The Hamilton County Democratic Party held its annual Kefauver Dinner
Friday night at the Chattanooga Convention Center. This year’s main draw featured a straw poll between gubernatorial candidates Karl Dean and Craig Fitzhugh. After speeches by Mayor Dean and Rep.
Fitzhugh attendees voted.
The straw poll results:
Karl Dean 79.5%
Craig Fitzhugh 20.5%
Local Karl Dean supporter Lee Davis said, “Karl Dean is the right candidate at the right time for Tennessee. With pragmatism and a history of positive results as the mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean has the vision to lead the state forward as our next governor on behalf of all Tennesseans.”
The Kefauver Dinner also featured Rep. John Ray Clemmons, Mayor Andy Berke, Rep. JoAnne Favors, Sen. Candidate James Mackler and TNDP Chair Mary Mancini. The ballroom at convention center was full and a jazz ensemble entertained the guests. The crowd was enthusiastic after recent Democratic Party wins in governor races this week in Virginia and New Jersey as well as four city council seats won in Knoxville.