2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election

none related races 2002 United States gubernatorial elections January 2019January 2019 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election Tennessee presidential no 1998 Tennessee gubernatorial election 1998 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election 2006 November 5, 2002 File:Phil Bredesen Jul 2007 (cropped).jpg 150x150px Phil Bredesen Democratic Party (United States) 837,284 50.65% File:Van Hilleary (cropped).jpg Van Hilleary Republican Party (United States) 786,803 47.59% 300px County results 300px Congressional district results Bredesen: #a5b0ff 40–50% #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80%Hilleary: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% Governor Don Sundquist Republican Party (United States) Phil Bredesen Democratic Party (United States) 50.40% November 5, 2002 Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2002 Tennessee Secretary of State https://sos.tn.gov/elections/statistics February 28, 2023 17.87 pp The 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002, to elect the next governor of Tennessee, alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Don Sundquist was term-limited and prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. Former Democratic Nashville mayor Phil Bredesen was elected with 50.7% of the vote, narrowly defeating Republican nominee and U.S. Representative Van Hilleary.November 6, 2002 Tennessee keeps Senate seat for GOP, elects Democrat governor, passes lottery https://www.actionnews5.com/story/1000964/tennessee-keeps-senate-seat-for-gop-elects-democrat-governor-passes-lottery/ March 8, 2026 Associated Press As of 2026, this is the last Tennessee gubernatorial race where the winner received less than 59% of votes. With Bredesen's victory, the Tennessee Democratic Party regained a state government trifecta, with Democrats also controlling both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly. Republican primary Candidates Jim Henry, former minority leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives Van Hilleary, representative from Tennessee's 4th congressional district Dave Kelley Jessie D. McDonald Bob Tripp Results Republican primary resultshttp://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-8/gov-rp8-02.pdf August 1, 2002, Republican Primary: Governor Tennessee Secretary of State June 27, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213503/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-8/gov-rp8-02.pdf July 13, 2015 dead Van Hilleary Republican Party (United States) 343,543 64.31% Jim Henry Republican Party (United States) 159,862 29.92% Bob Tripp Republican Party (United States) 17,156 3.21% Dave Kelley Republican Party (United States) 8,581 1.61% Jessie D. McDonald Republican Party (United States) 4,682 0.88% Write-ins Republican Party (United States) 389 0.07% 534,213 100.00% Democratic primary Candidates L. Best Phil Bredesen, former mayor of Nashville, 1994 Democratic nominee for governor Charles V. Brown Floyd R. Conover Randy Nichols, Knox County district attorney general Charles E. Smith, former Tennessee commissioner of education Results Democratic primary resultshttp://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-8/gov-dp8-02.pdf August 1, 2002, Democratic Primary: Governor Tennessee Secretary of State June 27, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213501/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-8/gov-dp8-02.pdf July 13, 2015 dead Phil Bredesen Democratic Party (United States) 426,418 79.05% Randy Nichols Democratic Party (United States) 38,322 7.10% Charles E. Smith Democratic Party (United States) 34,547 6.40% Charles V. Brown Democratic Party (United States) 17,506 3.25% L. Best Democratic Party (United States) 16,007 2.97% Floyd