NASHVILLE - Tennessee Republicans have put James "Jim" Haslam II, the father of GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Haslam, in charge of the 2010 Victory Leadership Team tasked with leading and funding state party get-out-the-vote efforts this year.
In a news release, the GOP said the team will work to coordinate volunteer mail and phone outreach as well as voter identification, organization of a 72-hour turnout plan and coordination of grassroots activities statewide.
"The Tennessee Republican Party has a track record of very successful get-out-the-vote efforts," state GOP Chairman Chris Devaney said. "With our team's exceptional leadership and an extraordinarily strong GOP ticket topped by Bill Haslam, I believe this year is going to be one of the most successful we've ever experienced."
He said Republicans aren't "taking the heavy turnout in GOP primaries for granted."
The senior Haslam, founder of Pilot Corp., has been chairman of the Victory program for the last five election cycles and has been a leading fundraiser for U.S. Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., as well as for former U.S. senators Bill Frist, Fred Thompson and Howard Baker.