There is lots of talk about how much trouble U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett is facing over his close alliance with President Donald Trump and his senseless attacks on people opposing him. Michaela Barnett, Burchett's Democratic opponent, has been attracting large crowds at her events. Burchett is erecting much larger yard signs than normal all over the congressional district.
With Beau Hawk, Democratic nominee for Knox County mayor, winning almost 48% of the vote against victor Betsy Henderson in August, will Burchett fall to 52% of the Knox vote or even lose Knox County to Barnett?
If that happens, it would be a serious political setback for Burchett. If he cannot carry the county where he was once mayor himself, it could cost him the appointment to
the U.S. Senate if current Sen. Marsha Blackburn is elected governor. Meanwhile, former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs avoids wild attack statements and too much entanglement with Trump.
Barnett has been an attractive, energetic candidate who can actually discuss issues while Burchett refuses to appear with her or even hold open town hall meetings on his own. Burchett engages in controlled access to his town hall meetings. Retired Knox County DA Randy Nichols says he is working to elect Barnett over Burchett.
Knox County Democrats and Republicans will have new chairs next year as both Republican Martin Daniel and Democrat Domonica Bryan have said they will not seek second terms as chairs of their respective parties. Two new chairs will be chosen early next year.
What is going on in the contest for governor? It was assumed until independent David Hatley loaned millions of his own money to his campaign that Marsha Blackburn was an odds-on favorite to win. Blackburn is now concerned enough about Hatley that she has purchased ads attacking him when a month ago few people had heard of him. Democratic nominee Jerri Green does not appear to have the money to promote her candidacy on the airwaves in an effective manner. She is spending on social media, as is independent candidate Lauren Pinkston.
Hatley has now offered to give $1 millionto a safe house for women, a food bank and a veterans association if Blackburn will appear with him and Green in a debate proposed for Oct. 8. It's an appealing ploy.
There are now four credible candidates for governor, which is new for Tennessee. They are Blackburn, Green and independents Hatley and Pinkston. Blackburn won only 43.6% of the vote in the GOP primary, and it is unlikely the winner of this governor's race will reach 50% of the vote. The next governor may win only 40% if it splits between four active candidates.
Blackburn has run a dull campaign. Other than claiming she is the conservative candidate, she tells us little about what she would do is she becomes governor at age 74. She has not endorsed a new mental health hospital for East Tennessee (both Green and Pinkston have endorsed a facility) or specified which roads she wants to upgrade and improve. She holds tightly scripted town halls and virtually no open meetings while the other three candidates make themselves available to voters.
Birthdays
Oct. 10: Andrew B. Conrad is 44. Former Knox County Chancellor Clarence Pridemore is 52. Thomas Zacharia is 69. Nikol Shuler is 52. Joshua Gregory is 37. Sonja Armstrong is 86. William H. Curtis is 84.
Oct. 11: Barbara Johnston is 85. Michael Foltz is 77. Tyvi Small is 49. Amy Hubbard is 57. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleishmann is 64.
Oct 12: Cheryl Bartley is 66. Lewis Foster is 84. George Brown Jr. is 47. Dennis McClane is 75. UT professor Bill Fox is 77. Tanner Harris is 47. Holly Moore is 47. Attorney Mary Ward is 60. Kasey Krouse is 43. Gary Heatherly is 75.
Oct. 13: Hanson Tipton is 52. Knoxville City Councilmember Debbie Helsley is 73. Andrew Luttrell is 54. Gretchen Neisler is 55. James Corcoran is 47. D. Bruce Cole is 59. Allen Borden is 69. David Colquitt is 40. David Cheban is 44. Jim Klonaris is 65. Steve Friedlander is 67.
Oct. 14: Kay Leibowitz and Townes Osborne are 80. Tracy Polite is 61. Pete Drew is 88. Karen Pershing is 63. Jodie Birdwell is 49.
Oct. 15: David Dewhirst is 63. Former state Rep. Steve Buttry is 56. Dr. Rocio A. Huet is 71. George Kershaw is 81. Bradley D. Peters is 50. Former Nashville Mayor John Cooper is 70. Mac Hazlerig is 28. Ray Hill is 67. Diane Humphreys-Barlow is 78.
Oct. 16: Dino Cartwright is 56. Attorney Kevin Hardin is 67. Wes Soward is 48. Former city director Laurens Tullock and businessman Joe Fielden are 73.
Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Burchett faces rising challenge from Barnett in congressional race
