Haslam: White House should stay out of Republican primary for Tennessee governor

Joel Ebert | The Tennessean

Gov. Bill Haslam is hoping President Donald Trump bucks a trend and stays out of Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial primary.

Last weekend, at a gathering of the National Governors Association in New Mexico, Haslam told The New York Times, "You’ve seen them engage in primaries where traditionally the White House has not engaged."

Speaking to reporters in Nashville on Thursday, Haslam reiterated his comments.

"I don't think it's helpful for the White House to be in primaries," the governor said.

"I would advise everybody that's not a participant in it to keep their powder dry and help us win in November," he said, later clarifying that he asked the White House in February to stay out of GOP primary elections.

Trump wades into Republican primaries

In recent months, Trump has weighed in on GOP primaries in Nevada, California, Michigan, South Carolina, Texas and most recently Georgia.

Trump's endorsement of Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, which came less than a week before the primary, may have pushed the 55-year-old Republican over the top.

Kemp won his runoff election Tuesday by a wide margin, defeating Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who entered the race as the favorite after finishing ahead of the secretary of state in a May primary.

When asked if he is frustrated that the Trump administration has not heeded his request about staying out of primaries, Haslam said, "They're the White House, they could do what they want."

Although Trump has yet to endorse anyone in Tennessee's race, some national Republicans have expressed concerns that the candidates the president has supported in primaries would have a harder time winning in the general election.

"Our focus at the (Republican Governors Association) has always been on making certain we can win the general election,” Haslam, who is chairman of the RGA, said over the weekend.

GOP candidates running toward Trump

As she has campaigned for the GOP nomination for governor, U.S. Rep. Diane Black has tried to align herself with Trump.

On Thursday, Haslam said he does not subscribe to the notion that Black would struggle in a general election.

"That's not — our concern has not been about that, it's been about, let's let the process play out," he said.

Black has been coy on her efforts to lobby for a Trump endorsement, which would undoubtedly help her in a primary that is expected to be close.

Various polls have found Black and her two main competitors — Knoxville entrepreneur Randy Boyd and Williamson County businessman Bill Lee — neck and neck.

Poll: Bill Lee leads in Tennessee's Republican campaign for governor

House Speaker Beth Harwell, who is also seeking the Republican nomination, has trailed the three in all polls.

No endorsement yet

On July 18 — one day after Black was seated next to Trump in the White House as he sought to clarify his views on Russian interference in the 2016 election — the congressman laughed when asked by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee if an endorsement from the president was looming.

“We’ll see about that," Black said. "We’ve got some days in front of us. We’ll see what happens."

But as she has campaigned, Black, as well as her competitors, has tried to align herself with the president in various ways.

She has supported building a wall along the southern border of the United States, opposed those football players who protest during the national anthem and railed against the Affordable Care Act — all of which are views the president espouses.

In addition to Trump, Black has also tried to align herself with Vice President Mike Pence. During Pence's recent visit to East Tennessee, when he attended a fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, he touted Black's work on health care, taxes and abortion.

Pence has not explicitly endorsed Black thus far.

Tennessee's primary election is Aug. 2.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.