Legislators 'weather' polls

By MIKE WEST, Courier Editor

In state primary races, Sen. Mae Beavers outdistanced Wilson County businessman Clark Boyd in Cannon County.
Beavers took 59.8 percent of the vote, compared to Boyd’s 40 percent. Beavers is unopposed in the upcoming November General Election.

Republican Mark Pody was unopposed in Republican Primary for the Tennessee House 46th District race. Pody will face Democrat Candace Reed in the General Election. Reed is a Wilson County teacher.

In the GOP gubernatorial primary, incumbent Bill Haslam received 79 percent of the vote. His closest rival Mark Coonrippy Brown only received 11 percent. Brown ran to get his pet racoon, Rebekah, back. The coon was seized by state authorities. Charles V. “Charlie” Brown was the top vote getter in the Democratic primary.

Rutherford County resident Joe Carr defeated Sen. Lamar Alexander 60 percent to 33 percent in the Republican Senate race. Statewide, Alexander bested Carr 50 percent to 41 percent. In the Democratic Senate race, Gordon Ball won 40 percent of the vote compared to 32 percent for Terry Adams.

U.S. Congressman Diane Black defeated Jerry Lowery 72 percent to 27 percent. She will face Democrat Amos Scott Powers in November.

Cannon County voters did vote against retaining the state’s three Supreme Court judges. But a majority of Tennessee voters voted to keep Chief Justice Gary Wade, Cornelia Clark and Sharon Lee — all appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat.

National conservative groups and the Tennessee Republican Party had targeted the three justices, spending more than $1.4 million on TV ads.

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, said the closely fought election was good for the citizens of Tennessee.

“For the first time in decades, we had a real election for the Supreme Court. Our Supreme Court justices traveled the state of Tennessee this summer meeting Tennesseans and learning things about our state that you can’t find in any law book. Because of that, more Tennesseans than ever know the names of our Supreme Court justices and are aware they have a role in deciding who sits on the high court. No matter how you look at it ... that is the true victory, not just for this effort, but for the state of Tennessee,” Ramsey said.