Phil Bredesen | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2008 | |
| 48th Governor of Tennessee | |
| In office January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011 | |
| Lieutenant | |
| Preceded by | Don Sundquist |
| Succeeded by | Bill Haslam |
| 4th Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville | |
| In office September 27, 1991 – September 24, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Boner |
| Succeeded by | Bill Purcell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. November 21, 1943 Oceanport, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Government website |
Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. (/ˈbrɛdəsən/; born November 21, 1943) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 48th governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in 2002 with 50.6% of the vote and re-elected in 2006 with 68.6%. He served as the 66th mayor of Nashville from 1991 to 1999. Bredesen is the founder of the HealthAmerica Corporation, which he sold in 1986. He is the last Democrat to win and/or hold statewide office in Tennessee.
Since 2011, he has been chair of Silicon Ranch Corporation, a firm that develops and operates solar power stations. On December 6, 2017, Bredesen announced he would run for Bob Corker's open seat in the United States Senate, as Corker chose not to seek reelection in 2018.[1] On August 2, 2018, he won the Democratic primary and faced off against Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018. After losing the Senate race, he and his campaign team founded Clearloop, a renewable energy startup.[2]
Bredesen has been widely characterized as a moderate Democrat who is fiscally conservative but socially liberal.[3]
- ^ "Bredesen running for Senate | Nashville Post". Nashville Post. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- ^ "Former Tennessee Gov. Bredesen introduces renewable energy firm". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Martin, Jonathan (October 24, 2018). "A Changing Tennessee Weighs a Moderate or Conservative for Senate". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2020.