2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2002 United States gubernatorial elections.

2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election
November 5, 2002
Turnout50.40% [1] 17.87 pp
 
Nominee Phil Bredesen Van Hilleary
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 837,284 786,803
Percentage 50.65% 47.59%
Bredesen:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Hilleary:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Don Sundquist
Republican

Elected Governor

Phil Bredesen
Democratic

The 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002, to elect the next governor of Tennessee, alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Don Sundquist was term-limited and prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. Former Democratic Nashville mayor Phil Bredesen was elected with 50.7% of the vote, narrowly defeating Republican nominee and U.S. Representative Van Hilleary.[2]

With Bredesen's victory, the Tennessee Democratic Party regained a state government trifecta, with Democrats also controlling both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Campaign

Phil Bredesen promised to manage state government better, improve Tennessee's schools and use his experience as a managed-care executive to fix TennCare, which had created a critical budget shortfall toward the end of Sundquist's term. His reputation as a moderate Democrat was well established (he was a member of the "good government" faction of the Nashville Democratic Party), so Hilleary's attempts to brand him as a liberal ultimately failed. Republicans also suffered from governor Don Sundquist's unpopular attempts to implement a state income tax.[3] Bredesen garnered more support in East Tennessee than was usual for a Democrat, especially one from Nashville.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Van Hilleary 343,543 64.31%
Republican Jim Henry 159,862 29.92%
Republican Bob Tripp 17,156 3.21%
Republican Dave Kelley 8,581 1.61%
Republican Jessie D. McDonald 4,682 0.88%
Republican Write-ins 389 0.07%
Total votes 534,213 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phil Bredesen 426,418 79.05%
Democratic Randy Nichols 38,322 7.10%
Democratic Charles E. Smith 34,547 6.40%
Democratic Charles V. Brown 17,506 3.25%
Democratic L. Best 16,007 2.97%
Democratic Floyd R. Conover 6,218 1.15%
Democratic Write-ins 420 0.08%
Total votes 539,438 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Major

  • Phil Bredesen (D)
  • Van Hilleary (R)
  • Edwin C. Sanders (I)
  • Carl Two Feathers Whitaker (I)
  • John Jay Hooker (I)
  • David Gatchell (I)
  • Gabriel Givens (I)
  • Ray Ledford (I)
  • James E. Herren (I)
  • Charles V. Wilhoit Jr. (I)
  • Marivuana Stout Leinoff (I)
  • Francis E. Waldron (I)
  • Ronny Simmons (I)
  • Robert O. Watson (I)
  • Basil Marceaux (I)

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[6] Tossup October 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] Lean D (flip) November 4, 2002

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Phil
Bredesen (D) 		Van
Hilleary (R) 		Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA[8] October 26–28, 2002 726 (LV) ± 3.8% 48% 44% 8%

Results

2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Phil Bredesen 837,284 50.65% +21.17%
Republican Van Hilleary 786,803 47.59% −21.03%
Independent Edwin C. Sanders 7,749 0.47% N/A
Independent Carl Two Feathers Whitaker 5,308 0.32% N/A
Independent John Jay Hooker 4,577 0.28% N/A
Independent David Gatchell 2,991 0.18% N/A
Independent Gabriel Givens 1,591 0.10% N/A
Independent Ray Ledford 1,589 0.10% N/A
Independent James E. Herren 1,210 0.07% N/A
Independent Charles V. Wilhoit, Jr. 898 0.05% N/A
Independent Marivuana Stout Leinoff 645 0.04% N/A
Independent Francis E. Waldron 635 0.04% N/A
Independent Ronny Simmons 630 0.04% N/A
Independent Robert O. Watson 579 0.04% N/A
Independent Basil Marceaux 302 0.02% N/A
Write-ins 376 0.02% N/A
Total votes 1,653,167 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican

