GOP leaders mum on endorsements in Tennessee primary

Friday, February 19, 2016, Vol. 40, No. 8

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's Republican leaders are keeping any presidential primary endorsements to themselves as the state wraps up the final day of early voting on Tuesday.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam told reporters that there's a "good chance" he will make an endorsement before the March 1 primary, but that he wasn't yet ready to announce it.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker told reporters a day earlier that he's not made a presidential endorsement before a primary since the late Fred Thompson of Tennessee ran in 2008. But Corker acknowledged that he's been having "multiple discussions" about a possible endorsement.

More than 214,000 people voted through Saturday, with about two out of three ballots cast in the Republican primary.

About one-third of ballots were cast early in Tennessee's presidential primary in 2008 and 2012.