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The Tennessee Conservative Staff-
The Tennessee Conservative recently reported on the large amounts of money being invested in candidates by establishment leadership, nearly $900,000 to protect two members facing tough primary challenges.
The trio of Republicans led by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is throwing substantial resources behind state Sens. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin and Jon Lundberg of Bristol, who are up against primary challengers Chris Spencer and Bobby Harshbarger in races that could determine the next leader of Tennessee’s Senate.
“My goal, and the goal of our caucus, is to return all our members to the Senate each election cycle,” McNally said in response to Tennessee Lookout questions. “Strategic decisions on spending are based on several different factors. Each race is different, and resources are allocated accordingly. My primary concern is the return of each and every one of our members to the Senate. All other concerns are secondary to that purpose.”
In addition to these races, several other candidates across the state are receiving substantial amounts of money from PACs. Four PACs in particular are involved – Americans For Prosperity Action, School Freedom Fund, Team Kid PAC, and American Federation For Children.
For just 8 of those candidates, (3 incumbents, 5 primary challengers) between those 4 PACS, a total of $5,116,162.99 has been spent. You can see demonstrated in the graphic below how much money went to which candidate.
Based on social media posts, none of the candidates included in the graphic enjoy the support of Tennessee grassroots. The reason the candidates are reportedly receiving so much money from what many are calling “dark money PACs” is all to do with a single issue: school vouchers.
It has been made known through recent reports, that Bill Lee is joining the trend of Governor candidate vetting, and will endorse not those with the most applicable experience, but rather those who agree with his policy positions, regardless of what constituents might or might not want.
The primary policy position Governor Lee is most concerned with is getting his voucher legislation across the finish line before his term ends in 2026.
A full report on exactly which PACs and how much is spent can be seen here. There is an S or an O at the end of every line item, which indicates “Support” and “Oppose”.
Included in the expenses, is always a lot of opposition media, which most commonly manifests as mailers that attack and malign the opponent, while simultaneously extolling the virtues of the candidates those organizations support.
This season, the mailers have taken on a new level of what some organizations are calling “defamatory”.
Michelle Foreman, also a candidate in the Republican primary for House District 65, has had 3 distinct mailers released, that her campaign team describe as “hit pieces.”
In a recent newsletter sent out by Gary Humble, director of one of the largest and arguably most influential conservative grassroots organization in Tennessee, Humble exposes those who are responsible for the mailers, which depict Humble as a tin-foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist.
A similar mailer was sent out opposing Michele Reneau, a primary challenger running against incumbent and establishment republican Patsy Hazelwood, in District 27, in Hamilton County.
In an email to supporters, Humble gets to heart of the issue:
“If you live in House District 65 in Williamson County then you’ve most likely received three (3) hit pieces in the mail paid for by the Tennesseans for Liberty PAC out of Jackson, TN.
The pieces are of course defamatory in nature, and one specifically labels Tennessee Stands as a radical Anti-Trump group which if you follow us, you already know is a false claim. And I am pictured wearing my tinfoil hat which means that I am a radical, continually spreading misinformation across the state.
What is more relevant to the discussion, however, is who is paying for these mailers?Well, we have the answer as the pre-primary campaign finance filings have just been released.
This message comes from Sen. Jack Johnson, Rep. Jake McCalmon, and Susan Kaestner (of Franklin, TN).”
That would be Williamson County representatives, State Senator Jack Johnson, who nearly lost his seat to Humble in the 2022 primary, current Representative Jake McCalmon D-63, and local Franklin resident Susan Kaestner.
In the graphic below, it can be seen who and how much money was donated to the PAC, Tennesseans For Liberty, in order for this mailer to be produced and distributed.
Tennesseans for Liberty however are not responsible for the creative design of their mailer, that credit Humble says belongs to an individual who he calls “architect of these referenced mailers” Aaron Gulbransen, Director of Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, which is an arm of the national organization, founded by Ralph Reed, Faith and Freedom Coalition.
The post below shows Reeves attending an awards ceremony during last session where Gulbrandson was handing out awards to Johnson, and McCalmon, for “Conservative Legislator of the Year”.
Lee Reeves’ campaign has been fraught with problems, since The Tennessee Conservative broke the story that Reeves, whose platform is illegal immigration, has been proven to own an apartment complex out of state, which rents apartments to illegal aliens so long as they prove they can pay their rent.
As was shown in the graphic above, Reeves has received a whopping $914, 042.54 in support from pro-school voucher PACs.
House Representative Todd Warner (R-District 92), who was recently interviewed by Humble, said he is determined to stand strong on his anti-voucher position, regardless of money being spent by PACs to oppose candidates.
Warner said, “I lost faith in AFP when they supported Nicky Hailey over our President Donald J Trump in the presidential primary… I have worked with AFP previously on several other bills that they asked for my support, and I supported them because they were efforts I believed in. But I cannot support school vouchers, and for this they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove me from my seat”.
Warner also said, “They might out-spend me, but they will never out-work me.”
With just a handful of days left before the election on Thursday August 1st, it’s anyone’s guess what voters will see come across their tablet screens, iPhone, or in their mailboxes.
The Tennessee Conservative will provide full coverage of all outcomes on Election Day and encourages all voters to get to the polls and vote.
3 Responses
The hit mailer on Michele Reneau has a return address of 502 6th Street , Hudson, WI 54016. The address belongs to Thomas Datwyler, Compliance Officer , for Club for Growth Action, a PAC. I retrieved a copy of the Missouri Statement of Organization, which contains this information .
Take the mailing, block out the send to address and drop it in a postal mailbox. Make them pay for the mailing twice.
I would be interested in knowing what special interests are supporting the 2 Republican Candidates in the District 5 Congressional race.
Who are the big PACs supporting each candidate?
Some of the same PACs listed here I would guess – but which PACs support which candidate?