because I see this flier which talking about Democrats is your opponent, Jordan. Carpenter, a Democrat.
MORRISON: [00:15:23] Well, you know, honestly, I just want to focus on what what I’m doing. Working to make our government better, do
TIM: [00:15:32] I mean, it’s on your flier?
MORRISON: [00:15:33] I’m a carpenter, voted in the Democratic primary and he frankly, he has a terrible voting record. So, you know, maybe he can run again down the road, but he needs to remember to vote. And his record shows that he did vote in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and that he hasn’t voted consistently. He’s and he has an adorable young family, though, and he needs to focus on them.
TIM: [00:15:57] And I do, and I did. I did see where he voted. You’re absolutely right. He did. So we reached out last week when we discovered this and said, Hey, what’s the deal with this, Mr. Carpenter? And he said that in these are his words. In 2020, he voted with Rush Limbaugh’s Operation Chaos, where oftentimes if there’s not a Republican primary opponent that oftentimes Democrats and and Republicans alike will flip parties in a Republican or Democrat primary to try to pick a more preferable opponent for their favored candidate. Does that still make him a Democrat, you think?
MORRISON: [00:16:34] I did not call him a Democrat on that in that way, but I would say, you know, that’s baloney. And I think the voters are smart enough to see through that. I had a lady come up to me in church yesterday at 10 Second Presbyterian Church where I’m a deacon, and she came up to me and she said, We get it. I believe the voters are smart and are going to see through that malarkey.
TIM: [00:17:00] Brandon Morrison County Commissioner Brandon Morrison is running in the district for Republican primary and commissioner. We’ve got about about a minute, minute and a half left. And and what for you in your time as the District 13 commissioner? What is your greatest accomplishment you feel?
MORRISON: [00:17:21] Well, I would say it’s working to get people to jobs and off welfare, and that’s an important part of the Republican platform. Why should you reelect me? Yeah, it’s tough down there. One minute, I’ll be attacked by someone on the left or call it a racist in the next minute from the right, but I try not to let that bother me. Also, I resent the RINO tag by people who don’t know me. I’m a full fledged, proud Republican and I’ll keep fighting for the community and my constituents. I love Ronald Reagan and I will fight for freedom in this country. He talked about freedom is a fragile thing, and I agree with that. As I said before, I’m a conservative. Freedom fighting reason for. And I have a conservative freedom fighting reason for every vote I make. I’ve succeeded in avoiding a tax increase, but I’m certainly concerned for our future. I have succeeded in bringing funding to get people to jobs in welfare, which is the Workforce Innovation Operations Act funding. We brought that to Shelby County, the BRT funding, that’s $57 million. We’ve brought that to the county working on early literacy funding, which is the building block of education workforce development. We’re currently working to bring those federal dollars to Shelby County for early literacy and those joint ventures. I mentioned those are some of my things. And then also, Amy Weirick supports me. She has endorsed me and I am certainly 100 percent behind the best public safety we can have right here in Shelby County. That’s what I stand for, and I will continue fighting for
TIM: [00:18:55] County Commissioner Brandon Morrison running for District four commissioner. Thank you for coming in this morning in studio. Know it’s a rainy day. Thank you for making the effort to come in and visit with us today. Appreciate your time. Thank you so
MORRISON: [00:19:08] much. Tim, I appreciate and I ask for the the constituents to vote.
