Tennessee Governor Election 2010: Republican Bill Haslam Up Big Over Democrat Mike McWherter 56% to 31%

Tennessee Governors race … will be a GOP gubernatorial pickup come the November 2010 midterm elections.

Following his recent Republican primary win in the Volunteer state, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam finds himself with a commanding lead in the most recent Rasmussen poll for governor of Tennessee. Haslam leads Democrat Mike McWherter 56% to 31%.OUCH! What is most telling about the political atmosphere in Tennessee is that Haslam and McWherter are battling to see who will succeed popular outgoing, term limited Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen. Barack Obama on the ballot in TN in 2010.

Even though Bredesen is popular the GOP candidate Haslam has a 25% point lead in the polls. Why is this possible, easy … Tennessee is strongly against Obama and his policies. 59% fo Tennessee voters oppose the new health care bill’s requirement that every American buy or obtain health insurance, 51% in the state favor Tennessee suing the federal government to prevent the requirement from remaining in the law and 59% believe the tax cuts that were implemented under the Bush administration should be extended.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam receives his highest level of support so far following his Republican primary victory last Thursday in the race for governor of Tennessee.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Volunteer State shows Haslam earning 56% support. Democrat Mike McWherter, a businessman and son of a former governor, picks up 31%. Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, and 10% are undecided.

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Haslam currently holds sizable leads over McWherter among both male and female voters in the state. While Haslam is backed by 89% of Republicans, McWherter receives support from 76% of those in his party. Haslam holds a near four-to-one lead over the Democrat among voters not affiliated with either major political party.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Tennessee voters view Haslam as a conservative, but another 29% see him as politically moderate.

McWherter is viewed as politically liberal by 33% of voters, but slightly more (39%) see him as a moderate.