Nashville Rejects Betting on Horse Racing

Nashville voters narrowly rejected pari-mutuel betting on horse races Thursday, and Democratic Rep. Bill Boner outpolled eight other candidates in a mayoral election but faces a runoff against businessman Phil Bredesen.

With 100% of the vote counted, the proposal to allow betting on horse racing was defeated by a vote of 62,840 to 62,145.

Pari-mutuel gambling was authorized on a local option basis by the Tennessee General Assembly this year but strongly opposed by the state’s clergy.

The Rev. Jerry Sutton, pastor of the 4,700-member Two Rivers Baptist Church, said about 1,000 members of his congregation began a prayer-fast Wednesday night to oppose the referendum.

In the crowded race to replace 12-year veteran Mayor Richard Fulton, Boner, who was cleared of bribery allegations this year, took a commanding lead from the moment the polls closed but failed to avoid a runoff.

“I never thought I could be quite so happy coming in second,” said Bredesen, a political unknown until he pumped $1 million of his own money into his campaign.

Boner said he had a cross-section of support and added: “I’m certainly honored by that.”