By county

County[10] Phil Bredesen
Democratic 		Van Hilleary
Republican 		Others
Independent 		Margin Total
votes
% # % # % #
Anderson 54.5% 12,526 44.1% 10,153 1.4% 318 2,373 22,997
Bedford 50.4% 5,098 48.1% 4,860 1.5% 156 238 10,114
Benton 64.7% 3,640 33.1% 1,863 2.2% 124 1,777 5,627
Bledsoe 48.2% 1,722 50.2% 1,795 1.6% 58 -73 3,575
Blount 42.5% 13,908 55.6% 18,189 1.9% 609 -4,281 32,706
Bradley 37.6% 9,178 60.4% 14,756 2.0% 506 -5,578 24,440
Campbell 54.3% 5,020 44.7% 4,129 1.0% 95 891 9,244
Cannon 57.8% 2,346 40.8% 1,654 1.4% 57 692 4,057
Carroll 54.4% 4,957 43.7% 3,982 1.9% 180 975 9,119
Carter 37.1% 5,877 60.9% 9,656 2.0% 329 -3,779 15,862
Cheatham 50.2% 5,538 48.0% 5,305 1.8% 198 233 11,041
Chester 42.1% 1,900 56.3% 2,544 1.6% 72 -644 4,516
Claiborne 49.2% 3,469 49.4% 3,483 1.4% 93 -14 7,045
Clay 59.7% 1,436 38.7% 932 1.6% 39 504 2,407
Cocke 49.5% 4,219 48.3% 4,114 2.2% 191 105 8,524
Coffee 50.5% 7,613 48.4% 7,286 1.1% 162 327 15,061
Crockett 52.6% 2,265 45.3% 1,951 2.1% 88 314 4,304
Cumberland 44.0% 7,437 54.6% 9,235 1.4% 239 -1,798 16,911
Davidson 58.5% 97,048 38.1% 63,176 3.4% 5,673 33,872 165,897
Decatur 56.6% 2,375 41.4% 1,738 2.0% 81 637 4,194
DeKalb 58.4% 2,929 40.4% 2,025 1.2% 63 904 5,017
Dickson 57.0% 7,810 41.4% 5,673 1.6% 217 2,137 13,700
Dyer 50.7% 5,114 47.0% 4,740 2.3% 227 374 10,081
Fayette 41.0% 3,798 57.2% 5,306 1.8% 166 -1,508 9,270
Fentress 42.8% 2,155 56.3% 2,832 0.9% 43 -677 5,030
Franklin 53.3% 6,312 45.3% 5,364 1.4% 159 948 11,835
Gibson 52.6% 7,700 45.4% 6,639 2.0% 289 1,061 14,628
Giles 52.9% 4,167 45.9% 3,616 1.2% 100 551 7,883
Grainger 45.8% 2,432 52.9% 2,809 1.3% 74 -377 5,315
Greene 41.4% 6,739 57.0% 9,280 1.6% 252 -2,541 16,271
Grundy 67.8% 2,524 31.0% 1,154 1.2% 42 1,370 3,720
Hamblen 44.4% 7,424 54.3% 9,069 1.3% 223 -1,645 16,716
Hamilton 46.3% 40,864 52.3% 46,109 1.4% 1,210 -5,245 88,183
Hancock 42.3% 829 56.0% 1,097 1.7% 32 -268 1,958
Hardeman 56.5% 3,891 41.0% 2,822 2.5% 172 1,069 6,885
Hardin 48.1% 3,594 51.1% 3,820 0.8% 62 -226 7,476
Hawkins 42.0% 5,921 56.0% 7,893 2.0% 269 -1,972 14,083
Haywood 59.3% 3,028 38.9% 1,986 1.8% 90 1,042 5,104
Henderson 43.2% 3,098 54.8% 3,933 2.0% 142 -835 7,173
Henry 59.8% 5,672 37.9% 3,598 2.3% 212 2,074 9,482
Hickman 60.3% 3,931 38.0% 2,477 1.7% 106 1,454 6,514
Houston 71.1% 1,970 27.1% 750 1.8% 50 1,220 2,770
Humphreys 65.0% 3,944 33.3% 2,023 1.7% 99 1,921 6,066
Jackson 67.5% 2,483 30.8% 1,135 1.7% 62 1,348 3,680
Jefferson 44.4% 5,293 54.1% 6,453 1.5% 176 -1,160 11,922
Johnson 36.3% 1,641 62.0% 2,802 1.7% 77 -1,161 4,520
Knox 49.4% 57,726 49.4% 57,683 1.2% 1,443 43 116,852
Lake 71.1% 1,128 25.2% 400 3.7% 58 728 1,586
Lauderdale 56.3% 3,621 41.4% 2,662 2.3% 154 959 6,437
Lawrence 47.0% 5,835 51.8% 6,430 1.2% 155 -595 12,420
Lewis 53.0% 2,026 44.5% 1,700 2.5% 95 326 3,821
Lincoln 43.1% 3,808 55.2% 4,877 1.7% 146 -1,069 8,831
Loudon 42.3% 5,995 56.7% 8,036 1.0% 149 -2,041 14,180
Macon 49.7% 2,554 48.9% 2,516 1.4% 70 38 5,140
Madison 48.9% 13,614 49.5% 13,770 1.6% 462 -156 27,846
Marion 60.3% 4,856 38.0% 3,062 1.7% 136 1,794 8,054
Marshall 57.5% 4,323 40.7% 3,065 1.8% 136 1,258 7,524
Maury 52.8% 10,862 45.3% 9,313 1.9% 378 1,549 20,553
