Review of August Primary and General Elections

The federal and state primary and local general elections are over.

For federal and state candidates, it's now on to the November election.

The big race there is the battle for governor. Democrat Mike McWherter, son of former Governor Ned Ray McWherter, faces Bill Haslam, the mayor of Knoxville.

McWherter won in a walk because he was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Haslam faced stiff and often vitriolic opposition from Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Rep. Zach Wamp, but in the end it wasn't close there either.

Republican State Sen. Tim Burchett won in a landslide over Democrat Ezra Maize in the race for Knox County mayor.

There were a few contested races for Knox County Commission. Democrat Amy Broyles held onto her seat in the 2nd District over independent candidate Don Daugherty. In the 4th District, Republican Jeff Ownby defeated Democrat incumbent Finbarr Saunders, and in the 7th District, incumbent commissioner R. Larry Smith won easily over challenger Steve Rogers.

To discuss the August elections and what we might expect in November, Gene Patterson talks to a panel of smart political people: Jesse Mayshark, managing editor of Metropulse; Cortney Piper, an executive with SRW and Associates; Frank Cagle, former managing editor of the News Sentinel and a political columnist; and George Korda, of Korda Communications and 6 News political analyst.