Bill Haslam

Who is Bill Haslam?

William Edward "Bill" Haslam is an American politician who is the 49th and current Governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam was elected Governor in 2010 and was sworn in on January 15, 2011.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Haslam is a graduate of Emory University. He began his career in business, joining his father, Jim Haslam, who was the founder of Pilot Corporation. Haslam rose to the rank of President of Pilot Corp in the 1990s after his brother Jimmy became the company's CEO. Haslam then left Pilot and from 1999 to 2001 was the CEO of the E-Commerce and Cataloging division at the high-end department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue. He then became a consultant at Saks, served on the board of directors at Harold's Stores, Inc. and still remains a co-owner of the minor league baseball team the Tennessee Smokies.

Entering a career in politics, Haslam was elected to serve as Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee in 2003 with 52% of the vote. He was then elected to a second term in 2007, winning with 87% of the vote, and serving as Mayor from 2003 to 2011. After incumbent Governor Phil Bredesen was term-limited and prevented from running for reelection, Haslam declared his candidacy for Governor in January 2009. He defeated Representative Zach Wamp and Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey in the Republican primary with 47% of the vote, and went on to defeat Democratic businessman Mike McWherter with 65% of the vote in the general election.