A 19-year veteran of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority has indicated she may challenge Governor Bill Haslam's 2014 re-election bid. Sara Kyle's comments to the Tennesseansuggest she is weighing her options and would consider any position in which she could "be of service and help the Democrats move forward."
Although it falls short of an official announcement, Kyle's remarks are welcome within the Democratic Party, which has been struggling to find a candidate to oppose Haslam next fall. In recent weeks, State Representative Craig Fitzhugh and State Senator Lowe Finney have both withdrawn their names from consideration.
Kyle was critical of Haslam when she resigned from her position with the TRA in March. In 2012, Haslam encouraged the General Assembly to pass a law that increased the number of directors on the TRA board from three to five and reduced each directorship to part-time. In her resignation statement, Kyle claimed the law "severely limited (the TRA's) ability to render fair and just decisions."
The TRA is the regulatory organization that sets rates and service standards for privately-owned utilities providers in Tennessee.
Kyle is married to Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle and is the niece of former Tennessee Governor Frank Clement.