Bill Haslam Wins Republican Primary for Tennessee Governors Race … Will Face Democrat Mike McWherter

Haslam wins big in Volunteer state … GOP poised to pick up Tennessee governorship in 2010.

Bill Haslam has been reported the winner of the Tennessee GOP primary for governor. Haslam, the mayor of Knoxville, has a sizable 48% of the vote and cruised to victory over Congressman Zach Wamp and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.

Bill Haslam, the mayor of Knoxville and considered a moderate Republican, easily won the Tennessee GOP primary for governor Thursday, the Associated Press projected.

With 76 percent of the state’s precincts in, AP reported Haslam had 48.2 percent of the vote as he defeated Congressman Zach Wamp and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.

Halsam, who helped fund some of his own campaign, will now face Mike McWherter, a Democratic businessman and son of a former governor. The race is to succeed Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, who is prevented by term limits from running for a third term. Political handicappers think Republicans have a good shot at winning back the governor’s office.

It’s official Haslam has won and will face Democrat Mike McWherter in the governors race in the Volunteer state to replace term limited Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen. Prior to today’s primary in the most recent Rasmussen poll, Haslam lead McWherter 50% to 32%. If all things go as usual in Tennessee, a Haslam victory in November 2010 will represent yet another GOP gubernatorial pick up.