Bill Gibbons

By announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee governor in the August 2010 primary, Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons is trying to get a head of a contingent of gubernatorial hopefuls.

Two other Republicans, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga, also are contenders for the job.

Democrat Harold Ford Jr., whose name has been circulating in political circles, released a statement Tuesday saying it’s too early for him to decide whether he will run.

“The 2010 campaign for governor will begin at some point, but now is not the time,” said Ford, who lost a 2006 Senate race to Republican Bob Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga.

So far no Democrat has announced his or her candidacy for governor.

Former U.S. Senate Republican leader Bill Frist, who had been expected to toss his hat in the governor’s race, has ruled out a bid. Instead, the two-term senator and heart and lung transplant surgeon has decided to launch an initiative to improve K-12 education.

The field is wide open to a slate of potential candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, who may seek the gubernatorial nomination. Incumbent Gov. Phil Bredesen cannot run again because of term limits.

During Monday’s announcement at the Criminal Justice Center, Gibbons focused on two campaign issues: crime and schools. If elected governor, he plans to make those top priorities.

“Through safer communities and better schools, Tennessee will be positioned as a state where people want to live, raise their families, work and retire,” he said.

Crime is a statewide problem, said Gibbons, noting that Tennessee has the second highest violent crime rate in the nation. In Shelby County, he said he has tried to eradicate gang violence and stop the proliferation of drugs and guns.

“We must do a better job of holding serious offenders accountable by keeping them off our streets and in prison where they belong,” he said.

Education is Tennessee’s other major challenge, said Gibbons. “As our next governor, I will change the status quo in our public schools and encourage innovation, instill high expectations of students and demand and reward excellence in teaching.”

He said he benefited from “excellent” public schools as well as his wife and two children.   

Political analysts predict that Gibbons would do well in Shelby County, but a lack of name recognition in Middle and East Tennessee would be a challenge.

“I intend to make my campaign a conversation with Tennesseans about the real issues we’re facing today,” he said.