Don Sundquist - Governor of Tennessee

Governor of Tennessee

When popular Democratic governor Ned McWherter was prevented from seeking a third term in 1994 by term limits, Sundquist seemed like the logical choice for the GOP nomination and easily won it in August 1994. He faced Phil Bredesen, the Democratic mayor of Nashville in November, and won by almost 10 points. The margin surprised many pundits who expected this to be one of the more competitive races of the 1994 cycle. It was a big night for Tennessee Republicans, who also captured both Senate seats. They also won a majority of the state's congressional delegation for only the second time since Reconstruction.

Sundquist's first term was highlighted by cleaning up a deficit budget inherited from his predecessor and for implementing one of the nation's first welfare reform efforts, moving tens of thousands of Tennesseans off welfare rolls. He attracted no serious opposition within his party for renomination in 1998. His Democratic opponent, Nashville attorney and entrepreneur John Jay Hooker, was regarded at this stage in his career as a perennial candidate and gadfly rather than a serious contender, and Sundquist won reelection with almost 69% of the vote--easily the highest percentage ever recorded for a Republican gubernatorial candidate since the end of Reconstruction.

Immediately upon his reinauguration, Sundquist set out to raise more revenue for the state, which had traditionally been one of the lowest-tax jurisdictions in the country. His tax reform plan included a state income tax, previously regarded as political suicide in Tennessee. He quickly offended most of his grassroots base, and his popularity plummeted. Only certain elements in the business community supported him from the Republican Party, and many Tennessee Democrats, especially conservative rural ones, had no interest in either alienating their constituents or helping a Republican. As a result, Sundquist became very isolated politically. The income tax issue dominated Sundquist's second term, but was never passed.

Sundquist, like McWherter before him, was barred from running for a third term in 2002 by the state constitution. Unlike McWherter, however, he was so unpopular at the end of his term that it is highly unlikely he would have been reelected had he been allowed to run again.