Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade talks about
challenges for the upcoming retention vote for Supreme Court
justice on Aug. 7. Chief Justice Wade spent the day visiting
with area officials including Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke,
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and various judges and
attorneys.Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade is in Chattanooga today, attempting to broaden support for him and two other justices in the upcoming Aug. 7 retention vote.
Wade, along with Justice Connie Clark and Justice Sharon Lee were appointed by former Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen and under the retention system voters will have the change vote yes or no on the ballot to retain them.
A Tennessee Bar Association poll released this month showed 90 percent approval among the 2,100 responding Tennessee attorneys for the three justices to be retained.
Wade has reached out to local police representatives, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger for support.
Current Republican Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has pushed to oust Wade, Lee and Clark. The two remaining justices are not up for a retention vote this year.
Ramsey and his staff claim that the justices are "anti-business" and "liberal".
The Blountville politician has long been a critic of Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. Cooper, Jr., also a Bredesen appointee.
In Tennessee the attorney general is selected by the state's supreme court justices.