The 2016 election may have only been a week ago.
But some Tennessee political figures are already turning their thoughts to 2018, as the jockeying to succeed Governor Bill Haslam has begun.
Clarksville Republican Mark Green’s high political ambitions have been no secret. And with his re-election to the state Senate safely in the books, he’s embarked on a “listening tour” of Tennessee that should end with him announcing his intentions in January.
“So, I could stay right where I am and take all this information and write some great laws and continue to improve Tennessee that way,” he says. “I could run for governor, and we are getting a lot of people asking to do that.”
Green says running for the U.S. House of Representatives or the Senate are also possibilities, depending on what Congressman Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Bob Corker decide about their political futures. Both have been advisers to Trump and could be asked to join his administration.
Green has begun by meeting in East Tennessee with teachers, farmers and people in law enforcement. He plans more events — including some open to the general public — in Middle and West Tennessee. Green’s also posted
an online survey.
Other people making the rounds include a pair of Nashville Democrats — former Mayor Karl Dean and businessman Bill Freeman. On the Republican side, the possible candidates include businessman Bill Lee, House Speaker Beth Harwell and Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.
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