Gordon Ball has been unsuccessfully running for offices since Snyder was a pup. It would be bigger news if Gordan Ball did NOT run for office. -- s.

Gordon Ball's gonna make this race interesting.

Old hands up in the 1st district remember his run for congress.
I met him @ Walters State when he was campaigning in '78.

Rebel when you think of it ask him about the late David Miller.
I was helping Miller in his run for state rep against JB Shockley.

Miller was an interesting fellow.

Won the Hamblen County seat in the state house in '74.

Back in the day Governor Dunn tried to build a prison up that way.

Huge protest & to stop the construction crews from getting
on the property there was a ditch built on the road going
into the site.

It was called Miller's Ditch after David.

Miller lost his seat to JB in '76 & we also lost the
comeback in '78.

I will listen carefully to what Gordon has to say.
If I like what he says I will vote Ball's way.

First, I’ll respond to Sandra. It is true that Gordon’s name has popped up in relation to several races over the past few years, including governor (‘02), U.S. Senate (‘06), and Congress, 1st Dist. (‘08), and after weighing those races, he has – for various (legitimate) reasons – ultimately decided against being a candidate. But Gordon’s life and legal resume is practically legendary in some parts of East Tennessee, from his start as a private attorney in Newport, to being an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Carter years (where he prosecuted the defendants in the Kodak bank robbery and murders), to being delegate to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention (‘77), to his transformation from a white-collar criminal defense attorney (e.g., the Butcher trials, the Pardons & Paroles cases) to being one of the country’s leading class action attorneys. Many of his cases actually result in multi-million dollar court-made awards to charities across Tennessee, including St. Jude’s, the United Way, Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, Spina Bifida, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and Promise to Protect, to name a few. Also, he has been politically active, having been one of Harold Ford, Jr.’s biggest supporters in ‘06, having flown HFJr across the state throughout the campaign. So, it is hardly a surprise that Gordon’s name comes up in relation to political offices (remember Jim Neal? Fred Thompson?, two other prominent Tennessee lawyers whose legal careers are legendary).

Second, unlike other years, 2010 may be a year when an East Tennessee Democrat actually has a chance in a statewide race. There is a huge void in this field, ideologically. Also, the way the field is lining up, geography may play a key role in the primary and in the general. McWherter and Herron will be fighting for conservative, rural votes in West Tennessee; Jim Kyle will siphon off progressive votes from Shelby County; Kim McMillan, if she stays in, will battle Cammack for progressive votes in Middle Tennessee; Cammack will be a player in Memphis as well. There is no East Tennessee presence in the Democratic field. Gordon is originally from Cocke County, spent 3 years in Memphis, has lived in Knox for well over 20 years, and has long ties in West and Upper East Tennessee.

Third, I’m certain that neither Kleinheider nor Cortney Piper has talked to Gordon about this race, since Gordon’s office is less than 10 feet from mine and we talk or meet several times every day. So, I don’t see how either would actually know what’s “on his mind.” Thus, don’t put too much stock in those reports. On the other hand, I’ve casually discussed the race with my friend, Frank Cagle, since Frank was a key player in the 2002 gubernatorial race between Hilleary and Bredesen. As I told Frank, Gordon has been asked to consider making the race, but he has not yet made a decision. Rather, as before, he is weighing the race, looking at the numbers, talking to key people across the state and country about the race, and watching as the field increases in number and as the important issues begin to unfold (e.g., healthcare, a state income tax, state revenues and spending, education, mental health issues).

As of now, we are carefully monitoring what the current and prospective candidates are saying about the issues. To be sure, we have a timetable and it isn’t necessarily affected by who’s in and who’s out, although if Harold Ford, Jr. or Lincoln Davis or even Doug Horne would have made the race, Gordon would likely have decided to not run. I don’t think there’s another potential candidate out there whose entry into the field would cause Gordon not to run, if he was inclined to do so.

Third, I’m certain that neither Kleinheider nor Cortney Piper has talked to Gordon about this race, since Gordon’s office is less than 10 feet from mine and we talk or meet several times every day.

For the record, I did not report that Ball was running only that Piper was tweeting that he was. I purposefully put a question mark in my title and mentioned that an earlier attempt to confirm this rumor by a colleague had been unsuccessful.

Don, your level of attention to my "tweet" is unreal considering your posts neither confirm nor deny that Gordon is running. I heard that Gordon was indeed running from someone who spoke to him directly. Until Gordon issues the announcement himself, these are all unconfirmed reports...and we all know that.

How is Gordon going to run for gov. and deal with this fly ashe case and doesn't knoxrebel work for Gordon?

I am flattered at the notion that my tweets can impact the direction of the governor's race. I'll start plotting a twitter strategy that will remove all the republican candidates from the primary, ensuring a democrat victory:)

Anyway, from what my source said to me, I have reason to believe that Gordon Ball is running.

This strikes me as a great big yawner.