Sources: McWherter forming U.S. Senate campaign committee

Son of former Tennessee governor all but certain to challenge U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander next year

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Michael Ray McWherter, 51, son of former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter, is forming an exploratory committee to run for the United States Senate, according to NashvillePost.com sources.

NashvillePost.com reported in June that McWherter, a Democrat, was considering a challenge to current U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R). The formation of an exploratory committee makes that possibility of a campaign all but a certainty and begins the fundraising process.

Sources say that McWherter has had extensive meetings over the course of the past few months with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., and with Tennessee Democratic leaders.

Mike McWherter, as he is known, is owner and operator of Central Distributors, a Jackson, Tenn.-based Anheuser-Busch distributing company, as well as vice chairman of First State Bank of Union City.

In the 1980's, McWherter practiced law in Nashville at Donelson, Stokes & Bartholomew. He is a graduate of both Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt School of Law. He and his wife Mary Jane have two children and live in Jackson.

McWherter has been intensely involved in Tennessee politics throughout his life, most recently as treasurer of State Sen. Lowe Finney's (D-Jackson) successful campaign that unseated party-switcher Don McLeary. He has been a longtime political advisor to West Tennessee Democratic Congressman John Tanner.

However involved McWherter has been, unseating Alexander would be a major upset. Tom Ingram, Alexander's chief of staff, told NashvillePost.com in June "We expect an opponent. We will face any challenge, any and all." Ingram has guided Alexander to all of his Tennessee victories and mostly recently pushed a then floundering Bob Corker for Senate campaign onto victory.

With the entrance of McWherter into the race, two other Democratic hopefuls rumored to be considering a run will have to quickly decide whether or not they are in. Bob Tuke, a Nashville attorney and former chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, and Kevin Doherty, also a Nashville attorney, have been mentioned as possible candidates.

Mike McWherter could not be reached for comment at the time of publication of this article.