Tennessee elected its first new governor in eight years Tuesday with the election of Knoxville mayor Bill Haslam.
Haslam, the Republican Party candidate, defeated Democratic Party candidate Mike McWherter, for what has been a very successful run for the gubernatorial position that term-limited incumbent Phil Bredesen will be vacating.
Haslam defeated McWherter with a 71-percent majority of the election, even with only 1 percent of precincts reporting.
Haslam had a projected 251,483 votes to McWherter’s 96,443.
Haslam easily defeated opponents like Zach Wamp and Basil Marceaux during the Republican primaries. Marceaux became aan online sensation after his now-infamous gaffe on Nashville’s NBC affiliate, WSMV, during the primary politicking period, and was lampooned on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”
Richard Dabner, security personnel for the Baker Center, said that the message of the candidates played a role in how he made his decision at the polls.
“I voted for the issues and what the candidates had to say,” Dabner said. “I listened to what they had to say and not how they tore down their opponent.”
Dabner also said that the length of the candidate’s term made an impact on how he voted, an attitude shared amongst many who went to the polls yesterday.
“I paid attention to how long they were in office,” Dabner said. “I tried to stay away from anyone who had been in office for more than two terms.”
Brad Vaughn, Baker Center staff member and recent law school graduate, said that the economy and job market were his main concerns when heading to the polls.
“I’m very concerned about the job market,” Vaughn said. “I’m a recent graduate and that hits very close to him.”
“I’m interested in a candidate who won’t spend our state into debt,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn said that the candidate’s position on education was also important.
“The Baker Center has really been working to get students involved in the election, with the Work the Polls initiative and the Baker Center activities,” Vaughn said.
“It’s important for the money that families are spending on education to provide a big value,” Vaughn said. “We have so many people coming out of debt and not having the opportunities they once had, so the quality of education is important.”
Daniel Aycock, sophomore in pre-business concentration, said education was his primary concern.
“As a college student, obviously education means the most to me,” Aycock said. “And to be honest, I wasn’t satisfied with either candidate when it comes to their plans for higher education.”
Aycock said he understands where each candidate was coming from on the issue, but that he still found himself unsure.
“I understand McWherter’s motivation for pushing community colleges, but it still is very discouraging to those at higher univerities,” Aycock said. “There really isn’t a good plan in place from the state for education, which concerns me.”
Aycock said that he was interested in Haslam’s business experience and how it could impact the state.
“Haslam is a business man,” Aycock said. “I mean, he saw a business grow from a regional one to an international one. Pilot now has 60 gas stations in Canada. I think Haslam could attract a lot of business for the state and could really get us on track financially, which is a big worry because of the national debt.”
Hannah Alexander, sophomore in pre-business concentration, said a combination of the budget, education and the environment were her biggest concerns when hitting the polls.
“There are several places in Tennessee that have poor air quality,” Alexander said. “This includes Knoxville.”
“I was a different person physically after I came to college,” Alexander said. “That is a huge concern to me.”
Eric Dixon, sophomore in philosophy and Baker Center scholar, said he took a variety of issues into consideration when he hit the polls.
“I favored Haslam, based on his honesty and his accessibility,” Dixon said. “However, I appreciated the balance of power that was in place with having a Democratic governor in a Republican state.”
Robert Lumley, junior in chemical and biomedical engineering, took a stance apart from the major-party options and voted independently because of his dissatisfaction with both candidates.
Lumley said his motivation to write-in comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert was less of a support of Colbert’s political views and more so a protest against large-percentage wins for major party candidates.
“I had no delusions; I know my candidate won’t win,” Lumley said. “I did it more because I wanted the candidate who won to get a lesser percentage of the vote than he was going to get otherwise. That at least comforts me.”
Lumley said his biggest concerns are debt and spending, two issues that he thinks the candidates didn’t properly address.
