Putnam County ‘Independent’ Candidates Have Significant Democrat Voting Histories

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Voting records indicate that many Independent candidates in Putnam County have a significant history of voting for Democrats and some have made contributions to Liberal / Democrat Political Action Committees.

As revealed by the “Don’t Pelosi Putnam” website using official voting records and information from the Federal Election Commission, eight candidates running for office as Independents have a history of voting Democrat except for some votes in the 2022 Republican Primary.

The “Don’t Pelosi Putnam” website is paid for by the Putnam County Republican Party and approved by the subcommittee for Elections.

Mark A Miller (District 3 City Council member) who is running for reelection voted as a Republican in the 2022 Primary Election, the 2018 County Primary Election and the 2014 State Primary and County General Election.  However, Miller voted Democrat in the 2020 State Primary and General Election, the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary, the 2018 State Primary and County General Election and the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary.

The Don’t Pelosi Putnam website also claims that Miller has made contributions to the ACTBLUE Political Action Committee (PAC), which is a service for left-wing groups and Democratic politicians to fundraise without setting up an online donation infrastructure themselves.

However, The Tennessee Conservative has been unable to verify Miller’s donations made to the PAC on the FEC website, since his name is quite common.

Robert L. Owens, running for the District 10 Cookeville City Council seat, voted as a Democrat in the 2014 State Primary and County General Election.

Rafferty Davis Cleary, who is running for the District 4 Putnam County Commission seat, voted as a Republican in the 2022 Primary Election, but voted as a Democrat in the 2020 State Primary and General Election and the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary.

Cleary did make 7 contributions to ACTBLUE in 2020 in small amounts totaling $55.

John M. Hutchins, who is running for the District 2 Putnam County Commission seat, voted as a Democrat in the 2020 State Primary and General Election, the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary, the 2018 State Primary and County General Election, the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary.  However, he voted as a Republican in the 2014 State Primary and County General Election and the 2014 County Primary Election.

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Johnnie M Wheeler, who is running for the District 5 Putnam County Commission seat, has no Republican votes on record.  Wheeler voted as a Democrat in the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary, the 2018 State Primary and County General Election, the 2016 Presidential Preference Primary, the 2014 State Primary and County General Election and the 2014 County Primary Election.

Camille Fliss-Mayberry, who is running for the District 11 Putnam County Commission seat, only voted as a Republican in the 2022 Primary Election.  Voting records show all voting prior were Democrat.

Cathay Reel, who is running for the District 12 Putnam County Commission seat, has a mixed voting history, voting as a Democrat in the 2020 State Primary and County General Election, the 2020 Presidential Preference Primary and the 2018 State Primary and County General Election. 

However, Reel voted as a Republican in the 2022 Primary Election and all other elections displayed in Don’t Pelosi Putnam’s chart.

Amy Turnbull Hollars, who is running for District 13 Circuit Court Judge, voted as a Republican in 2022, but voted as a Democrat in all previous elections displayed, going back to 2014.

Hollars donated a total of $75 to the ACTBLUE PAC in 2020.

The Tennessee Conservative’s source tells us that 13th Judicial District attorneys received a letter from Hollars, delivered via UPS, urging them to reelect her and to encourage their contacts (staff, friends, clients, and others) to do the same.

Our source tells us that this puts area attorneys in a tight spot, should they not choose to vote for/support the incumbent candidate for office, who most likely has the election in the can.

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

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