Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam wins 3-way race for GOP gubernatorial nomination in Tennessee

Knoxville mayor wins TN GOP gubernatorial primary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has won Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial nomination after a contentious — and expensive — 19-month campaign.

Haslam, the dominant fundraiser of the race, triumphed Thursday over U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp and state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey.

With 2 percent of precincts reporting, Haslam had 115,705 votes, or 52 percent, to Wamp’s 59,922 votes, or 27 percent. Ramsey had 43,308 votes, or 20 percent.

Haslam stressed his executive experience, both as mayor and previously as president of the family founded Pilot Corp. truck stop chains, one of the country’s largest privately owned companies.

Haslam will face Democrat Mike McWherter, son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, in the general election. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen is term limited.