NASHVILLE — Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, says he and fellow Republican senators are setting up a formalized process to examine would-be GOP candidates interested in becoming Tennessee’s next secretary of state, comptroller or treasurer.

“We’re setting up right now an application process because obviously we’re getting flooded with calls and a lot of qualified people,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey, who is the Senate speaker, said in a recent interview.

He said Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, has developed a process in which GOP officials will accept and screen applications and then likely hold a public hearing before an executive committee comprised of Senate leadership around Dec. 1.

The panel would be charged with narrowing down contenders “to the top two or three and present that to our caucus when those caucuses meet,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey said.

A majority of the 132-member House and Senate — 67 people — are responsible for electing the three constitutional officers. The three current officers — Secretary of State Riley Darnell, Comptroller John Morgan and Treasurer Dale Sims — are all Democrats.

But Republicans increased their control of the Senate to 19-16 over Democrats in the Nov. 4 elections while House Republicans gained a 50-49 majority. That gives the GOP 69 members.

The constitutional officers have a number of important financial responsibilities and functions.

The comptroller audits state and local governments and runs the state’s bond programs, while the treasurer deals with state investments.

All three serve on the State Funding Board which makes decisions on investments and bonds.

Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen on Monday said it is “very important,” especially with the comptroller and treasurer, “that they not be political appointments in any way. We have a long tradition of professionalism in those jobs.”

He said “particularly with the kind of budget issues we have right now, you really need partners that know what they’re doing.”

The governor said based on a description of what the GOP is doing, “it sounds like the Republicans are serious about providing that.”

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