NASHVILLE — Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is stepping up his home-state profile as he begins stumping today on behalf of Republican legislative candidates in contested races.

Dr. Frist, a heart transplant surgeon, also announced plans to teach a class on health care this spring to business and medical students at Vanderbilt University.

Both moves come as Dr. Frist continues to weigh running for governor in 2010.

Efforts to contact Dr. Frist on Tuesday through Linus Catignani, an aide, were unsuccessful. But in an interview with Post Politics, a political blog, Dr. Frist, 56, said it has “been a priority of mine to do what I could to make certain (Tennessee) Republicans make gains toward a Republican majority in the state legislature.”

“In the coming years,” he was quoted, “those who serve in the legislature will make the decision to raise taxes or reduce spending. Tennessee is friendly for business and families because of our lack of an income tax and other excessive taxes. This needs to continue to be the case.”

Dr. Frist declined to address the 2010 gubernatorial contest, which he also refused to do last week when he hosted a forum on health care in advance of the presidential debate at Belmont University.

But Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Wade Munday said the campaigning may be the beginning of Dr. Frist’s run.

“I think Sen. Frist is well regarded around the state. However, he does not have quite the clout that (Democratic) Gov. Phil Bredesen, who carried 95 counties, does. It (campaigning) seems like a stunt intended to begin his gubernatorial run.”

State GOP Chairwoman Robin Smith defended the effort.

“Sen. Frist’s work on behalf of our Republican legislative candidates has been invaluable in the pursuit of a Republican majority in the state Legislature that is committed to keeping our taxes low and working to create jobs,” she said.

Dr. Frist intends to attend campaign events today and Thursday for Republicans in several contested races including Republican Ken Yager, who is running in the state’s 12th Senate District race, which includes Rhea County.

Dr. Frist, who left the Senate in early 2007, remains well known and viewed in Tennessee, with 93 percent of voters recognizing him and 58 percent having a favorable opinion of him, according to a Sept. 22-24 Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey conducted on behalf of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

A number of Republicans are interested in running for governor in 2010, among them U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. But the Chattanooga congressman recently said, “My whole decision revolves around Sen. Frist,” noting that if Dr. Frist runs, “he will have tremendous party support.”

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga political scientist Robert Swansbrough said he doesn’t know what Republican would try to challenge Dr. Frist, a multi-millionaire whose family founded Hospital Corporation of American and who has shown little hesitation in spending money to get elected.

But the former senator, who weighed a 2008 presidential bid before begging off, has a national network of campaign donors.

“I don’t think they (GOP rivals) can get the money or the support among their party regulars,” Dr. Swansbrough said.