There is great news on early voting totals. According to the most recent numbers from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, more than 417,000 voters have made their way to polls since early voting began on July 16th. Even more exciting is that those casting ballots in the Republican primary outnumbered those casting ballots in the Democrat primary two to one! This is just another indication of the increasing momentum Republicans have going into this year’s general election.

Democrats aren’t just struggling to get their voters to the polls, but they are also struggling to gain the funds needed to finance their races. As I mentioned last month, the Tennessee Republican Party raised approximately $650,000 at our annual Statesmen’s Dinner. This month, the Tennessee Democratic Party held its annual Jackson Day rally. Despite having the Vice President of the United States Joe Biden deliver the keynote address, the TNDP only raised approximately $400,000 and according to firsthand accounts, the room was little over one third full. It’s clear that Tennessee Democrats are struggling to excite their base, get their voters to the polls, and raise the necessary funds to elect their candidates.

One of the reasons Democrats are struggling so much this year is due to the liberal policies of President Barack Obama. Just this week, a new poll by Mason Dixon showed that only 34 percent of Tennesseans believe that President Obama is doing an “excellent” or “good” job. Nearly half of Tennesseans – 48 percent – gave him a “poor” rating while 17 percent rated his job performance as just “fair.” Tennesseans were also recently polled on their view of the new federal health care law rammed through Congress by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi. According to the results, 57 percent opposed the new law compared to just 30 percent who say they support it. In addition, voters who identified themselves as politically independent opposed the law by a 59-25 percent margin.

We’re just days away from the state primary and we couldn’t be more pleased with where we are. In addition to fantastic early voting numbers and successful fundraising, the Tennessee Republican Party is in the process of setting up offices across the state that will serve as a resource for local candidates and a headquarters to coordinate volunteer activities. The first will open this week in Jackson with locations in Murfreesboro and Knoxville to soon follow. Please stay tuned for more information regarding volunteer opportunities with the Tennessee Republican Party.

There is an energy and excitement surrounding this year’s elections in Tennessee that has not been felt by Republican candidates and voters for a number of years. While we refuse to take anything for granted, Democrats are in for the fight of their lives and we’re extremely optimistic that Republicans across the state are poised for significant victories this November.

As a reminder, early voting runs through tomorrow, July 31st and state primary day is next Thursday, August 5th. If you need information about polling locations and hours, please visit the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website by clicking here. The Tennessee Republican Party will be live tweeting primary election results on August 5th. You can follow us on twitter here and also find updates on our facebook page here. We’ve recently surpassed the 5,000 fan mark and want to continue growing our numbers. You can help by following us on Facebook and suggesting our page to your friends and family!

We greatly appreciate all of your help and support as we move onward to victory this November.

Sincerely,

Chris Devaney
Chairman
Tennessee Republican Party

EARLY VOTING TOTALS BODE WELL FOR TENNESSEE REPUBLICANS: Early voting ends tomorrow and Republican primary voters are edging out Democrat primary voters 2-to-1.

Information from the Tennessee Secretary of State:

• View the latest early voting totals by county here.
• Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced we may exceed early voting totals in 2006 and 2008. Read more here.
• Find contact information for your county election commission here. They can provide you with poll locations and hours.
• View an official list of candidates from the Tennessee Department of Elections.
• View information on registering to vote.

In the News:

• “Early voting numbers could break record,” – Associated Press (07/30/10)

DEMOCRATS STRUGGLED TO RAISE FUNDS AT THEIR ANNUAL JACKSON DAY RALLY: Despite having Vice President of the United States Joe Biden as their keynote speaker, the Tennessee Democratic Party only raised $400,000. This is significantly less than the Tennessee Republican Party’s annual Statesmen’s Dinner that raised approximately $650,000 to fund races across the state.

