Haslam helps GOP incumbents facing challengers
NASHVILLE — For Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, it’s a happy coincidence that he can give a boost to embattled legislative incumbents while traveling the state to hand out community grant checks.
Haslam is spending the week traveling to the districts of several Republican state lawmakers facing tough primary fights. They include Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville and Reps. Tim Wirgau of Buchanan, Jimmy Eldridge of Jackson and Gary Hicks of Rogersville.
“We obviously like to help our friends, but at the end of the day this is about communities that have made great grant applications,” Haslam said. “In the process, if we get to help a few people who have been our friends, that’s OK, too.”
Haslam also brushed off questions about whether he would ultimately endorse Donald Trump for president, saying his attention is directed toward winning legislative races.
“My focus is going to be on helping people like Tim Wirgau to be elected,” he said. “It matters a lot more to Tim’s election than it does to Trump’s election what I do.”
Haslam laughed off suggestions he is among the last prominent Tennessee politicians who hasn’t endorsed a presidential candidate after former Vice President Al Gore finally endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton on the eve of her nomination at the convention this week.
Haslam has drawn the ire of some conservative lawmakers in the past for what they perceived as his support of their challengers. Republican Rep. Rick Womick of Murfreesboro, who isn’t seeking election this year, labeled Haslam a “traitor to the party” after the governor’s allies formed a political action committee to support opponents of his harshest GOP critics.