Democrats Set to Announce Campaigns Against Haslam, Lamar!

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Roy Herron said this week that Democratic candidates for Governor and U.S. Senate will soon be making announcements.

Herron made the remarks in Chattanooga at a meeting of that city's JFK Club. 

No word yet on who those candidates might be.

While both Haslam and Lamar! will be difficult to beat, a potential challenger to Haslam has many opportunities to focus on the Governor's failed leadership.

There's the matter of a somewhat minor-seeming ethics problem. Which wouldn't seem so bad except that Haslam's family business, Pilot, is in big trouble for some alleged shady business dealings.  Haslam still earns income from his share of the Pilot business and it is unclear what (if anything) he knew about the alleged unethical conduct.

There have been problems at both DCS and Labor and Workforce Development -- Commissioners have been forced to leave amid scandals at both agencies - Commissioners hand-picked by Haslam. 

Then, there's his failed (and seemingly direction-less) education agenda.  This session, Haslam attempted to get both taxpayer-robbing school vouchers and a statewide Charter School authorizer passed.  The latter would have taken away local control from elected School Boards.  Both are bad policy and fortunately, thanks to Haslam's mismanagement of GOP super-majorities in both Chambers, both failed.

In 2012, Haslam proposed an education agenda that included raising class sizes by about 5 students per class while laying off up to 2000 teachers.  Members of his own party (and anyone who has kids in school) knew this was bad policy (and bad politics) and he backed off the plan. 

Now, there's an issue of a no-bid state contract costing taxpayers millions and given to the friends of a Haslam Administration insider.

And then, the matter of Haslam's under the table, personal payments to lobbyist and political consultant Tom Ingram.  For advice, it seems, on how to handle a state government that so far, has been poorly managed by Haslam. Two Commissioners gone in scandal, no-bid contracts, insider deals with business partners, and a failed education agenda.  Looks like Ingram definitely has his work cut out for him.