News from the TNGOP on VP Biden’s visit to Nashville:

• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote “Summer of Recover” to Tennesseans Facing 10.4 Percent Unemployment? – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/13/10)
• Biden Scheduled to Headline TNDP Fundraiser 44 Days Before TN Floods, VP Now Billing Trip as Flood Damage Tour – Press Release (07/13/10)
• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will He Promote Dems’ Health Care Disaster Opposed by Majority of Tennesseans? – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/14/10)
• VP Biden on His Way to Nashville: Will Join Other Unpopular Dems at TNDP Rally – TRP Chairman’s Alert (07/15/10)
• VP Biden in Nashville to Show Tennesseans Exactly Why They Should Vote for Republicans in November – Press Release (07/16/10)

POLLS SHOW TENNESSEANS DO NOT APPROVE OF OBAMA OR HIS HEALTH "REFORM": Recent polls show that Tennesseans are not buying what President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are selling. The President’s approval rating is low in the Volunteer State and the majority of Tennesseans staunchly oppose Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care.

In the News:

• “Tennesseans oppose health act by 2-1,” Knoxville News Sentinel (07/26/10)
• “Tennesseans not strong on Obama,” Knoxville News Sentinel (07/27/10)

MORE NEWS FROM THE TNGOP:

• Tennessee Republican Party Unveils Newly Revamped Website – Press Release (07/01/10)
• McWherter Flip-Flop: Dem Gubernatorial Candidate Can’t Figure Out His Stance on Immigration Reform – Press Release (07/08/10)
• New Poll Shows Majority of Tennesseans Oppose Obamacare, McWherter Says Too Bad Because It is “The Law of the Land” – TRP Chairman’s Alert (06/28/10)

Please take a look at your Republican U.S. House and Senate Members’ websites to find out what they’ve been doing on your behalf over the last month.

• Rep. Marsha Blackburn
• Rep. John Duncan
• Rep. Phil Roe
• Rep. Zach Wamp
• Senator Lamar Alexander
• Senator Bob Corker

TRACKING CHAIRMAN DEVANEY: During the month of July, Chairman Devaney has attended a number of events around the state. Following is a list of some events in which Chairman Devaney was involved:

07/12 – Attended Statewide Gubernatorial Debate in Nashville
07/16 – Call-In Interview on the Ralph Bristol Show
07/22 – Interview at NewsChannel5+ in Nashville
07/22 – Guest Speaker at the Republican Jewish Coalition Meeting – Knoxville Chapter
07/23 – Interview on Thunder Radio 1320 in Tullahoma
07/29 – Attended Event for State House Candidate Tim Wirgau in Paris, TN
07/30 – Interview on 95.3 The Truth Factor with Stuart James in Chattanooga

The release of a new poll shows that the majority of Tennesseans are opposed to Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care rammed through Congress by President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel:

It’s clear that people across Tennessee are concerned about the effects of this new law and are looking to state leaders to stand up to Washington Democrats on their behalf. However, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter has made it clear that if elected governor, he has no plans to give Tennesseans a voice in opposition to Obamacare. Following is a sampling of what Mike McWherter has had to say about Democrats’ so-called health “reform”:

• “McWherter called the health care overhaul signed by Democratic President Barack Obama last week ‘the law of the land,’ and criticized Republicans for urging the state to join a lawsuit seeking to block the law.” (”Democrat Mike McWherter gives $1M to his Tennessee gubernatorial bid,” Associated Press, 05/30/10)

• “‘I’m going to work with our congressional delegation to make sure we improve this legislation and make it something that will help … and not burden our Tennessee taxpayers.’ McWherter’s response was greeted with boos and calls to “repeal it…” (”Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Health Care at Northeast State Forum,” Kingsport Times News, 06/14/10)

• “‘But the bottom line is that law has passed now. So, what we need is a governor with the business skills to make sure that we know how to implement what does come out of Washington,’ he said. “The reality of it is, it does not fully implement for four years. I’ll be running for re-election possibly by the time this really becomes an issue.’” (”McWherter Steps up Governor’s Race Efforts,” Memphis Daily News, 05/07/10)

• “McWherter said several attorneys general from other states will probably follow through on a threat to take the federal government to court. But he termed the legal action ‘grandstanding.’ ‘I don’t encourage us getting involved in the middle of that.’” (”McWherter Steps up Governor’s Race Efforts,” Memphis Daily News, 05/07/10)

By refusing to stand up on Tennesseans’ behalf on the issue of health care, Mike McWherter is putting the agenda of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi before the needs of this state. That’s certainly not what Tennessee voters want and exactly why the chances of Mike McWherter becoming the Volunteer State’s next governor are growing slimmer by the day.