Bredesen names deputy governor

Gov. Phil Bredesen on Friday named Stuart Brunson to succeed Dave Cooley as deputy governor.

Brunson, who operated his own Nashville-based lobbying and public relations firm during 2004 and 2005, was in charge of Bredesen?s 2002 campaign for governor and this year?s re-election campaign. He also worked on Al Gore?s campaign for president in 2000 and numerous other Democratic campaigns.

The deputy governor works as the governor?s top political aide and is not in the line of succession. Brunson?s salary has not been determined, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

Brunson, 39, was not present as Bredesen made his announcement Friday, but said by telephone that he?s looking forward to making the transition from campaign staff to deputy governor.

?I have one goal with this job and that is to help Gov. Bredesen implement his agenda,? the Moscow, Tenn., native said.

Bredesen said Brunson?s strengths include that he?s ?very intelligent, very quiet and very soft-spoken.? He said Brunson?s personality differs greatly from Cooley?s.

?It is a clean start. But that is in no way a criticism of Dave Cooley,? Bredesen said.

Cooley announced Dec. 1 that he was resigning to return to the private sector. He caused some controversy about his role in the dismissal of a speeding ticket he got from the Tennessee Highway Patrol deputy and his work with the troubled Department of Safety.

At the same announcement, Bredesen said he was promoting Steve Elkins to the position of legal counsel to replace Bob Cooper. Elkins had been deputy legal counsel to the governor, and Cooper was recently named attorney general.

Bredesen also plans to create a new chief of staff position and has said he plans to fill that position by Jan. 15.