A Trend “Lethal to Conservative Candidates,” 600+ Democrats Voted In Bradley County’s 2024 Republican Primary
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
According to voter data from the Bradley County Election Commission, over 600 individuals who had previously voted in the county’s 2020 Democrat primary voted in this year’s Republican primary.
One individual told The Tennessee Conservative that they believe 600 people is more than enough to change the outcome of a countywide race, especially a primary election.
“It is obvious that there was a concerted effort to get people who had voted in the Democrat Primary in 2020 to vote in the Republican Primary in 2024,” our source stated. “Quite frankly I believe that had records been pulled from other election years, there would have been more names of people who voted in the 2024 Republican Primary but had voted in Democrat Primaries previously.”
Since Bradley County is widely regarded as one of the most Republican counties in the state, our source was surprised by the results of this voter data.
“I believe this highlights the dangers conservatives face since the Republican Primary is really the only possible place for conservatives to run,” they noted, “obviously more than 600 Democrat voters, particularly if it is an organized effort, is enough to defeat a conservative candidate in a Republican Primary in a single county.”
“This may be a very real trend and if it is I don’t think there is any question it will be lethal to conservative candidates,” our source continued.
Rural Counties Also Impacted
According to another one of The Tennessee Conservative’s sources, some Democrats have unabashedly participated in this so-called “trend”, even in the more rural parts of western Middle Tennessee.
This individual worked at a rural polling location during the primary in March 2024 and explained that one voter, after requesting a Republican primary ballot, blatantly admitted that they and their companions were die-hard Democrats but “might as well” vote in the Republican race.
The Democrat voter allegedly cited a lack of options on the Democrat ticket as one of their reasons for voting on the Republican ballot, as well as hoping that this way someone would be in office who wasn’t “as far-right” (i.e. a RINO).
This “trend” or tactic is known on a larger-scale as “crossover raiding” which involves a voter choosing to vote in a primary that does not align with their previous voting history in order to vote for someone in the opposing party who is less likely to prevail against their own party’s interest in an election.
GOP Lawmakers Refuse to Close TN Primaries
Despite both local GOP groups and Tennesseans across the state voicing their support for closing primaries within the state, GOP and Democrat lawmakers in the Tennessee legislature have continued to shut down conservative legislation to do exactly that.
For two years in a row conservative Rep. Bryan Richey (R-Maryville-District 20) has filed legislation, HB0405 in 2023 and HB1616 in 2024, to close the primaries by requiring that Tennessee voters declare a recognized party affiliation or choose to be unaffiliated.
Under this legislation, voters would only be allowed to vote in the primary of their party affiliation. Unaffiliated voters could choose to affiliate with one of the recognized parties in proper advance if they wanted to participate in the primaries.
Voters would be allowed to change their party affiliation but only after a certain period of time. This would have prevented, for example, a Democrat voter from changing their affiliation to Republican for the primary election and then switching back to a Democrat affiliation for the general election that same year.
Rep. Kelly Keisling (R-Byrdstown-District 38) also filed a similar piece of legislation, HB1045, in 2023.
All three of these bills were killed in Tennessee’s majority Republican legislature without ever making it out of the committee process, leaving the state’s primaries to remain open.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
Squish GOPe want the left crossing over to vote for them in the primary. Trying to change to closed primaries has been going on forever and the squishy GOPe always win to ignore this issue. That’s how they win and they know it. If there was ever a strong conservative governor in TN there might be more success. I’ve lived in TN since Bredeson (Dem) and seems to me he was more conservative than either Haslam or Lee.
With about 6% of registered voters actually bothering to vote, maybe repubicans need to start hauling their friends/neighbors to the polls. If that doesn’t work, conservatives need to STOP voting for republicans that continue to do nothing, and vote third party in the general election. It can be done, but no one seems to have the stones to punish “squishy” republicans.
Totally agree. Voting Republican accomplishes nothing.
Oct 7 proves they are all in the AIPAC pocket. Both parties “stand with the Jeiwsh Poepole”, as if they even knew what that was of “anti-Semitism” with no discussion at all about the likelihood of Gaza escalating into a reginal or even global war in which nuclear weapons will be used.
Nor, about De-Dollarization occuring as a result of capricious sanctions and wars all over the world: the fact that this Clown Show is isolating itself in the world and from its own citizens: that somehow, everything Republicans do,,somehow,,you know?
