We’re just two months away from the 2010 Midterm Elections! The state primaries are now behind us, but turnout for Republicans in the August 5th primary election has given us a glimpse into just how energized our party is about this year’s midterms and the difficulty Democrats are facing just getting their voters to the polls. For example, GOP candidates in the gubernatorial primary garnered more than 720,000 votes while the lone Democrat gubernatorial candidate received just over 280,000 votes. In addition, votes cast for our Republican nominee, Bill Haslam, surpassed Democrat nominee Mike McWherter’s vote total by more than 57,000.

The enthusiasm for our Congressional races was equally strong. In the nine Congressional districts, Republican candidates received nearly 700,000 votes overall, while Democrat candidates received less than 285,000. Enthusiasm for this election is on our side and this primary season is a clear indication that Republican voters are ready to be heard at the polls this November.

While much attention has been put on the race for governor and Republicans’ chances to take back the U.S. House of Representatives, the majority of the Tennessee Republican Party’s efforts this election cycle remain on the General Assembly. We’re working with Republican candidates for State House and State Senate to ensure we have working majorities in both chambers that will be able to implement Bill Haslam’s agenda. To see a list of nominees and find out more about candidates in your area, visit our website here. If you’re unsure which State House or Senate district you reside in, feel free to contact your local county party for that information. Contact information for county parties across the state can be found on our website here. In addition, you can also contact your local county election commission to ask questions regarding voting in your area.

While momentum continues to build for Republicans across the state, we’re not taking anything for granted. In fact, this year, we plan to fight as hard as we can to elect our candidates at every level across Tennessee. However, we can’t do it without you. No matter the strength of our candidates or the dollars that come through the door, it is impossible to win elections without the help of grassroots volunteers. Elections are won because of contact with voters and it is the hard work and dedication of selfless volunteers that give one candidate the edge over another at the polls. For that reason, the Tennessee Republican Party has been working with other Republican organizations, like the Republican National Committee, to establish field offices across the state to serve as candidate resource centers and volunteer coordination headquarters. The following are Victory offices that have already opened:

Other office openings are forthcoming and we’ll be sure to pass along information on those offices as soon as it is available. Please feel free to contact the office closest to you if you’re interested in volunteering for Republican campaigns this year!

We are close to 3,000 followers on Twitter, and a recent report from social media company Targeted Victory, shows The Tennessee Republican Party number one amongst all state parties for adding Twitter followers! Please follow us on Twitter and as a reminder, you can also find updates from us on Facebook.

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

Sincerely,

Chris Devaney
Chairman
Tennessee Republican Party

REPUBLICAN TURNOUT IN PRIMARY FAR EXCEEDS DEMOCRAT TURNOUT: Voter turnout in Republican primaries well-exceeded turnout in Democrat primaries across the state.

Information from the Tennessee Secretary of State:

• Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced Tennessee set an early voting record this year. Read more here.
• View all primary election results here.

In the News:

• If you’re not registered to vote, the last date to do so to cast a ballot in this year’s November 2nd General Election is Monday, October 4th. Find info on how to register here.
• If you’re unable to vote in your home district this year, please check out information on casting an absentee ballot here.

AUGUST NEWS FROM THE TNGOP:

• Republican National Committee and the Tennessee GOP Announce Victory Campaign in Tennessee – Press Release (08/02/10)
• Bill Haslam Will Be Tennessee’s Next Governor – Press Release (08/05/10)
• Republicans Unite in the Eighth, Underscore Importance of Stopping Obama/Pelosi/Herron Agenda – Press Release (08/12/10)
• Flip-Flop-Flip: McWherter Now Singing Original Tune, Believes Immigration Reform is a Federal Issue – TRP Chairman’s Alert (08/24/10)
• Republicans Gather to Support Diane Black on General Election Kickoff Tour in Sixth Congressional District – Press Release (08/26/10)
• State Rep’s Campaign Lies to Voters in Order to Gain Support – Press Release 08/30/10)
• Each week the TRP is releasing a Candidate Spotlight to provide voters with detailed information about Republican candidates running for state level offices across the state. Our latest candidate spotlights can be found here.

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE:

• A Rasmussen poll out earlier this month showed that Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Haslam had a 56-31 percent advantage over Democrat nominee Mike McWherter amongst likely voters. Read more here.
• The Tennessean recently reported on a poll showing that Republicans have the edge over Democrats in seven State House districts in which Democrats have said are some of their primary targets. Read the article here.
• The Knoxville News Sentinel highlighted that Republicans are likely to take back the Tennessee Congressional Delegation majority. Currently, Democrats hold five of the nine congressional seats in Tennessee, but the KNS says the GOP could pick us as many as three of those seats. Read more here.
• Stu Rothenberg released his list of the "Dangerous Dozen Open House Seats" and TN-6 tops his list of the most likely to flip to Republicans. TN-8 also makes the list. Read more here.
• A new Gallup poll shows Republicans have taken a 10-point lead over Democrats on the generic ballot – the largest lead in Gallup’s history of tracking the midterm generic ballot for Congress. Read more here.
• A Rasmussen poll out this month shows that voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key issues regularly tracked by the polling firm. Read more here.

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 August, Chairman Devaney has attended a number of events around the state. Following is a list of some events in which Chairman Devaney was involved:

08/03 – Hosted Grand Opening of Jackson, TN Victory Office
08/03 – Attended Republican National Committee Summer Meeting
08/05 – Co-hosted Primary Election Watch Party at Union Station Hotel with Steve Gill
08/05 – Participated in multiple media interviews to discuss primary elections
08/06 – Presided Over TRP State Executive Committee Meeting & General Election Kickoff Rally in Nashville
08/06 – Guest Speaker at Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Tennessee Reception
08/12 – Joined CD-8 Nominee & Candidates on District 8 Unity Tour
08/12 – Attended Event for State House Candidate Billy Spivey
08/14 – Attended CD-3 Unity Breakfast
08/25 – Guest Speaker at Williamson County Republican Women Luncheon
08/26 – Joined CD-6 Nominee & Candidates on District 6 Unity Tour
08/31 – Attended Event for State House Candidate Ryan Williams

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