Thursday’s unusual Tennessee Primary offers an exciting and divisive battle for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate between two staunch conservative and former Members of Congress – Ed Bryant (W Tenn - Jackson) and Van Hilleary (Middle Tenn – Mufreesboro). They are facing the more moderate, former Mayor of Chattanooga and wealthy real estate developer, Bob Corker who is the frontrunner after heavily outspending them in a television campaign.
A last minute poll showed both conservative candidates gaining as they attacked Corker for his past opposition to anti-abortion laws and support of tax increases, as well as charging that Corker’s businesses had not paid taxes and hired illegal aliens. Corker still appears to be leading by at least 15 points due to a split in the conservative vote between Bryant and Hilleary, as well as the strong support he is receiving from his home region of East Tennessee (which has almost half of the Republican vote).
Another factor in the Senate contest is a possible crossover by Democrat and Independent voters who have little to vote for in the Democrat primaries for Governor and U.S. Senate because Democrat Congressman Harold Ford Jr. and Governor Phil Bredesen don't have serious competition in the primaries for U.S. Senate and governor, respectively. Tennessee has an open primary which allows voters to vote in any party primary of their choice and does not have voter registration by party.
Bryant has put his faith in a last minute grass roots effort to mobilize a highly organized network of home-school families and anti-abortion activists working in a 72-hour project to hang placards proclaiming Bryant as "The Real Conservative" on the doors of at least 75,000 homes.
The Republican primary for Governor will serve largely as a test of the statewide strength of State Senator Jim Bryson. a first termer from the Nashville suburbs. Bryson's showing against a number of little known opponents will be the first indicator of how well he will do against popular Democrat Governor Phil Bredesen. Likewise Memphis Democrat Congressman Harold Ford's vote total against token opposition in the Democrat primary will also be the first statewide showing to reveal the results of his campaign to become the first Black US Senator from a Southern state since Reconstruction.
Ford will get a boost from the big turnout expected in the highly competitive contest in the Democrat primary to decide who will replace him in Memphis' heavily Democrat and majority Black 9th Congressional District.
Race, religion and gender unfortunately may decide that election as Jewish white Democrat State Senator Stephen I. Cohen competes against 14 other mostly minority Democrat candidates.
Over the last weeks, several African-American groups and candidates have roundly criticized Cohen for joking that his voting record makes him seem like a "black woman" and for his statement that he would ask to join the Congressional Black Caucus if elected.
The only other closely contested Congressional race is at the other end of the state in the heavily Republican 1st Congressional District. GOP Congressman Bill Jenkins' decision to leave Congress after a decade has created a primary contest of 13 Republicans competing to represent the upper East Tennessee district.
Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable, 61, of Kingsport and State Representative David Davis, 46, of Johnson City are considered the front-runners. Both ran in 1996, when Jenkins was first elected with just 18 percent of the vote in a crowded field.
Venable is a former state legislator, local party chairman and the only candidate from the biggest county in the district - Sullivan which has nearly a quarter of the district's population.
Davis may be the most conservative candidate in the race with staunch stands against abortion, gay marriage and taxes. He has been endorsed by Tennessee Right to Life, and his campaign Web page is titled "rightforcongress.com."
However, Davis is one of five candidates from Johnson City, which could split the vote in Washington County, the district's second-most populous county.