No matter how much they thump Bibles and ridicule “the Squad”, they never do anything.
It’s a scam.
Indeed aries and there is a lesson to be learned from this as we approach 2026 when we will elect another governor what in reality will be for another eight years. No doubt on the ballot will be one or more mega-buck businessmen/politicos who, like Haslam and Lee, want to buy themselves the governorship but who have little or no record of being a stalwart conservatives. CONSERVATIVES, PLEASE DON’T VOTE FOR THEM! No matter what their well -paid campaign managers tell them to say, or the pretty, convincing ads they are able to run. Especially not when a proven conservative like Mark Green (Heritage-96%) will be on the ballot.
Stuart, have you been following Rep Mark Green’s voting record in Congress? He’s anything but a fiscal conservative. He just voted for the latest funding for Ukraine (he also voted for the original funding for Ukraine). There is no accountability for these funds. It’s for his funding vehicle – military contractors. Rarely does Rep Green vote for fiscal restraint or controlling the IC/DOJ/FBI intrusion into American’s privacy.
I used to comment to Rep Green’s Gettr account regarding his voting for spending trillions yet not once did he ever defend himself or respond in any way. I was actually happy when he said he wasn’t going to run again. He is my representative but I have not voted for him the last 2 elections. He initially had me fooled until I paid attention. Heritage must be pro Ukraine funding with no accountability.
It should be painfully obvious to anyone who isn’t a complete idiot that the “Republican” Party is nothing more than controlled opposition. Gutless, feckless cucks who seek to lose at every turn while backstabbing the base.
I’ve never seen any group more bent on suicide, and I was alive for the Jim Jones Kool Aid incident.
Exactly right!
Totally agree!
Republicans will protect Ivy League Students from slurs but were fine with “Polar Bear Hunting” and BLM Riots which inflicted $1-2 billion dmages (we don’t know exactly because no one wants to)
They are fine with the 6J imprisoned, funded the FBI to go harrass more and Derek Chauvin still in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Chauvin and Adhley Babbitt could be martyrs like Geroge Floyd but real ones.
That is how much the Republicans don’t want to win. They do well enough collecting the crumbs from the table, I guess since in that capcaity, they also don’t have to do anything: a capitalist business model of efficiency if there ever was one.
It’s a perpetual motion machine!
Accurate Ray and the term we should all be using for most of these elected officials is to proclaim them to actually be members of the Vanguard Party,our local government here in Bradley County is very incompcorrupt and clearly controlled by that same party. Yes that is a word I use to explain what we have been seeing here for many decades and the process of ridding ourselves of this Vanguard party is an on going battle. I can assure anyone who starts doing some searching in your community you will also find an inept group of GOPers in your community who are actually Vanguarder`s behind the cloak, whom are working with many NGOs and like minded rats to maintain control and profit from their interactions. If you don`t fight now you never will. InLibertyDan
I have lived, campaigned and worked campaigns in both closed and open primary states. Those same 600 cross overs in Bradley County would not be stopped if we had a closed primary. Believe me closed primary states have cross over too. It takes a bit more effort but cheaters will do whatever they have to do to cheat. So lets not think a closed primary will stop cross over. IT WILL NOT. Knowing both systems intimately I prefer open primaries because in a closed primary if you elect to be a registered independent you cannot vote in an R or D primary which leaves you out of the decision as to who runs in the general election. EX: In PA they have a very large Independent voter population. None of them can vote in the primary elections and to me that is voter suppression. EVERY legal voter should be able to vote in a primary election. Closed primaries make it easier to micro target when working a campaign but micro targeting can be done in an open primary too…..just takes a bit more work. I campaigned in TN and I did micro targeting. Again, the effort you put in to running a campaign or cheating will never be too much if your goal is to win or steal an election. Overall open primaries are better. And GUESS WHAT? The closed primary states want open primaries. Guess why? Because of CROSS OVER. The grass always looks greener until you start to notice what you are looking at is astro-turf.
Sorry Karen, to my mind if you can make it as difficult as possible to jump from the party of your choice to the other party in order to do mischief, you will discourage that type of behavior which conservatives should certainly do since in Tennessee this jumping is intended harm conservatives.
