‘Super Tuesday I’ Governor Backs Marco Rubio for President
Thursday morning, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam endorsed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for president.
“To win in November, conservatives need a candidate who inspires Americans from all backgrounds,” he said. “With Marco standing next to Hillary Clinton on a debate stage, the choice between the future and the past will be clear to every American. Marco has the innovative policy agenda to reclaim the American Dream for all our people, and his conservative ideas will bring the Republican Party—and America—into the future.”
According to The Tennesseean newspaper, the early voting turnout—which ended Tuesday—has shattered records. Early voting this year saw 385,653 Tennesseans cast ballots, a 17.1 percent increase over the 2008 primaries—the most recent open primary for both parties—in which 329,154 people voted early or absentee.
Tennessee has an open primary in which voters may choose to cast the party-specific ballot of their choice. With two fewer voting days than in 2008, the current record-setting pace continues a trend that has been consistent throughout the 2016 race.
Volunteer State Republican primary voters were far outpacing Democratic voters by a 2-to-1 margin, according to the newspaper report.
