042414bCT bill freemanNASHVILLE – After spending $3.8 million of his own money to run for Nashville mayor this year only to come in third – albeit a fairly close third – is real estate entrepreneur and Democrat Bill Freeman interested in running for governor in 2018?
A Freeman intimate says the Democrat is indeed taking “a long, hard look” at what will be an open governor’s seat in 2018, given that Republican Bill Haslam is term-limited and can’t run again.
While it’s too soon to tell where the “long, hard look” will lead, if Freeman does run, his ability to self-fund could make for a very interesting Democratic primary contest – should one materialize – and general election.
Other Democrats whose names have been floated are Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.
Berke told the Times Free Press in August that he has formed no exploratory committee nor made plans for the governor’s seat, and hasn’t even begun preparing to run for a second term as mayor. But with nothing ruled out, either, speculation is inevitable.