Randy Boyd is easy choice for GOP nomination in governor's race | News Sentinel Editorial Board

Knoxville News Sentinel | Knoxville

It’s a sign of our times that a website attacking Randy Boyd tries to tar him with what it considers a despicable label: “moderate.”

And it’s true that, in an interview with the Knoxville Mercury in 2015, he admitted: “I’m a moderate.”

Now you might not be able to tell that judging by his latest campaign ads in his bid for the Republican nomination for governor. They ballyhoo his lifelong NRA membership, his opposition to “sanctuary cities,” and his support for President Trump.

All of which reveals one thing — Boyd is going all out to win this race.

Which shouldn’t be surprising. Going all out is what Randy Boyd is all about.

When he announced his candidacy in March 2017, it was with a message of inclusion:

"There is not a better time to live and work in Tennessee, but not everyone is sharing in that success. So my campaign will be about expanding opportunities for every Tennessee family and community … whether you’re from rural Tennessee, the inner city or somewhere in between.”

2nd District congressional race: News Sentinel endorses Ashley Nickloes for GOP nomination

As he rounded up endorsements across the state, he expanded on that message, developing a full-blown, thoughtful platform addressing jobs, education, health care and rural development.

But he wasn’t about to be torpedoed by more-conservative-than-thou demagoguery.

When U.S. Rep. Diane Black came out with an attack ad questioning his conservative credentials, he fired back.

"Randy is running a positive campaign and sharing his vision for Tennessee as a conservative businessman with a strong track record on key issues,” said his campaign spokeswoman Laine Arnold. “but when falsely attacked, we will always defend ourselves."

The fact is, Boyd is a moderate conservative in the mold of the man he hopes to succeed, Bill Haslam.

Randy Boyd campaign donations by the numbers Randy Boyd has collected more than $90,000 in campaign donations from individuals linked to companies that received state grants.

Knoxvillians know him well.

A South Knoxville kid, he graduated from Doyle High School a year early, then finished a degree in industrial management at the University of Tennessee by age 19, paying his way through school and sometimes taking 22 hours a semester to get the most for his money.

He learned about business by driving around the Southeast selling from an un-air-conditioned van, finally discovering a market niche — invisible fencing for dogs — then sinking his life savings ($26,000) into building a business.

Knox County Election Guide: What you need to know about the August elections

Having found success, he started giving back — big time. He and his wife, Jenny, had $25.3 million in total income in 2016, and the two donated more than $10 million to charitable causes in 2015 and 2016.

That’s based on tax records the campaign released to the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee. By contrast, opponent Bill Lee, the other businessman in the race, won’t reveal his tax records.

More than money, Boyd has given of himself, launching an initiative to make Knoxville the nation’s most pet-friendly city, working to build a community school model at Pond Gap Elementary, and helping create the KnoxAchieves scholarship program.

When KnoxAchieves evolved into Tennessee Promise, Haslam asked Boyd to take an unpaid position in state government as consultant on higher education, and the two developed the Drive to 55 initiative that now is on track to assure that 55 percent of Tennesseans have post-secondary credentials by 2025.

From there, Boyd became commissioner of economic development (again unpaid), gaining important state government experience.

Yes, Randy Boyd is a moderate conservative, just as Haslam, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, Howard Baker Jr., Beth Harwell (his most compelling opponent) and most of Tennessee’s other effective modern leaders have been.

He’s also a visionary with high energy (that run across the state wasn’t just a stunt) and a record of getting things done.

With his business background, government experience, compassionate instincts, and dynamic leadership ability, Randy Boyd is the easy choice for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.