Today, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam marked the one year anniversary of the start of his campaign for Tennessee Governor and released a campaign report card for 2009.
Haslam traveled more than 45,000 miles across Tennessee in 2009, made more than 600 county visits, and is the only candidate for Tennessee Governor to visit every county.
“Crissy and I have really enjoyed this past year, talking to Tennesseans on their front porches, in their offices and on town squares,” said Haslam. “We’re excited about this new year, and look forward to a real discussion of the issues that Tennesseans care about most – good jobs, managing our state’s budget, and improving education.”
“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Mark Cate, Campaign Manager. “Bill Haslam has visited every county, he’s built the best grassroots network, he’s raised the most money, he’s knocked on the most doors. Bill Haslam is the hardest working candidate in the race.”
“Crissy and I have met so many new friends on the campaign trail, and we’ve heard so many stories from Tennesseans who have lost their jobs, or who don’t have as good a job as they had two years ago,” continued Haslam. “Those are people we won’t forget when I’m elected Governor. We’ll work hard every day to bring good jobs to Tennessee, to keep the good jobs we have now, and to be a good steward of your tax dollars.”
“Bill and Crissy are doing this for the right reason – because they love Tennessee and want to make it an even better place to live and raise a family,” continued Cate. “Tennesseans know this election is about our future, and Bill Haslam is the right leader with the right temperament, the best ideas, and the proven executive experience to lead our state through these very difficult times.”
Bill Haslam is the two term Mayor of Knoxville, re-elected in 2007 with 87% of the vote. A hardworking public servant, he lead Knoxville to become one of the top ten metropolitan areas for business and expansion, while reducing the city’s debt, tripling the rainy day fund, and bringing property taxes to the lowest rate in 50 years. An executive leader with a proven record of success, he helped grow his family’s small business from 800 employees into one of Tennessee’s largest companies with more than 14,000 employees. His combination of executive and public service experience makes him uniquely qualified to be Tennessee’s next Governor. Bill is the right person at the right time to lead Tennessee.
