The Governor's Race
The Governor’s Race
Democratic hopeful Mike McWherter has been watching from the sidelines (and saving his campaign dollars for the general election) as Republican contenders Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsey, and Zach Wamp have criss-crossed the state and run multi-million dollar broadcast campaigns highlighting prior political achievements and a general antipathy toward the Democratic majority at the national level. For Bill Haslam (Mayor of Knoxville) and Zach Wamp (Congressman from the Third District), experience is all about deficit reductions, job creation, and running government like the successful businesses of their pre-political days. For Ron Ramsey (State Senate Speaker and Lt. Governor), experience takes a more familiar form – assuring constituents that his years on the Hill provide unique political insights needed for success in a state-wide office and his boots are big enough to walk all over national initiatives that don’t resonate with Tennessee voters.
The independents in the race have been relatively quiet during the primary – like McWherter, preferring to save their energy (and their limited campaign war-chests) for the general election rather than trying to distance themselves from their competitors during the primary period. Green Party Candidate Howard Switzer is still blogging until his website is up and running, while independents Bayron Binkley, Brandon Dodds, Samuel Duck, David Gatchell, James Ressor, and Carl “Twofeathers” Whitaker have all taken the plunge into web-based politics. Other independents nominally involved in the governor’s race include June Griffin, Toni Hall, Floyd Knois, Boyce McCall, Donald McFolin, and Thomas Smith II.