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| Megan Barry |
You may recall the Barry scandal. She was caught having an affair with her police bodyguard. They had gone on lavish trips together on the taxpayer's dime, and he had been paid a lot of overtime for providing security for the mayor. In March 2018, following weeks of news coverage and speculation regarding her future, Barry pleaded guilty to a Class C felony in Nashville criminal court as part of a plea bargain. Following her guilty plea, Barry resigned as mayor.
Barry has since tried to resurrect her political career several times. In 2023, Barry announced that she would run in Tennessee's 7th congressional district against incumbent Republican Mark Green. Green had announced that he would not run for reelection following accusations of infidelity during his divorce proceedings but changed his mind after Donald Trump urged him to stay in the race. He won the general election over Barry with approximately 60% of the votes.
I am not sure that Barry's previous felony conviction and her sordid affair would hinder her political resurrection. Americans in general are much less concerned about sexual morality or marital infidelity than they once were. Also, Americans have become accustomed to massive corruption, as exemplified by Donald Trump. Many voters love Trump despite his lack of morality. Barry's affair and related crimes seem quaint by comparison. Trump has kind of made all politicians scandal-proof.
I don't know what her chances of victory in a race would be. As of now, we don't even know who her opponent would be. The district is mostly rural, and all districts are drawn to be Republican majority districts. I don't know how she would be received among rural conservative voters. Time having passed since her scandal will make her less of a pariah; however, the passage of time dampens her name recognition and the depth of political connections.
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