Governor Bill Lee was projected to win re-election shortly after polls closed Tuesday by multiple 2022 election watchers, including The Associated Press, the German-owned news outlet Politico, ABC News, and more.
With just over 40 percent of the expected ballots counted, Lee earned a commanding margin of 60 percent to 31 percent of the vote, besting Democrat nominee Jason Martin. The remainder of the votes are divided among a spate of independent candidates.
The Nashville Scene reported:
“The people have spoken clearly,” Lee told supporters in Franklin on election night less than an hour after polls closed. “We are expecting to win by a large margin. Our ideas have resonated with people from one end of the state to another.”
“I decided to run again because we have a lot more work to do,” Lee continued. “We have the leading economy of all states in America and we’ve done so with the lowest tax rate in America.”
Lee, who earned an endorsement from former president Trump in August 2021, declined to debate Democrat challenger Martin, telling reporters “I’m most focused on being the governor right now.”
Other projected re-election winners declared early Tuesday include Representatives John Rose (R-TN-06), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), and Chuck Fleishmann (R-TN-03).
This is a developing story …
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Photo “Gov. Bill Lee” by Bill Lee and “Jason Martin” is by Jason Martin.
I wonder if “fecklessness” is a word. Anyhow, we have four more years of it on the wsy.
Yes, he’s a spineless big government Republican. 4 more years of growing state government while saying he supports the opposite.
The fact the TN GOP didn’t offer up an alternative in the primary is telling. I’m a Conservative, unlike RINO Lee. Too bad the TN GOP are nothing but shills for the swamp.