Image Credit: Andrew Ogles / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Marshall County Republican Party’s straw poll for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District shows Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles winning by an overwhelming majority.
The poll for the newly drawn district was conducted on Thursday, April 28 at the group’s annual fundraising dinner. The dinner took place at the Lewisburg Parks and Recreation Center.
Julie Quan, Marshall County’s Republican Chair, left the names of several disqualified candidates on the ballot: Baxter Lee, Morgan Ortagus, and Robby Starbuck.
*** Click Here to Support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. We can’t cover stories like this without your support!***
On Friday, Quan addressed the inclusion in a Facebook post, saying that the disqualified individuals were still included because the events of the evening “were finalized prior to the changes made by the SEC.”
Starbuck spoke at the event, stating that he would be back on the ballot eventually, also purchasing a number of tables for the evening.
Ortagus had purchased several tables, but she was not in attendance, a possible sign that she has accepted the fact that she will not be allowed to run. Baxter Lee was also absent from the event.
Several other candidates gave speeches at the event: Ogles, Winstead, Harwell, Brookes, Beierlein, Parks, Timothy Lee, Wittum, and Batchelor.
The poll ended with Ogles possessing a strong lead, followed by General Kurt Winstead in second. Disqualified candidates, with the exception of Baxter Lee, did receive some votes. Starbuck actually finished in third place with 35 votes, while Ortagus received 21 votes, putting her in fifth place.
226 votes were placed in total, with the following results:
• Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, 61 votes
• General Kurt Winstead, 43 votes
• Robby Starbuck (disqualified candidate), 35 votes
• Former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell, 22 votes
• Morgan Ortagus (disqualified candidate), 21 vote
• Natisha Brooks, 13 votes
• Jeff Beierlein, 11 votes
• Timothy Bruce Lee and Stewart Parks, 6 votes each
• Tres Wittum, 5 votes
• Geni Batchelor, 3 votes
• Baxter Lee (disqualified candidate), 0 votes
It is important to note that straw polls are non-binding and have no bearing on official election results. However, they can be a strong indicator of how a candidate will fare among strong Republican voters.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
