The 2014 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Tennessee, alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Bill Haslam was re-elected to a second term with 70.3% of the vote, defeating his Democratic challenger Charles Brown. Improving on his performance from 2010, Haslam also carried every county in the state. It was the largest margin of victory for any candidate in the 2014 gubernatorial elections.

The primary elections took place on August 7, 2014, with Republican Bill Haslam and Democrat Charles Brown winning their respective party nominations.

With no political experience, Charles Brown campaigned on raising speed limits on the interstate highways to 80 mph and putting the Bible back in schools. Some of the Tennessee Democratic Party members became concerned over Brown's candidacy when he said in an interview that he would like to put Bill Haslam in an electric chair and "turn it on about half throttle and let him smell a little bit."

Haslam, on the other hand, campaigned on jobs, economic development, education reform, workforce development, and conservative fiscal leadership.

As of , this was the best performance in a Tennessee gubernatorial election since Buford Ellington's victory in 1966. This was also the last time a Republican candidate has won Davidson and Shelby counties in a statewide election.

Republican primary Candidates Declared

Basil Marceaux, perennial candidate Bill Haslam, incumbent governor Donald McFolin, Independent candidate for governor in 2010 Mark "Coonrippy" Brown

Declined John Jay Hooker, political gadfly and Democratic nominee for governor in 1970 and 1998 (ran as an independent)

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Declared Charles V. Brown, retired engineer and candidate for governor in 2002 Kennedy Spellman Johnson John McKamey, former Sullivan County Commissioner Ron Noonan

Removed from ballot Mark E. Clayton, Vice President of Public Advocate of the United States and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012 Jesse Gore Ed Borum

Declined Lowe Finney, state senator Craig Fitzhugh, minority leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives Roy Herron, chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, former state senator and nominee for Tennessee's 8th congressional district in 2010 John Jay Hooker, political gadfly and nominee for governor in 1970 and 1998 (ran as an Independent) Jim Kyle, state senator and candidate for governor in 2010 Sara Kyle, former director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority Mike McWherter, businessman, attorney and nominee for governor in 2010

Results

Independents and Third Parties Candidates Declared Steven Coburn (Independent) Shaun Crowell (Constitution) John Jay Hooker (Independent), political gadfly and Democratic nominee for governor in 1970 and 1998 Isa Infante (Green) Daniel T. Lewis (Libertarian), educator and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008

Removed from ballot Jondavid Balunek (Independent) J. D. Ellis (Independent)

General election Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report November 3, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 3, 2014 Rothenberg Political Report November 3, 2014 Real Clear Politics November 3, 2014

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror BillHaslam (R) CharlesBrown (D) Other UndecidedCBS News/NYT/YouGovCBS News/NYT/YouGov October 16–23, 2014 974 ± 5% 58% 30% 2% 11%CBS News/NYT/YouGovCBS News/NYT/YouGov September 20–October 1, 2014 1,007 ± 4% 60% 28% 1% 11%CBS News/NYT/YouGovCBS News/NYT/YouGov August 18–September 2, 2014 1,056 ± 4% 56% 29% 4% 11%Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports August 11–12, 2014 750 ± 3% 55% 30% 6% 9%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror BillHaslam (R) JohnMcKamey (D) Other UndecidedCBS News/NYT/YouGovCBS News/NYT/YouGov July 5–24, 2014 1,460 ± 5.4% 55% 32% 4% 9%Rasmussen Reports April 29–30, 2014 750 ± 4% 57% 27% 5% 11%

