TN ELECTIONS

Karl Dean, Bill Lee hope to grab spotlight in first televised governor's debate in Memphis

Joel Ebert
The Commercial Appeal
Democrat Karl Dean, left, and Republican Bill Lee face each other in the Nov. 6 governor's election.

Williamson County businessman Bill Lee and former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will go head-to-head Tuesday at the University of Memphis for the first of three gubernatorial debates that could help voters decide between the Republican and Democratic nominees. 

The race has somewhat been in the shadows as Tennessee's U.S. Senate race between U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Gov. Phil Bredesen has heated up and news out of Washington, D.C., continues to consume much of the country.

But for many, the race to succeed Republican Gov. Bill Haslam in the Nov. 6 general election will have a more direct impact on the everyday lives of Tennesseans, and Tuesday's debate could play a crucial role for voters as they determine who will next lead the state.

Complete coverage:Tennessee's 2018 campaign for governor

The debate:How to watch the Tennessee governor's debate in Memphis

"There's so many issues that the governor, more than ... whoever our next senator will be, is going to have influence over — including health care, education, corrections and public safety," said Michael Sances, political science professor at the University of Memphis. 

Dean, who is trailing in most polling, will look to sway independent and undecided voters while highlighting differences between him and Lee, who has no political experience. 

Lee will likely continue to tout his personal story and business experience while arguing that Tennessee needs an outsider who is not beholden to special interests.

GOP primary:Bill Lee wins Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee

Democratic race:Karl Dean wins Democratic nomination for Tennessee governor in landslide

Sances said one of the reasons Lee won the primary was because he sold himself as an outsider. 

"When you look at who can win statewide in Tennessee, a person like that has a really good advantage," Sances said. 

Tuesday's debate — co-sponsored by The Commercial Appeal and the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee, WMC Action News 5, the University of Memphis, the League of Women Voters and the Economic Club of Memphis — will be the first opportunity for Lee to face another candidate in a one-on-one setting.

Debate schedule:Bill Lee, Karl Dean set to participate in three debates in Tennessee governor's race

During the primary election, he shared the stage with his Republican competitors during two televised debates. He also appeared on stage with Dean and others at several forums during the primaries. 

Dean faced his primary opponent — House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh — in two Democratic debates in the lead-up to the Aug. 2 primary.

Ahead of the University of Memphis debate, Lee said, "What's important about them is I really do want people to know as much as they can about me." 

Lee said he hoped he would be able to use the debates to show voters who he is and his motivations for wanting to lead the Volunteer State.

"To the degree that that can happen in these debates, that's important," Lee said. 

Dean's spokeswoman, Paige Hill, said the former Nashville mayor plans to highlight that he has been a visible and hands-on leader. 

"He will make it clear that when you are governor, you can't hide," Hill said. 

Dean, who Hill said has participated in dozens of debates and forums during his career, has been working with campaign staff and trusted advisers to prepare for the debate. 

Dean attended many of the same forums and events Lee did during the primaries. The two also have attended a handful of events together so far in the general election campaign.

But Dean's campaign points to others that the former mayor has attended for which Lee has declined invitations. 

"That makes the three scheduled televised debates that much more important for voters to be able to hear from both of them on where we stand on the issues that are important to them," Hill said. 

Sances said the debate will be among the first opportunities for voters to see the candidates side by side and how the candidates have opposing views on a number of key issues.

At the same time, it will put pressure on both candidates to avoid any gaffe that could give a boost to their opponent in the stretch run of the race, he said. 

With two more debates after Tuesday — Oct. 9 in Kingsport and Oct. 12 in Nashville —Dean and Lee will have more opportunities to make their case to voters.

But given where he stands in the polls, Dean will need a strong showing at the University of Memphis to drastically shake up the race while Lee will need to avoid any major pitfalls that could cause him to slip.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.

How to watch the debate

When: 6 p.m. CDT Tuesday

Live stream: CommercialAppeal.com and the other five sites of the USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Television: WMC Action News 5 will carry the debate live. The station also will livestream the debate. Some public television stations across the state will air the debate at 10:30 p.m. CDT. Check your local listings for details.