By Chas Sisk / The Tennessean
Gov. Bill Haslam said he will run for re-election in 2014 and
already has planned a pair of fundraisers, his first steps toward a
second term.
"I've always intended, regardless of the
circumstances, to do this," he said. "We worked hard to be here, we've
worked hard, and I feel like we've accomplished a lot while we've been
here, and I can promise you we'll work hard to be re-elected."
Haslam's comments are the first formal indication that he will run again, though the bid has been widely expected.
His
statement came after Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander announced will run
for a third term in 2014, eliminating the only other statewide office
on the ballot that year. Haslam's statement also comes days after House
Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, told reporters that he would
be willing to challenge Haslam in 2014.
Haslam said he lined up
fundraisers in Knoxville and in Nashville, away from the governor's
Executive Residence. The events will take place before the legislature
reconvenes in January, he said.
The timing of the fundraisers
suggests Haslam plans a schedule similar to his successful 2010
campaign. Back then, as now, Haslam kicked off his campaign nearly two
years before the election, with a series of fundraisers in January 2008.