McMinn 43.6% 5,919 54.5% 7,407 1.9% 261 -1,488 13,587
McNairy 48.0% 3,677 50.3% 3,849 1.7% 131 -172 7,657
Meigs 52.7% 1,486 45.5% 1,282 1.8% 51 204 2,819
Monroe 46.3% 5,081 52.1% 5,709 1.6% 174 -628 10,964
Montgomery 58.5% 18,714 39.8% 12,723 1.7% 561 5,991 31,998
Moore 45.9% 950 51.7% 1,070 2.4% 51 -120 2,071
Morgan 57.7% 3,128 41.5% 2,252 0.8% 44 876 5,424
Obion 57.7% 5,928 39.7% 4,083 2.6% 261 1,845 10,272
Overton 65.7% 4,027 32.6% 1,999 1.7% 99 2,028 6,125
Perry 59.8% 1,379 37.8% 871 2.4% 56 508 2,306
Pickett 40.1% 831 59.0% 1,221 0.9% 19 -390 2,071
Polk 56.0% 2,539 42.4% 1,925 1.6% 71 614 4,535
Putnam 54.4% 10,241 43.8% 8,241 1.8% 353 2,000 18,835
Rhea 33.3% 2,727 65.7% 5,383 1.0% 80 -2,656 8,190
Roane 56.1% 9,873 42.5% 7,478 1.4% 261 2,395 17,612
Robertson 52.5% 9,089 45.9% 7,944 1.6% 290 1,145 17,323
Rutherford 48.2% 24,683 50.3% 25,750 1.5% 738 -1,067 51,171
Scott 48.0% 2,326 51.2% 2,480 0.8% 42 -154 4,848
Sequatchie 55.4% 2,020 43.4% 1,582 1.2% 42 438 3,644
Sevier 37.5% 7,642 61.2% 12,477 1.3% 259 -4,835 20,378
Shelby 56.1% 133,084 42.2% 100,261 1.7% 4,048 32,823 237,393
Smith 63.0% 3,741 35.1% 2,086 1.9% 113 1,655 5,940
Stewart 66.6% 2,709 31.0% 1,260 2.4% 97 1,449 4,066
Sullivan 41.8% 17,760 56.7% 24,118 1.5% 637 -6,358 42,515
Sumner 47.8% 19,860 50.7% 21,032 1.5% 626 -1,172 41,518
Tipton 38.6% 5,192 59.5% 8,015 1.9% 253 -2,823 13,460
Trousdale 65.8% 1,515 32.7% 753 1.5% 34 762 2,302
Unicoi 41.2% 1,975 57.1% 2,739 1.7% 81 -764 4,795
Union 49.3% 2,307 59.5% 2,319 1.2% 55 -12 4,681
Van Buren 63.3% 1,178 35.2% 654 1.5% 28 524 1,860
Warren 59.3% 7,137 39.4% 4,743 1.3% 157 2,394 12,037
Washington 40.3% 12,012 58.0% 17,290 1.8% 533 -5,278 29,835
Wayne 40.3% 1,685 58.9% 2,462 0.8% 33 -777 4,180
Weakley 54.4% 5,821 43.7% 4,680 1.9% 205 1,141 10,706
White 49.8% 3,653 48.6% 3,564 1.6% 111 89 7,328
Williamson 41.2% 21,358 57.9% 29,965 0.9% 454 -8,607 51,777
Wilson 48.3% 14,854 50.1% 15,416 1.6% 507 -562 30,777

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

  1. ^ "Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2002". Tennessee Secretary of State. November 5, 2002. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Tennessee keeps Senate seat for GOP, elects Democrat governor, passes lottery". Associated Press. November 6, 2002. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  3. ^ Roger Abramson (January 6, 2011). "Phil Bredesen Made a Successful Governor for One Mind-blowing Reason: He Did Just What He Said". The Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  4. ^ "August 1, 2002, Republican Primary: Governor" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  5. ^ "August 1, 2002, Democratic Primary: Governor" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  6. ^ "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  7. ^ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  8. ^ SurveyUSA
  9. ^ "November 5, 2002, General Election: Governor" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  10. ^ "United States Senate" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. November 5, 2002.

Official campaign websites (archived)

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