The purpose of primaries is for members of a party to choose the candidates of that party. You will find that “Independents” are voters who end up voting for one party or another the vast majority of times so why they don’t just join that party is a mystery to me. No matter, if they want to be “Independents” they should just step aside and let the members of the parties choose their candidates after which the “Independents” can vote in the general election where officeholders are chosen. Closed primaries don’t disenfranchise “Independents”, it only keeps them away from a decision making process in which they don’t belong.
Stuart – I agree 100%. Well said.
Stuart let me ask you this,why should the taxpayers pay for our elections and then allow the Vanguard party DNC/GOP to have any input into who can run what the rules are? The GOP and the Democratic part are both controlled by progressive Marxist,the two party system has shown itself to be a fraud and is nothing more then a mechanism used to control the electorate. I believe that if this Vanguard Party/group is to be allowed to control our electoral process then they should be footing the bill. To believe that this is not the truth is to show that one is not paying attention. InLibertyDan
Daniel – You’re kidding??? You think the GOP is controlled by Marxists? I think you have unrealistic expectations. Are you a “Libertarian” who thinks we shouldn’t have a government?
Agreed. The Big Two (R and D parties) are the only private political clubs using public funds (buildings and equipment) to operate their club “primaries”. These are not constitutionally-required. And you votes (or candidates) don’t count if the private club doesn’t want them to. This is the root of the problem for the Big Two. They take public money but want to shut out some of the public.
“Unaffiliated voters could choose to affiliate with one of the recognized parties in proper advance if they wanted to participate in the primaries.”
But Unaffiliated voters are still taxed to fund them!
But of course Horatio they aren’t “private clubs” insofar as anyone can join and no one can be expelled nor are any “members” required to pay dues. Thus another excuse to have “open” primaries which defeats the very purpose of primaries is exposed as nonsense.
Look folks, if you like open primaries please just be honest enough to say you are a leftist Democrat or centrist/tepid conservative Republican and you like to see all those Democrat primary voters forgo the chance to vote in the meaningless Tennessee Democratic primary in order to vote for the most liberal Republican in the Republican primary. That at least would be honest and underline the importance of conservatives to take advantage of the chance to change who sits in the General Assembly during the upcoming Republican primary this August.
Hi Karen,
I’m so sorry but you just sound like a Democrat. Just like the nice, reasonable, logical CA Democrats we fled from . But once they gain control they’re nasty and corrupt elections. Your logic Is fatally FLAWED and I believe disingenuous.
Crossover voting in the Wilson County School board primary cost a strong, excellent qualified Conservative To lose to a RINO !. The RINO actively Courted Democrat women’s groups, used them to shut down speaking venues, Etc.and To get out the Democrat vote!
Out west Democrat women’s groups were called, “the Mean girls. “. You’ll find out why
So, because of an open primary, the Democrats voted for the RINO and our conservative candidate lost by 200 votes. We analyzed to who voted and that is a fact.
Tennessee needs a CLOSED primary. No one. No one! Is disenfranchised by closed primaries (a Democrat lie) They get to vote in the election for the candidate, the parties put up, just not in the primaries. So stop the BS Karen, because it’s not true, as I said, you do sound like the Democrats I fled from. It’s the same approach.
We must Vote out every single RINO. Where is the published list of conservatives we can support? Then we know who not to vote for
Tony, I agree 100%.
The Dems are very devious and organized.
I can tell stories about what I’ve seen in Williamson County that will surprise most Repubs.
> Here’s an example >
To make it seem like they had a lot of support for “DEI Coordinators” in schools, the Libs got the newspaper to publish articles listing the names of about 10 “organizations” that wanted DEI Coordinators – official-sounding Groups like “Parents Who Want Better Schools”. The impression was that there was LOTS of support. I investigated and found that it was 10 people and each claimed to be President of a Group and were the “members” of the other 9 “groups”.
That happened about 4 years ago when Libs controlled the Williamson School Board.
> Also, they had a very devious scheme for the role of the “DEI Coordinators” – they planned to have the DEI Coordinators in charge of hiring, curriculum and discipline – basically, in charge of the schools.
Fortunately, a lot of people led by Moms for Liberty opposed it and after the law changed to allow Primaries, the Conservatives now have a 7-5 majority and that is increasing.