Results

By county

County Bill HaslamRepublican Charles BrownDemocratic Other votes Totalvotes % # % # % #Anderson 75.27% 13,367 17.86% 3,171 6.87% 1,220 17,758Bedford 75.98% 5,653 16.49% 1,227 7.53% 560 7,440Benton 64.73% 2,415 26.56% 991 8.71% 325 3,731Bledsoe 69.41% 1,786 24.10% 620 6.49% 167 2,573Blount 79.75% 23,653 14.06% 4,171 6.19% 1,836 29,660Bradley 83.19% 16,709 12.59% 2,528 4.22% 848 20,085Campbell 77.42% 4,981 17.80% 1,145 4.79% 308 6,434Cannon 71.37% 1,977 19.71% 546 8.92% 247 2,770Carroll 69.54% 4,313 23.06% 1,430 7.40% 459 6,202Carter 77.72% 8,376 14.20% 1,530 8.08% 871 10,777Cheatham 72.63% 6,191 18.01% 1,535 9.36% 798 8,524Chester 78.58% 2,659 15.07% 510 6.35% 215 3,384Claiborne 76.20% 4,015 17.99% 948 5.81% 306 5,269Clay 66.64% 963 26.16% 378 7.20% 104 1,445Cocke 78.30% 5,615 14.39% 1,032 7.31% 524 7,171Coffee 73.11% 7,986 18.38% 2,008 8.50% 929 10,923Crockett 75.84% 2,222 19.04% 558 5.12% 150 2,930Cumberland 79.01% 12,978 15.48% 2,543 5.51% 905 16,426Davidson 53.50% 71,661 35.41% 47,438 11.09% 14,854 133,953Decatur 71.29% 1,634 22.25% 510 6.46% 148 2,292Dekalb 67.85% 2,423 23.35% 834 8.79% 314 3,571Dickson 69.09% 6,830 23.24% 2,297 7.67% 758 9,885Dyer 77.75% 5,710 15.82% 1,162 6.43% 472 7,344Fayette 77.14% 8,141 18.72% 1,976 4.14% 437 10,554Fentress 73.20% 2,371 19.05% 617 7.75% 251 3,239Franklin 70.99% 6,595 21.77% 2,022 7.24% 673 9,290Gibson 70.31% 7,819 20.68% 2,300 9.00% 1,001 11,120Giles 70.94% 3,922 22.23% 1,229 6.84% 378 5,529Grainger 78.93% 3,274 15.31% 635 5.76% 239 4,148Greene 76.27% 10,146 15.92% 2,118 7.80% 1,038 13,302Grundy 64.83% 1,556 26.88% 645 8.29% 199 2,400Hamblen 80.98% 8,978 13.66% 1,515 5.36% 594 11,087Hamilton 71.26% 56,750 24.44% 19,462 4.31% 3,429 79,641Hancock 73.48% 676 18.04% 166 8.48% 78 920Hardeman 59.14% 2,891 37.01% 1,809 3.85% 188 4,888Hardin 80.12% 4,046 15.13% 764 4.75% 240 5,050Hawkins 79.77% 8,730 14.39% 1,575 5.84% 639 10,944Haywood 57.52% 1,940 39.76% 1,341 2.73% 92 3,373Henderson 76.90% 3,836 15.84% 790 7.26% 362 4,988Henry 72.77% 5,297 21.06% 1,533 6.17% 449 7,279Hickman 69.18% 2,956 22.84% 976 7.98% 341 4,273Houston 56.11% 1,005 35.40% 634 8.49% 152 1,791Humphreys 60.18% 2,512 28.77% 1,201 11.04% 461 4,174Jackson 63.75% 1,451 26.85% 611 9.40% 214 2,276Jefferson 80.70% 8,423 13.13% 1,370 6.18% 645 10,438Johnson 78.30% 2,547 14.88% 484 6.82% 222 3,253Knox 77.05% 78,571 15.68% 15,986 7.28% 7,419 101,976Lake 54.08% 629 35.17% 409 10.75% 125 1,163Lauderdale 64.95% 2,652 29.41% 1,201 5.63% 230 4,083Lawrence 73.43% 6,264 19.70% 1,681 6.87% 586 8,531Lewis 71.07% 1,857 20.32% 531 8.61% 225 2,613Lincoln 75.70% 4,720 17.27% 1,077 7.02% 438 6,235Loudon 83.68% 12,015 11.21% 