Prominent Nashville songwriter Lee Thomas Miller has officially announced his run for Congress to represent Tennessee.
Miller’s hits include multiple number one hits like the Joe Nichols’ “The Impossible,” Brad Paisley‘s “The World,” “I’m Still a Guy” and “Perfect Storm,” Trace Adkins‘ “You’re Gonna Miss This,” Terri Clark’s “I Just Wanna Be Mad” and Tim McGraw‘s “Southern Girl.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
“You’re Gonna Miss This,” “The Impossible” and Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” were also nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Country Song.
Miller is running for the District 7 House seat that U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has held since 2002. Blackburn is vacating the seat to run for the Senate.
“I’ve been writing the stories of real Americans for as long as I can remember,” Miller said in a press release announcing his candidacy Tuesday. “Stories about life and loss. Love and regret. Songs about innocence and youth. Songs about faith and the struggle to keep it. I give a voice to those who can not find the words they are looking for. I give a voice to those who are not being heard.”
While Miller touts his status as a virtual political outsider as a strategic advantage to his campaign, he’s not completely inexperienced in politics. Though he has never held public office, he serves as the President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). He has testified before Congress around issues of songwriters’ royalties and music copyrights in that capacity, according to Nashville’s the Tennessean.
Music Row leaders (think Curb Records CEO Mike Curb, songwriters Luke Laird, Liz Rose and busbee, and Brad Paisley and Dustin Lynch) circulated a letter in recent weeks pushing Miller to run for the seat Blackburn has held since 1999. Blackburn, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has pushed several NSAI initiatives in Congress over the years.
Miller is running as a Republican. He lists religious liberties, a pro-life stance, cutting taxes and regulations and border security as key issues he supports.
Democrat Justin Kanew, a film writer and producer from Williamson County, has also launched a campaign.
Photo Credit: Getty / Rick Diamond
Related Posts
-
(L-R) Musicians Kevin Hayes, Ketch Secor, Morgan Jahnig, Willie Watson, Cory Younts and Gill Landry of Old Crow Medicine Show performs during the 2011 Hangout Music Festival on May 22, 2011 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. -
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Post Malone performs during the Super Bowl LVIII Pregame at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