R. Conover Democratic Party (United States) 6,218 1.15% Write-ins Democratic Party (United States) 420 0.08% 539,438 100.00% General election Candidates Phil Bredesen (D) Van Hilleary (R) Edwin C. Sanders (I) Carl Two Feathers Whitaker (I) John Jay Hooker (I) David Gatchell (I) Gabriel Givens (I) Ray Ledford (I) James E. Herren (I) Charles V. Wilhoit Jr. (I) Marivuana Stout Leinoff (I) Francis E. Waldron (I) Ronny Simmons (I) Robert O. Watson (I) Basil Marceaux (I) Campaign Phil Bredesen promised to manage state government better, improve Tennessee's schools and use his experience as a managed-care executive to fix TennCare, which had created a critical budget shortfall toward the end of Sundquist's term. His reputation as a moderate Democrat was well established (he was a member of the "good government" faction of the Nashville Democratic Party), so Hilleary's attempts to brand him as a liberal ultimately failed. Republicans also suffered from governor Don Sundquist's unpopular attempts to implement a state income tax.Roger Abramson 2011-01-06 Phil Bredesen Made a Successful Governor for One Mind-blowing Reason: He Did Just What He Said http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/phil-bredesen-made-a-successful-governor-for-one-mind-blowing-reason-he-did-just-what-he-said/Content?oid=2138062 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221656/http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/phil-bredesen-made-a-successful-governor-for-one-mind-blowing-reason-he-did-just-what-he-said/Content?oid=2138062 March 3, 2016 January 14, 2013 The Nashville Scene Bredesen garnered more support in East Tennessee than was usual for a Democrat, especially one from Nashville. Predictions SourceRankingAs ofThe Cook Political Reporthttp://www.cookpolitical.com:80/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225 https://web.archive.org/web/20021208065752/http://www.cookpolitical.com/display.cfm?section=political&edit_id=225 December 8, 2002 Governor Updated October 31, 2002 The Cook Political Report The Cook Political Report en October 31, 2002 September 18, 2018 dead mdy-all TossupOctober 31, 2002Sabato's Crystal Ballhttp://www.centerforpolitics.org:80/crystalball/governor_all.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20021212142349/http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/governor_all.htm December 12, 2002 Governors Races www.centerforpolitics.org en-US November 4, 2002 September 18, 2018 dead mdy-all Lean D FlipNovember 4, 2002 Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesizekey Key:A – all adultsRV – registered votersLV – likely votersV – unclear Marginof error PhilBredesen (D) VanHilleary (R) Other /UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA October 26–28, 2002 726 (LV) ± 3.8% 48% 44% 8% Results right 300px County flips Legend Republican #f48882 Hold Democratic #92C5DE Hold #0671B0 Flip 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial electionhttp://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-11/governor.pdf November 5, 2002, General Election: Governor Tennessee Secretary of State June 27, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150713213442/http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/results/2002-11/governor.pdf July 13, 2015 dead Democratic Party (United States) Phil Bredesen 837,284 50.65% +21.17% Republican Party (United States) Van Hilleary 786,803 47.59% -21.03% Independent politician Edwin C. Sanders 7,749 0.47% N/A Independent politician Carl Two Feathers Whitaker 5,308 0.32% N/A Independent politician John Jay Hooker 4,577 0.28% N/A Independent politician David Gatchell 2,991 0.18% N/A Independent politician Gabriel Givens 1,591 0.10% N/A Independent politician Ray Ledford 1,589 0.10% N/A Independent politician James E. Herren 1,210 0.07% N/A Independent politician