Kim McMillan said today it would have been very difficult for her to have run for governor while she was majority leader in the House.
In fact, McMillan left an adviser's role in Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration before saying she would run for governor.
"I wouldn't have done it while I was there," she said of that job.
She also took a leave of absence from a teaching position at Austin Peay State University before running. Campaigning for governor can be a full-time occupation.
It's not easy to say if being free of such responsibilities is the reason McMillan is still standing in the governor's race, but it was certainly a timely topic today considering state Sen. Jim Kyle's announcement Friday that he will no longer be running for governor in the Democratic primary.
Kyle's exit leaves Jackson businessman Mike McWherter and McMillan as the last two Democrats seeking the governor's office in 2010. They do appear to have more freedom than someone like Kyle, who made heavy mention of his duties as minority leader in the Senate as one of the reasons for dropping out of the race. Because of those and other factors, Kyle said he simply felt he could not win.
Republican candidates fall into the other category, however. Bill Haslam is the sitting mayor of Knoxville. Zach Wamp is a member of Congress. Ron Ramsey is lieutenant governor as well as an auctioneer. Bill Gibbons is district attorney general in Shelby County.
Considering where she began, and where she currently stands in the race in terms of raising money, it's quite a note that McMillan is still actively campaigning. Both Kyle and Nashville businessman Ward Cammack appeared to be in better financial shape than McMillan before they dropped out.
McWherter still is in good shape financially. He has raised $1.05 million in the campaign and at last report had $619,000 to work with. At the same time, McMillan had $106,726 on hand after raising $454,938. Among all the major candidates, McMillan has had the fewest funds to go to battle with.
But she also has time, and that appears to have worked in her favor.
"I've been feeling momentum. I've traveled around, and what people see is they're excited about the positive message I'm trying to convey, even in light of the economic hardship Tennessee is going through like the rest of the country," she said. "Although I know being governor in these economic times is going to be extremely difficult, I'm still positive in the sense that I see a bright future for Tennessee, and I'm ready to get in there and try to make that happen.
"That's what I think is catching on with people."
McMillan worked 12 years in the House and was chosen majority leader in 2004, when Democrats were the party in power.
She seemed to concur about the difficulty Kyle faced trying to handle legislative duties while running for governor, because of her own experience. But thus far, Ramsey looks competitive despite holding obvious legislative responsibilities in the Senate.
While McMillan has the luxury of job freedom she needs, it doesn't change the financial reality facing her campaign. Three of the four Republicans in the field have raised more than $2 million each, and Haslam reported $4.2 million in hand at the last reporting deadline. So the obvious question for McMillan, still, is whether she has enough money to win.
"Yes," she said. "And I'll tell you why. I have run six elections over the course of my career, and frankly I have been outfunded by Republicans who have run against me in the past, and I have been successful in every election I have run. I understand the concept of using your money wisely, of budgeting it in a smart fashion, spending it on things that are necessary.
"You don't look at the total dollars but how much support you are generating."
It still looks like a mountain to climb for McMillan to overcome McWherter in the primary. After that, it may be an even steeper mountain to knock off the Republican nominee, who will almost certainly be viewed as the favorite. So for the moment, the question for McMillan is why anyone should vote for her over McWherter. The question was put to her bluntly.
"I believe I have the right kind of qualities perhaps Mike doesn't," she said. "I have experience in state government. I know how to get things done. I also have the desire and the passion to make a difference for people in Tennessee. It's not just that I have good ideas. I know how to accomplish them."
McMillan is getting mileage out of being involved in the job training program between Austin Peay and the Hemlock Semiconductor site in Clarksville. The site represents a $1.2 billion initial investment by the business. Jobs and the economy are the foremost issues in the current campaign.
"I've been there and done that. I've been in the legislative branch and the executive branch of government. I've worked with Austin Peay and Hemlock Semiconductor to actually create jobs for Tennesseans. I know how to do that," she said. "It's not just words with me. It's actions."
Kyle's departure from the race caught many people by surprise. It obviously created at least the appearance of a boost for McMillan, so she was asked if the announcement surprised her, too.
"Was I surprised? Jim believes so much in the people of Tennessee and promoting good policies perhaps he saw he could fulfill that role by staying in the Senate and continuing to serve as leader rather than have to get out there and run in the campaign, where he would have to be ignoring his duties," she said. "I wasn't as surprised. I'm glad he's still involved and going to stay in public service."
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