Update/Correction on 2006 Races

In a recent post, "Countdown to 2006", I asked about Republican state representative and former state party chair, Beth Haltemann-Harwell, whom I had assumed (based on earlier rumors) was running for Bill Frist's U.S. Senate seat. I also asked why the Tennessee G.O.P. was not opposing Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen in next year's election. In fact, Haltemann-Harwell will likely be Bredesen's challenger.

I'm slacking off. I'm not doing my research. I'm going for quantity over quality. I'll try harder from now on.

Then again, few consider Haltemann-Harwell a candidate who poses any threat to Phil the Chill. While she is a major player in the Tennessee Republican Party, she lacks statewide name recognition and probably would not be running if the Republicans felt that they could realistically unseat Bredesen. Still, Haltemann-Harwell strikes me as more intelligent and more interesting than other Tennessee Republican. While I don't expect or want her to win the governorship, I hope that (if she is the G.O.P. nominee) she can put some pressure on Phil.