NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd is joining the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam next year.
The Republican tells The Associated Press he is running to “complete the mission” of education and economic development initiatives he worked on as a top Haslam adviser.
“Our message of opportunity and optimism is one that hopefully will inspire and encourage people, talking about all the great things we can be as a state,” Boyd said in an interview before Monday’s announcement. “I’m excited about sharing that message and hopefully getting the state excited about that message of opportunity.”
Boyd served as Haslam’s economic development commissioner for two years, a position that took him to all 95 Tennessee counties before he stepped down last month. Boyd says he plans to visit every county again during his campaign.
He was previously involved in the development of Haslam’s free community college program called Tennessee Promise and his “Drive to 55” initiative to boost the percentage of Tennesseans with higher education degrees or certificates from the current 39 percent to 55 percent by 2025.