Sun
Aug 28 2016
08:26 am
Who will be Tennessee's next governor?
By: R. Neal

The next goobernatorial election won't be held until 2018, but it isn't too early to start recruiting. Looking at the bench for both parties, who are the standouts? Here are some that come to mind:

Democrats: Madeline Rogero, Kim McMillan, Sara Kyle, Andy Berke

Republicans: Tim Burchett, Randy Boyd

Who else?

Topics:
S Carpenter's picture

.

Submitted by S Carpenter on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 9:19am.

Karl Dean will run.

Andy Axel's picture

.

Submitted by Andy Axel on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 9:23pm.
(in reply to S Carpenter)

More's the pity.

S Carpenter's picture

.

Submitted by S Carpenter on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 8:07am.
(in reply to Andy Axel)

Andy,Curious to know why you regret that likelihood.
Thanks,
SC

Andy Axel's picture

.

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 11:55am.
(in reply to S Carpenter)

Not a fan of how Nashville's future has been leveraged on tourism and real estate bubble, driving working people to the fringes while pushing a "growth at all costs" strategy.

Dean's part in all of that? For starters: Staffing the Metro Planning Council and the Metro Development and Housing Agency with real estate developers, lawyers for real estate developers, bankers for real estate developers... his continuing advocacy of neoliberal public education policies... the list of objections that I have to that man's 2nd term in office is a long one. Much of it comes down to a completely lack of transparency, a lot of behind the scenes duplicity, and subversion of democratic process for the benefit of his backers. (He works for a charter school consultancy now, if that tells you where his bread is buttered.)

(link...)

Andy Axel's picture

Afterthought

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 2:43pm.
(in reply to Andy Axel)

I voted for Dean 2x, and I was bullish on the question of him running for higher office until Term #2. Many will point to the "Nashville economic success story" as evidence of his fitness for office. Yet he's one of the worst examples of political hucksterism and corruption I think I could name. He's Sergio Berlusconi with Matlock's tailor.

local citizen's picture

Several GOP

Submitted by local citizen (not verified) on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 9:43am.

There are several Republicans already seeking support statewide for governor. Congresswoman Black, State Sen. Norris and the State House speaker if she can get reelected speaker.

I am looking for Burchett to run for Congress with Duncan stepping down because of cancer. At least that will be the excuse since Burchett would be unbeatable in the district. An unknown and unfinanced candidate a couple years ago gave him a scare.

Ryan Haynes will be kicked out as State GOP chair, since his dismay performance, and return home to run for county mayor.
He will lose big time since the Trump and Cruz supporters will never forget or forgive him.

jbr's picture

The Democrats have several,

Submitted by jbr on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 11:51am.

The Democrats have several, good, qualified, electable candidates. Is the party diligently working on the support structure now?

local citizen's picture

The position of the

Submitted by local citizen (not verified) on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 12:31pm.
(in reply to jbr)

The position of the Democratic Party on national issues are killing any chance for success in Tennessee for the party in statewide elections. The Democrats are going to have to find another conservative like Phil Bresnan that can finance his own campaign.

Moon's picture

The Democrats are going to

Submitted by Moon on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 11:09am.
(in reply to local citizen)

The Democrats are going to have to find another conservative like Phil Bresnan that can finance his own campaign.

Bredesen ran for governor three times, once as an incumbent. The only time he lost was the only time he (mostly) self-financed.

jbr's picture

Who are possible replacements

Submitted by jbr on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 12:42pm.

Who are possible replacements for Lamar Alexander. He seemed bit past it the last few times I saw him.

local citizen's picture

Alexander is yesterday's dead

Submitted by local citizen (not verified) on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 2:11pm.
(in reply to jbr)

Alexander is yesterday's dead fish. He is done. Won't run again. When he lost his home county it became obvious that he is beatable and that will bring opponents out of the woodwork in droves.

2020 is still too far off for a candidate to show his hand when there is a governor's race in 2018. Haslam could win the position only if he buys it again.

His replacement will probably be another Republican unless a well financed and well known conservative Democrat gets in the race. A liberal candidate, either Republican or Democrat, cannot win a statewide race for any office in Tennessee.

Min's picture

I hope it's Berke.

Submitted by Min on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 6:31pm.

I really like him.

Andy Axel's picture

Bill Freeman

Submitted by Andy Axel on Sun, 2016/08/28 - 9:25pm.

He's got an uphill road but after his failed mayoral run against Megan Barry he's making a lot of the right noises. Fundraising like crazy for Hillary too.

Kosh III's picture

Karl Dean

Submitted by Kosh III (not verified) on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 10:55am.

Dean is a strong proponent of Charter Schools. He also tends to propose things without consulting with anyone e.g. he proposed a new jail at a new location and didn't discuss it beforehand with the Councilperson for the district it would be located in. A few years back the Nashville Scene did a story on his haphazard management style.
He can afford to self-finance.

Andy Axel's picture

.

Submitted by Andy Axel on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 12:08pm.
(in reply to Kosh III)

He can afford to self-finance because he was one of the prime beneficiaries of the ruthlessly efficient kleptocracy that he ran.

The jail case is an interesting one -- and that one is still playing out. The sheriff was highly invested in relocating the jail for somewhat spurious reasons, but it's widely alleged that there were proposals issued under the radar for brokering the sale of the downtown location to private interests, and there were RFPs out in the wind for the construction of a new criminal justice center (CJC) in SE Nashville. Problem is that they shortcut the public input process and started a virtual groundbreaking before they secured the approval of the Metro Council.

But see, that's how Dean's operation worked. They made promises to any number of people "pending Metro Council approval" and MC would typically rubber-stamp his kited checks -- even if that took quite a good deal of strong-arming. That was, fortunately, up until the trifecta of the CJC, the new police HQ, and the appropriation to build a $100M floodwall. With Dean heading out the door due to term limits, MC found some reserve spine and told him and his building cronies "no." On all three of those projects. To say that this was a defeat for the Dean legacy is something of an understatement.

(Unfortunately for SE Nashville, Sheriff Daron Hall hasn't been term-limited out, and he's in the process of a stealth land grab to get what he wants where he wants it.)

Kosh III's picture

My dream candidate

Submitted by Kosh III (not verified) on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 10:56am.

My dream D candidate is Dolly Parton but it ain't gonna happen.

yellowdog's picture

John Schroer

Submitted by yellowdog on Mon, 2016/08/29 - 5:35pm.

may want to run.

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