The 11 candidates who met the deadline for doing so include two losers in the Aug. 2 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Nashvillians Larry Crim and Gary Gene Davis, and one loser in the Republican primary, Fred R. Anderson of Maryville.
Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker won the Republican nomination for a new term with 389,613 votes. Anderson was third with 15,951. The names of Corker, Clayton, Constitution Party nominee Kermit Steck, Green Party nominee Martin Pleasant and five Independent candidates will appear on the ballot.
Clayton got 48,196 votes in the Democratic primary but was subsequently disavowed by state party officials. Tennessee Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester cited Clayton’s membership in a organization characterized as an anti-gay “hate group.”
Forrester said Tennessee Democrats should instead vote for “the candidate of their choice” on Nov. 6, though leaving the door open to party officials later recommending another candidate. Brandon Puttbrese, the party’s communications director, said Wednesday there has been no formal move to do so, but the subject could come up at a Sept. 29 meeting of the party’s State Executive Committee.
Davis was runner-up to Clayton on Aug. 2 with 24,214 votes. Crim, who filed a lawsuit challenging Clayton’s nomination only to drop it after a judge ruled against him in the initial hearing, was fourth, behind actress Park Overall, with 17,744.
