Michael Ray "Mike" McWherter (born in 1955) is a lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

, businessman and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Tennessee gubernatorial race

Tennessee gubernatorial election, 2010

The 2010 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen was term-limited and unable to seek re-election...

.

Early life, education and career

The son of former Tennessee governor Ned McWherter

Ned McWherter

Ned Ray McWherter was an American politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995. He was a Democrat.McWherter was born in Palmersville, Weakley County, Tennessee...

, McWherter is a native of West Tennessee

West Tennessee

West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the State of Tennessee. Of the three, it is the one that is most sharply defined geographically. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River on the west and the Tennessee River on the east...

. He graduated from Union City High School. In 1981 McWherter earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

, after which he worked in private practice in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

. He later moved to Jackson to start his own business.

McWherter operates the family's beer distribution business in Jackson

Jackson, Tennessee

Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...

. He is also the Chairman of the Board of First State Bank, headquartered in Union City

Union City, Tennessee

Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south...

, and serves on the board of directors for the Jackson Energy Authority.

Political career

Although he has never held elected office, McWherter made an attempt to challenge Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...

 in the 2008 election. He opted out over fund raising concerns and an intense campaign season.

2010 Tennessee gubernatorial campaign

On April 23, 2009, he announced he would run for Governor of Tennessee in the 2010 election. McWherter said he will run on a platform of jobs, education and fiscal responsibility. Tennessee's current governor, Phil Bredesen

Phil Bredesen

Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...

, endorsed McWherter's candidacy.

He was reported as supporting a ban on unmarried (including gay) couples adopting children, indicating that he feels "having parents of the opposite sex is better for a child." In the same interview he also agreed that "foster care by an opposite-sex couple was better than adoption by a same-sex couple."

McWherter supports teaching intelligent design creationism in schools alongside scientific evolution. Asked about teaching intelligent design at a debate, he replied, "I think there's a place to talk about evolution in our public schools, but I prefer a more traditional curriculum. We can blend science and religion in that regard."

McWherter was defeated in the general election by Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

William Edward "Bill" Haslam is the 49th and current Governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam was elected to office in 2010...

.

External links

• Mike McWherter for Tennessee Governor 2010 official campaign site