Many of us who are interested in politics, as we all should be, think political campaigns are too long and involve too much campaign money. So we are glad that last week’s important elections are over.
It is significant that Tennessee will have a new governor in Bill Haslam when he is inaugurated in January.
Haslam, a Republican, defeated Democrat Mike McWherter by a majority of almost two-thirds of the ballots, carrying 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
But winning, while it is the essential, is just the beginning. Now come big challenges in leadership.
The governor will enter office at a time of economic crisis throughout the United States.
Chattanooga is fortunate that there are many jobs coming here, particularly with the new Volkswagen plant generating about 2,000.
But we need many more good job opportunities, to produce more tax revenue from a growing economy — with no tax increases — to meet the needs of all our people.
Big decisions and big economic challenges are ahead. Haslam and the 99 members of the Tennessee House of Representatives and 33 members of the state Senate will meet in January to face those decisions — and to act in the interest of all Tennesseans, we hope.