Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam are duking it out for tea party endorsements in the Aug. 5 Republican gubernatorial primary.
The conservative protest movement has proven key in several states’ GOP primary victories.
“I am thrilled to be dubbed the best candidate to represent the values of the tea party movement for the state of Tennessee,” said Lt. Gov. Ramsey, who recently released a list of nearly 50 tea party leaders he says support his bid.
They include Chattanooga Tea Party and Tennessee Tea Party Coalition member Gregg Juster; Mark Herr, a steering committee member of the Mid-South Tea Party and Tennessee Tea Party Coalition; Tea Party of Bradley County founder and President Donny Harwood; Memphis Tea Party Chairman Mark Skoda, a co-founder of the National Tea Party Federation; and American Patriot Taxpayers of East Tennessee co-founder Tony Shreeve, also a senior steering committee member of the Tennessee Tea Party Coalition.
Mr. Haslam released a list of nearly 20 tea party members he said back his bid.