1,610 5.11% 734 14,359Macon 76.96% 2,436 15.27% 483 7.77% 246 3,165Madison 64.64% 14,563 29.47% 6,640 5.89% 1,328 22,531Marion 68.23% 4,233 27.16% 1,685 4.61% 286 6,204Marshall 72.06% 4,279 20.61% 1,224 7.33% 435 5,938Maury 69.26% 12,790 22.45% 4,145 8.29% 1,531 18,466McMinn 79.07% 8,120 16.11% 1,654 4.83% 496 10,270McNairy 75.14% 4,019 19.29% 1,032 5.57% 298 5,349Meigs 74.47% 1,683 19.42% 439 6.11% 138 2,260Monroe 77.10% 7,567 18.22% 1,788 4.69% 460 9,815Montgomery 69.45% 20,185 24.34% 7,073 6.21% 1,805 29,063Moore 73.16% 1,145 19.55% 306 7.28% 114 1,565Morgan 67.97% 2,453 26.66% 962 5.38% 194 3,609Obion 67.03% 4,428 20.72% 1,369 12.25% 809 6,606Overton 65.74% 2,613 25.79% 1,025 8.48% 337 3,975Perry 67.21% 945 23.26% 327 9.53% 134 1,406Pickett 71.63% 1,154 20.36% 328 8.01% 129 1,611Polk 71.35% 2,505 23.61% 829 5.04% 177 3,511Putnam 72.73% 10,425 19.03% 2,727 8.24% 1,181 14,333Rhea 81.00% 4,792 14.76% 873 4.24% 251 5,916Roane 76.91% 10,310 16.25% 2,178 6.84% 917 13,405Robertson 73.81% 10,177 18.14% 2,501 8.06% 1,111 13,789Rutherford 70.14% 36,467 21.78% 11,323 8.09% 4,204 51,994Scott 75.09% 2,318 20.41% 630 4.50% 139 3,087Sequatchie 77.85% 2,418 17.68% 549 4.48% 139 3,106Sevier 82.40% 15,400 11.80% 2,205 5.80% 1,084 18,689Shelby 57.80% 107,089 37.35% 69,193 4.85% 8,981 185,263Smith 65.92% 2,720 25.40% 1,048 8.68% 358 4,126Stewart 67.04% 1,999 25.49% 760 7.48% 223 2,982Sullivan 81.05% 26,837 13.29% 4,399 5.67% 1,876 33,112Sumner 76.74% 28,090 16.72% 6,121 6.53% 2,391 36,602Tipton 77.91% 9,636 17.01% 2,104 5.08% 628 12,368Trousdale 65.38% 965 26.56% 392 8.06% 119 1,476Unicoi 76.31% 2,999 15.17% 596 8.52% 335 3,930Union 76.93% 2,311 17.31% 520 5.76% 173 3,004Van Buren 59.72% 903 31.94% 483 8.33% 126 1,512Warren 70.06% 5,285 21.85% 1,648 8.09% 610 7,543Washington 74.94% 19,707 17.06% 4,485 8.00% 2,104 26,296Wayne 77.67% 2,122 15.48% 423 6.84% 187 2,732Weakley 69.00% 5,082 21.72% 1,600 9.27% 683 7,365White 70.69% 4,030 21.29% 1,214 8.02% 457 5,701Williamson 79.72% 45,329 13.19% 7,501 7.09% 4,030 56,860Wilson 75.95% 22,580 17.07% 5,075 6.98% 2,076 29,731

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Davidson (largest city: Nashville) Haywood (largest city: Brownsville) Houston (largest city: Erin) Lake (largest municipality: Tiptonville) Shelby (largest city: Memphis)

See also 2014 United States Senate election in Tennessee 2014 Tennessee Amendment 1 2014 Tennessee elections

References

External links Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2014 at Ballotpedia

Official campaign websites (Archived) Bill Haslam for Governor incumbent Charlie Brown for Governor Basil Marceaux for Governor John McKamey for Governor