I know of more stories like this. I now try to think in a devious way about them – “What are they really trying to do?’
>> One more – a Lib School Board member admitted to me that he and the prior School Director secretly schemed to make the teachers take classes in “White Privilege Training”. So the public wouldn’t know, they had the Training Videos developed “in-house”, so they didn’t have to get funding approval. The training videos encouraged the teachers to “be creative” (I saw them). It backfired when a teacher in an attempt to “be creative” about teaching “White Privilege” divided her class into “slaves” and “masters” and the Black parents complained. They fired the teacher.
It’s primary season conservatives! It’s time to put up, or we might as well shut-up for the next 2 years until the next primary season. Unfortunately none of the Open Primary Eight who are responsible for voting against closing the primaries are being seriously challenged as far as I know, but we do have a battlefield rich with at least six targets where we can aim our support.
Good grief!!! I can’t believe the comments here. In a Republican district, only RINO’s and Libs support “crossover voting”.
I’m in Williamson, where 65% of the people voted for Trump but until 3 years ago 10 of the 12 School Board members were Libs. After the law changed to allow Primaries, it’s now about 7 conservatives and 5 Libs, and the number of Libs will decrease to hopefully zero.
>> CHANGE the law to NOT have “Open” primaries. <<<
I don't trust anyone who's saying "Open Primaries" are better for Republicans – I think they're either a RINO or a Dem. They are literally saying "Open Primaries" are better!!!! That's ridiculous. What happens is that the RINO's cut deals with the Dems.
In Williamson there are a lot of both RINO's and Lib Activists and they are clever and will lie. There's a Leftist on the School Board who was allowed to run as a Repub because he paid his $35. He's in favor of CRT, DEI, Pride Flags in schools, etc. He is manipulating the rules and they are dumb enough to let him – that reduces the value of the Republican "brand".
In Williamson, the Libs are very sneaky and clever. They will try their best to elect someone who's a Lib and will oppose any conservative.
TN is NOT Pennsylvania. It would be MUCH harder in TN for a Dem to Cross over if the primaries are closed and people have to register and choose a party.
IMHO, RNC/GOP/TNGOP allowing RINO leftists to run under Republican banner and disallowing TRUE Conservatives a place on ballot is worse than open primaries. Then there’s the voters who don’t know who their electeds are or what they’ve done/didn’t do, knowing only whose name they’ve saw/heard most. Those here dissing Karen’s experience likely have no idea what she’s doing for TN’s Sovereignty either
Hey Dwayne,
Please read my comment to Karen.
It is based on my experiencing CA. It was once a staunch, strongly conservative state & went Democrat. It happened by people moving into the state who were Democrats. They made little changes. They got into power at the lowest level. And they finally turned the state DEEP blue. And at the same time managed to ruin everything good about the once golden state.
You have to fight Democrats on every single issue. Every single issue is a MAJOR issue. Because they all weave together into destruction of a conservative state . There are no minor issues.
Dwayne, you have to be very careful. Don’t be compassionate and don’t listen to their “logic “it will always come back to bite you. I hate to say it, but Democrats are like cancer. They metastasize and they kill the host. That sounds terrible, but it’s true. Look at the states that California , New York, etc., etc. Democrats have destroyed. It looks like a graveyard. You must treat cancer at the earliest stages and without mercy. You cannot be kind to cancer I’ve had it twice! It takes vigilance and strong Determined action.
Enough said. My apologies if I seem unkind. But it’s time people start, saying, and hearing the TRUTH.
Actually Tony, it was Ronald Regan who let his very liberal wife talk him into giving all the illegals citizenship and voting rights. That’s what the democrats are doing now. Look at where they are putting them in mass amounts. First it will be for the census to gain more political seats. Then they will get citizenship and start voting democrat. The country will be gone by then.
Dwayne, please read my post to Karen. Tony Bano.
George Washington warned us in his farewell address.
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards …”
Appreciated all your comments.
Just wish when someone has actual knowledge appropriate names would be used.
Reagans greatest mistake on immigration was trusting TipOniel dem speaker.
I was stationed in cal. when rep Tony Coelho (cal.dem.bagman) was nailed on illegal donation$, Zip naddah happened to him, or the dem. apparatu$.
My point is, I would not hv recalled that episode if I didn’t know his name, or Tips, or Shane Reeves.