GOP Has the Early Advantage in Tennessee Governor's Race

All the potential Republican candidates for governor in Tennessee are outpolling Democratic hopefuls in the race to fill the seat of Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat who cannot seek re-election because of term limits, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted March 22.

Mayor Bill Haslam of Knoxville has leads of 20 and 18 points, respectively, over former state House Majority Leader Kim McMillan, a Democrat, and businessman Mike McWherter, a Democrat and son of former Gov. Ned McWherter.

Lt. Gov. Ronald Ramsay, a Republican who under Tennessee's system is also the Senate speaker, leads McMillan by 18 points and McWherter by 14 points.


Eight-term Rep. Zack Wamp, a Republican, leads McMillan by 13 points and McWherter by 10 points.

The undecideds in all the match-ups range from 22 percent to 25 percent.

The primaries for both parties will be held Aug. 5.

A poll by Middle Tennessee State University conducted Feb. 15-27 found almost 3 of 4 adults in the state couldn't name a single gubernatorial candidate. The candidate who was best known was Haslam -- 19 percent were able to identify him. The Rasmussen poll also found Haslam the best known. Twenty-nine percent of voters were not sure enough about him to have a favorable or unfavorable opinion, while the others ranged from 31 percent to 41 percent.

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