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In governor’s race, Bill Lee leads his Democratic challenger in fundraising despite low-profile campaign

Dr. Jason Martin is the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. He is running against incumbent Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
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In the race for Tennessee’s next governor, Republican incumbent Bill Lee has been outspending his Democratic challenger, Jason Martin. 

Gov. Lee raised $551,810 from July to the end of September, according to his latest campaign finance report. In that same time, Martin raised $481,900. 

But in the final weeks of the race, Lee has more than $3.2 million more to spend than Martin. Most of that comes from outstanding loans.

Martin has taken a more grassroots approach by posting videos to his Facebook page almost weekly, while Lee’s been spending most of his money on TV ads.

Gov. Lee has run a low-key campaign and has barely acknowledged his opponent. The governor’s calendar this week shows just one public appearance on Friday in Jackson.  

Lee won his first election for governor by 20% in 2018. 

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Blaise Gainey, Political Reporter

Blaise Gainey is the youngest of three siblings, husband and father of two. He previously held the State Government Reporter position for WFSU News in Tallahassee. He is from Apopka, Fla., and graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He previously worked for The Florida Channel and WTXL-TV. He is excited to move to another capital and report on state government. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, outdoor activities and enjoying family time.

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