Charles V. Wilhoit, Jr. 898 0.05% N/A Independent politician Marivuana Stout Leinoff 645 0.04% N/A Independent politician Francis E. Waldron 635 0.04% N/A Independent politician Ronny Simmons 630 0.04% N/A Independent politician Robert O. Watson 579 0.04% N/A Independent politician Basil Marceaux 302 0.02% N/A Write-ins 376 0.02% N/A 1,653,167 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Republican Party (United States) By county CountyNovember 5, 2002 United States Senate https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/sos/election/results/2002-11/governor.pdf Tennessee Secretary of State Phil BredesenDemocratic Van HillearyRepublican OthersIndependent Margin Totalvotes % # % # % # Anderson 54.5% 12,526 44.1% 10,153 1.4% 318 2,373 22,997 Bedford 50.4% 5,098 48.1% 4,860 1.5% 156 238 10,114 Benton 64.7% 3,640 33.1% 1,863 2.2% 124 1,777 5,627 Bledsoe 48.2% 1,722 50.2% 1,795 1.6% 58 -73 3,575 Blount 42.5% 13,908 55.6% 18,189 1.9% 609 -4,281 32,706 Bradley 37.6% 9,178 60.4% 14,756 2.0% 506 -5,578 24,440 Campbell 54.3% 5,020 44.7% 4,129 1.0% 95 891 9,244 Cannon 57.8% 2,346 40.8% 1,654 1.4% 57 692 4,057 Carroll 54.4% 4,957 43.7% 3,982 1.9% 180 975 9,119 Carter 37.1% 5,877 60.9% 9,656 2.0% 329 -3,779 15,862 Cheatham 50.2% 5,538 48.0% 5,305 1.8% 198 233 11,041 Chester 42.1% 1,900 56.3% 2,544 1.6% 72 -644 4,516 Claiborne 49.2% 3,469 49.4% 3,483 1.4% 93 -14 7,045 Clay 59.7% 1,436 38.7% 932 1.6% 39 504 2,407 Cocke 49.5% 4,219 48.3% 4,114 2.2% 191 105 8,524 Coffee 50.5% 7,613 48.4% 7,286 1.1% 162 327 15,061 Crockett 52.6% 2,265 45.3% 1,951 2.1% 88 314 4,304 Cumberland 44.0% 7,437 54.6% 9,235 1.4% 239 -1,798 16,911 Davidson 58.5% 97,048 38.1% 63,176 3.4% 5,673 33,872 165,897 Decatur 56.6% 2,375 41.4% 1,738 2.0% 81 637 4,194 DeKalb 58.4% 2,929 40.4% 2,025 1.2% 63 904 5,017 Dickson 57.0% 7,810 41.4% 5,673 1.6% 217 2,137 13,700 Dyer 50.7% 5,114 47.0% 4,740 2.3% 227 374 10,081 Fayette 41.0% 3,798 57.2% 5,306 1.8% 166 -1,508 9,270 Fentress 42.8% 2,155 56.3% 2,832 0.9% 43 -677 5,030 Franklin 53.3% 6,312 45.3% 5,364 1.4% 159 948 11,835 Gibson 52.6% 7,700 45.4% 6,639 2.0% 289 1,061 14,628 Giles 52.9% 4,167 45.9% 3,616 1.2% 100 551 7,883 Grainger 45.8% 2,432 52.9% 2,809 1.3% 74 -377 5,315 Greene 41.4% 6,739 57.0% 9,280 1.6% 252 -2,541 16,271 Grundy 67.8% 2,524 31.0% 1,154 1.2% 42 1,370 3,720 Hamblen 44.4% 7,424 54.3% 9,069 1.3% 223 -1,645 16,716 Hamilton 46.3% 40,864 52.3% 46,109 1.4% 1,210 -5,245 88,183 Hancock 42.3% 829 56.0% 1,097 1.7% 32 -268 1,958 Hardeman 56.5% 3,891 41.0% 2,822 2.5% 172 1,069 6,885 Hardin 48.1% 3,594 51.1% 3,820 0.8% 62 -226 7,476 Hawkins 42.0% 5,921 56.0% 7,893 2.0% 269 -1,972 14,083 Haywood 59.3% 3,028 38.9% 1,986 1.8% 90 1,042 5,104 Henderson 43.2% 3,098 54.8% 3,933 2.0% 142 -835 7,173 Henry 59.8% 5,672 37.9% 3,598 2.3% 212 2,074 9,482 Hickman 60.3% 3,931 38.0% 2,477 1.7% 106 1,454 6,514 Houston 71.1% 1,970 27.1% 750 1.8% 50 1,220 2,770 Humphreys 65.0% 3,944 33.3% 2,023 1.7% 99 1,921 6,066 Jackson 67.5% 2,483 30.8% 1,135 1.7% 62 1,348 3,680 Jefferson 44.4% 5,293 54.1% 6,453 1.5% 176 -1,160 11,922 Johnson 36.3% 1,641 62.0% 2,802 1.7% 77 -1,161 4,520 Knox 49.4% 57,726 49.4% 57,683 1.2% 1,443 43 116,852 Lake 71.1% 1,128 25.2% 400 3.7% 58 728 1,586 Lauderdale 56.3% 3,621 41.4% 2,662 2.3% 154 959 6,437 Lawrence 47.0% 5,835 51.8% 6,430 1.2% 155 -595 12,420 Lewis 53.0% 2,026 44.5% 1,700 2.5% 95 326 3,821 Lincoln 43.1% 3,808 55.2% 4,877 1.7% 146 -1,069 8,831 Loudon 42.3% 5,995 56.7% 8,036 1.0% 149 -2,041 14,180 Macon 49.7% 2,554 48.9% 2,516 1.4% 70 38 5,140 Madison 48.9% 13,614 49.5% 13,770 1.6% 462 -156 27,846 Marion 60.3% 4,856 38.0% 3,062 1.7% 136 1,794 8,054 Marshall 57.5% 4,323 40.7% 3,065 1.8% 136 1,258 7,524 Maury 52.8% 10,862 45.3% 9,313 1.9% 378 1,549 20,553 McMinn 43.6% 5,919 54.5% 7,407 1.9% 261 -1,488 13,587 McNairy 48.0% 3,677 50.3% 3,849 1.7% 131 -172 7,657 Meigs 52.7% 