Knoxville mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam today unveiled a new campaign ad aimed at his general election audience—in other words, not just Republicans—and it hails Tennessee’s two most recent Democratic governors along with the state’s current Republican U.S. Senators as leaders whom Haslam intends to emulate. Here is the ad script, courtesy of the campaign:
There’s no place like Tennessee. Mountains in the East, river in the West. Heartfelt music in every corner. Good people. Great leaders. Phil Bredesen, Ned McWherter, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker. People who take our natural good and give it a shine. There’s another good man from Tennessee. Thinks he can make a difference. Seasoned in the world of business. Created thousands of jobs. As mayor, led Knoxville to its best days ever. Sees Tennessee a few steps ahead of some. Plan’s right for the future. Brings us security, prosperity. Bill Haslam. Businessman. Mayor. A good man. The right experience to be Governor. Not for any part of Tennessee, but for the good of all Tennessee.
Governor Phil Bredesen and former Gov. Ned McWherter, both popular Democratic officials, have endorsed Haslam’s chief opponent, Mike McWherter, in the November election.
Haslam campaign manager Mark Cate said “Tennessee has been blessed with great leaders—statesmen—who rise above the fray during difficult times. Bill Haslam is that type of leader, and the combination of his public and private executive experience makes him uniquely qualified to govern in these challenging times.”
UPDATE: Andy Sher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press got this reaction from the Mike McWherter campaign:
McWherter campaign spokesman Shelby White scoffed.
“It’s glaringly apparent that Bill Haslam is leaving out the eight-year term of (Republican) Gov. Don Sundquist in his new fluff piece,” White said. “He also fails to address the fact that his family strongly supported Don Sundquist and raised millions of dollars to support their quest for a state income tax.”
UPDATE 2: I found this quip by renowned political commentator A.C. Kleinheider on Facebook: “Let’s be honest. If Mike McWherter [weren't] the actual candidate running against him, even he would be thinking seriously about voting for Bill Haslam.”
I’ve just completed the guides for all congressional districts that have contested primaries today. The guides for Tennessee Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, state Senate, and Hamilton County races are all available in the left sidebar or via the menu bar at the top of this page.
I did not get a chance to finish documenting the primary contests in the Tennessee House of Representatives. At this point, I wouldn’t finish before the races were decided, so there’s that. It’s a shame, because there are some I wanted to highlight, like District 81, where Rory Bricco and Jim Hardin are vying to see who will take on former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh in November. There are also a few open seats, like District 18, where Rep. Stacey Campfield is running for the District 7 Senate seat. Three Republicans are running in the race to replace him: Steve Hall, Jonathan Katsiros, and Gary Loe. The winner will face Democrat Sam Alexander in November.
Other than state House, if you don’t see a district or office in the list, it’s because there is not a contested race on August 5. I realize that it’s more thorough to list all candidates, even when there is no opposition. I’ve taken the most practical approach I could muster, given time constraints. Thanks for understanding.
I’m cooking up a whole new approach for presenting this information for the November elections. Stay tuned, and thanks for your continued support.
The three leading Republican candidates for Tennessee governor today are making a number of campaign stops in the final push to reach voters before Thursday’s primary election.
But the mode of transportation chosen by each will determine just how much of the state can be covered. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam’s itinerary suggests that air travel will be necessary. U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp tweeted his disapproval of his rival’s flight plan, and said that he will stay in his “used RV.” Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s schedule includes cities and towns exclusively in East Tennessee, the home of his state Senate district.
No information has been received regarding Basil Marceaux’s travel plans or choice of transportation.
If you hear a rapping or a tapping at your chamber door this Saturday, be prepared to face an eager campaign worker or two. Gubernatorial candidate and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam says that his supporters “will take to the streets and backcountry roads to knock on doors and ask their neighbors to vote for” him.
The statewide door knock is indicative of the size, organization and dedication of the campaign Haslam has built over the past year and a half. No other campaign can match the intensity, passion and determination Haslam sparks in those willing to dedicate their time to his campaign.
Haslam has knocked on doors in the pouring rain, freezing cold and sweltering heat in 147 communities, allowing him and his wife Crissy to speak face-to-face with thousands of voters.
By the way, did you know that Poe foreshadowed the advent of bloggers? “Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking…”
Four of the candidates running to be Tennessee’s next governor will participate in a town hall-style debate Monday night in Belmont University’s Curb Center. Nashville television station WSMV will broadcast the event, and other NBC affiliates around the state are expected to carry the signal.
The only Democrat in the race, Mike McWherter, will appear with three of the Republicans seeking to gain their party’s nomination: Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp.
(I personally hope it’s being streamed on the Web as well, since the time — 8:00 Eastern, 7:00 Central — conflicts with “Adventure Time” on Cartoon Network, and I’m outnumbered in any contest that might ensue over the viewing choice. There’s always the US-101 radio simulcast, too.)
You’re invited to follow @TnTicket on Twitter for live commentary during the event, although if doing so will distract you from getting information you need, then I’ll understand.
Knoxville Mayor and Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam is celebrating a few things lately—an $8.7 million fundraising haul, a Davidson County GOP straw poll victory—but today he touted a victory in the journalism arena, when three of the state’s leading newspapers published editorials in favor of his candidacy. From left to right (on a map, not politically speaking):
The Memphis Commercial Appeal:
[Haslam] has a sense of perspective and a level of maturity that lift him above his competitors in the GOP race. He has the disposition to work well with members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, members of the General Assembly, local officials, business leaders and the public…GOP voters looking for a candidate who will remain true to core party principles and best represent what is admirable about the people of this state should give strong consideration to Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam.
The Nashville Tennessean:
In looking at the political history and campaign comments of Haslam and his opponents, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey of Blountville and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga, it’s clear they share similar views on social issues — abortion, guns, the death penalty. Therefore, the choice comes down to how well each of the candidates would manage the state’s affairs, set policies that will best address the challenges Tennessee faces, and represent the needs of all Tennesseans regardless of where they live, their economic standing and their personal beliefs. It is on those criteria that Bill Haslam emerges, head and shoulders, as the best candidate.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel:
[Haslam’s] management of the city indicates he would manage the state’s affairs with competence as well. Haslam’s campaign has remained positive and focused on the skills he would bring to the governor’s office, despite the sniping of his opponents. He has come off as the most reasonable, civil and thoughtful of the GOP hopefuls.
(I grinned at the Knoxville paper’s tweet about their editorial. It began, “Surprise!”)
Notice anything missing? So did WRCB News Director Derrall Stalvey, who (rhetorically?) wondered aloud about the Chattanooga Times Free Press. As one of the only newspapers in the nation with a split editorial page, the Chattanooga daily typically presents an interesting take.
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