Michael Patrick Leahy is a Tennessee-based writer and conservative political activist who co-founded a PAC with the express purpose of knocking out the Volunteer State’s senior U.S. senator, Lamar Alexander. Here Leahy is speaking before a Tea Party group in Maryville on Sept. 21. Leahy has been a lead organizer for a series of town hall-like Q&A sessions over the past few weeks designed to build grassroots support for a candidate to challenge Sen. Alexander. Early on in the process several candidates were expressing interest in running against Alexander, but at this time only state Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, is still actively seeking an endorsement from the BEAT LAMAR group.