1,486 45.5% 1,282 1.8% 51 204 2,819 Monroe 46.3% 5,081 52.1% 5,709 1.6% 174 -628 10,964 Montgomery 58.5% 18,714 39.8% 12,723 1.7% 561 5,991 31,998 Moore 45.9% 950 51.7% 1,070 2.4% 51 -120 2,071 Morgan 57.7% 3,128 41.5% 2,252 0.8% 44 876 5,424 Obion 57.7% 5,928 39.7% 4,083 2.6% 261 1,845 10,272 Overton 65.7% 4,027 32.6% 1,999 1.7% 99 2,028 6,125 Perry 59.8% 1,379 37.8% 871 2.4% 56 508 2,306 Pickett 40.1% 831 59.0% 1,221 0.9% 19 -390 2,071 Polk 56.0% 2,539 42.4% 1,925 1.6% 71 614 4,535 Putnam 54.4% 10,241 43.8% 8,241 1.8% 353 2,000 18,835 Rhea 33.3% 2,727 65.7% 5,383 1.0% 80 -2,656 8,190 Roane 56.1% 9,873 42.5% 7,478 1.4% 261 2,395 17,612 Robertson 52.5% 9,089 45.9% 7,944 1.6% 290 1,145 17,323 Rutherford 48.2% 24,683 50.3% 25,750 1.5% 738 -1,067 51,171 Scott 48.0% 2,326 51.2% 2,480 0.8% 42 -154 4,848 Sequatchie 55.4% 2,020 43.4% 1,582 1.2% 42 438 3,644 Sevier 37.5% 7,642 61.2% 12,477 1.3% 259 -4,835 20,378 Shelby 56.1% 133,084 42.2% 100,261 1.7% 4,048 32,823 237,393 Smith 63.0% 3,741 35.1% 2,086 1.9% 113 1,655 5,940 Stewart 66.6% 2,709 31.0% 1,260 2.4% 97 1,449 4,066 Sullivan 41.8% 17,760 56.7% 24,118 1.5% 637 -6,358 42,515 Sumner 47.8% 19,860 50.7% 21,032 1.5% 626 -1,172 41,518 Tipton 38.6% 5,192 59.5% 8,015 1.9% 253 -2,823 13,460 Trousdale 65.8% 1,515 32.7% 753 1.5% 34 762 2,302 Unicoi 41.2% 1,975 57.1% 2,739 1.7% 81 -764 4,795 Union 49.3% 2,307 49.5% 2,319 1.2% 55 -12 4,681 Van Buren 63.3% 1,178 35.2% 654 1.5% 28 524 1,860 Warren 59.3% 7,137 39.4% 4,743 1.3% 157 2,394 12,037 Washington 40.3% 12,012 58.0% 17,290 1.8% 533 -5,278 29,835 Wayne 40.3% 1,685 58.9% 2,462 0.8% 33 -777 4,180 Weakley 54.4% 5,821 43.7% 4,680 1.9% 205 1,141 10,706 White 49.8% 3,653 48.6% 3,564 1.6% 111 89 7,328 Williamson 41.2% 21,358 57.9% 29,965 0.9% 454 -8,607 51,777 Wilson 48.3% 14,854 50.1% 15,416 1.6% 507 -562 30,777 Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic 20em Knox (largest city: Knoxville) Cocke (largest city: Newport) Anderson (largest city: Oak Ridge) Carroll (largest city: McKenzie) Cheatham (largest city: Ashland City) Coffee (largest city: Tullahoma) Dyer (largest city: Dyersburg) Maury (largest city: Columbia) Meigs (largest city: Decatur) Montgomery (largest city: Clarksville) Morgan (largest city: Coalfield) Obion (largest city: Union City) Polk (largest city: Benton) Putnam (largest city: Cookeville) Roane (largest city: Oak Ridge) Sequatchie (largest city: Dunlap) Bedford (largest city: Shelbyville) Campbell (largest city: LaFollette) Cannon (largest city: Woodbury) Crockett (largest city: Bells) Decatur (largest city: Parsons) DeKalb (largest city: Smithville) Dickson (largest city: Dickson) Franklin (largest city: Winchester) Gibson (largest city: Humboldt) Giles (largest city: Pulaski) Henry (largest city: Paris) Hickman (largest city: Centerville) Lewis (largest city: Hohenwald) Marion (largest city: Jasper) Marshall (largest city: Lewisburg) Robertson (largest city: Springfield) Warren (largest city: McMinnville) White (largest city: Sparta) Benton (largest municipality: Camden) Clay (largest municipality: Celina) Grundy (largest municipality: Altamont) Lauderdale (largest municipality: Ripley) Overton (largest municipality: Livingston) Perry (largest municipality: Linden) Smith (largest municipality: Carthage) Stewart (largest municipality: Dover) Trousdale (largest municipality: Hartsville) Haywood (largest city: Brownsville) Shelby (largest city: Memphis) Davidson (largest city: Nashville) Houston (largest city: Erin) Jackson (largest town: Gainesboro) Hardeman (largest city: Bolivar) Rhea (largest city: Dayton) See also 2002 United States gubernatorial elections 2002 United States Senate election in Tennessee 2002 Tennessee elections Notes References External links Official campaign websites (archived) Phil Bredesen for Governor Van Hilleary for Governor Gubernatorial 2002 Tennessee