Tennessee Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee on Thursday announced he will participate in three fall debates leading into the Nov. 6 General Election.
It is traditional for Tennessee gubernatorial candidates to participate in three debates, representing each of the three Grand Divisions of the state, his campaign said in a press release.
Earlier this month Lee announced his 95 county General Election tour, The Tennessee Star reported.
The “Believe in Tennessee Tour” will bring Lee to talk to voters and highlight his policies and belief that he is the right leader to keep Tennessee going in the right direction, his campaign said in a press release.
“I believe Tennessee can lead the nation and that means challenging the status quo and providing conservative leadership to keep Tennessee moving in the right direction,” said Lee. “I look forward to continuing to share my vision with Tennesseans on the campaign trail and from the debate stage this fall.”
Lee has committed to attend the following debates:
- Oct. 2 – Memphis – USA Today Network-Tennessee/WMC-TV Debate, hosted at The University of Memphis
- Oct.9 – Kingsport — Kingsport Times-News Debate, hosted at the Eastman Employee Center
- October 12 – Nashville — Nexstar Television Network Debate, Location TBD
In addition to the debates, Lee and Karl Dean, his Democratic opponent participated in eight forums during the primary election.
“Just like the primary, I think these debates are an important part of the process of choosing our next governor, and I look forward to joining my opponent on the debate stage this fall,” Lee said.
A recent poll of likely November voters conducted by Gravis Marketing shows Lee with an 11 point margin over Dean, with 9 percent uncertain, in the governor’s race, The Star reported.
Lee won the primary in a blowout, The Star previously reported. Lee’s 13 point margin of victory was stunning, particularly in light of expectations in the last week of the campaign that it was a neck and neck three way battle between Lee, U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), and Randy Boyd that was too close to call. Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) finished last.
More information about Lee and his campaign can be found at BillLee.com.
