July 19th Update: Who is Running for Mark Green's Seat. Who has filed, dropped out, raised money.

State House Rep.
Vincent Dixie

by Rod Williams, July 19, 2025 update (Draft of a Work in Progress)- Another name surfacing to run in the Democrat primary for the District 7 seat and that is state Rep. Aftyn Behn, who lives just outside the 7th District in East Nashville. 

J6 Insurrectionist
Stewart Parks

Democratic state Rep. Vincent Dixie of Nashville announced Tuesday he is running for the seat. He had been assumed to be running, but it is now official. Dixie was the first Black lawmaker to chair the House Democratic Caucus and sparred frequently with Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton.

Rep. Jay Reedy of Erin said he decided not to enter the race despite filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

According to a July 15th Nashville Banner story, these are the Republican candidates running for the District 7 seat:

• former Tennessee General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps, 
• State Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson, 
• state Rep. Lee Reeves of Franklin, 
• Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight of Clarksville and 
• U.S. Army veteran Jonathan Thorp of Clarksville. 
• Mason Foley, who works for Main Street Health, also filed candidate paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. 
• Stewart Parks, who served time in federal prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot — and was pardoned by President Donald Trump  — announced his candidacy at a Benton County Republican Party event last week. 

Note that there are several prominent names not on this Nashville Banner list, such as Robbie Starbucks. Also, some prominent people who were mentioned earlier on such as Alice Rolli and John Rich are no longer being mentioned, so I am assuming they are not running.

On the Democrat side, neither former Nashville mayor Megan Barry nor former mayor John Cooper are being mentioned anymore, so I assume they are not running. 

Below is information from the Federal Election Commission showing who has filed paperwork to run and showing who and how much money has been raised. 

Gov. Bill Lee has set Oct. 7 as the date for the primary election and Dec. 2 for the general election. As of this date, the Secretary of State's website does not list those dates and I do not know the qualifying deadline date. 

by Rod Williams, July 11, 2025- On July 8th, News Channel 5 published the following list of Republicans who have declared or could soon potentially declare they will run for the open U.S. House seat.

• Tennessee House District 69 Representative Jody Barrett (declared)
• Healthcare Executive Jeff Beierlein (undeclared)
• Clarksville Ward 3 City Councilman Jason Knight (declared) 
• Deputy Director, Americans for Prosperity Tennessee, Michael Lofti (undeclared)
• Tennessee House District 68 Representative Aron Maberry (undeclared)
• Former Tennessee House District 61 Representative Brandon Ogles (undeclared)
• Real Estate Businessman Stewart Parks (declared)
• Tennessee House District 74 Representative Jay Reedy (declared)
• Tennessee House District 65 Representative Lee Reeves (undeclared)
• Social Media Influencer Robby Starbuck (undeclared)
• Former Tennessee General Services Administrator Matt Van Epps (declared)
• John Wilt (undeclared)

Note that the only two name that are additions to the names I have previously listed are Lee Reeves and John Wilt. I had posted a stand-alone post about Lee Reeves candidacy. 

What is most notable is that important names of people who I had previously listed are not on the Channel 5 list. Alice Rolli is not on the list. John Rich is not on the list and several others. I am going to assume they are not running. 

by Rod Williams, July 3, 2025 update -(Draft of a Work in Progress) Some names have been added to this list but the big news is that Robby Starbuck is jumping in the race. More to come. Stay tuned.

by Rod Williams, June 24, 2025 -With Congressman Mark Green's announcement that he will be resigning his seat in Congress as soon as the Great Big Beautiful Bill is passed, a bunch of people have indicated, or announced, or let speculation grow that they may be seeking the vacant seat. Since it is very doubtful that a Democrat can win the seat, whoever wins the Republican primary for the nomination will most likely become the next Seventh District Congressman. Here is a list of potential candidates:

Robby Starbuck

Robby Starbuck attempted to run for the 5th Congressional district in 2022 but was deigned ballot access to run as a Republican because he failed to meet the party's definition of a bonafide Republican. He had not been in the state long enough to vote in the required number of Republican primaries. That denial of the right to run as a Republican led to legal challenges and appeals but in the end the Party prevailed. 

Since then, Starbuck has stayed active and been in the public eye challenging corporate policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and donations to pride events. He had several impressive victories taking on companies such as Lowe’s, Jack Daniel’s, Indian Motorcycle and Polaris. Starbuck has received national attention, having appeared on Fox News and having spoken at CPAC and having been covered by the national mainstream press. 

I do not know if Starbuck lives in the 7th Congressional District or not. When he attempted to run for the 5th Congressional District, he lived in the 5th. A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives does not have to live in the specific congressional district they are seeking to represent. 

If Starbuck does run, I suspect he would be a leading contender. To learn more about Starbuck's background see the Wikipedia entry at this link. To see previous Disgruntled Republican blog post regarding Robby Starbuck follow this link.

Matt Van Epps

Matt Van Epps, Tennessee Department of General Services Commissioner has resigned his post as Commissioner and announced his candidacy two weeks ago. Van Epps graduated from West Point and served multiple combat deployments as a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based in Clarksville and continues to serve in the Tennessee Army National Guard. A Nashville resident, he was previously senior vice president of operations at Main Street Health, a rural healthcare company. (link) (link)

Alice Rolli

Alice Rolli, former mayoral candidate, told Axios she's thinking about running.

Jon Thorp of Springfield, a former officer in the U.S. Army who served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is labeling himself as a political outsider under the "Liberty Reset" movement. He is calling for "fiscal sanity," congressional and bureaucratic term limits and full audits of government agencies. Thorp acknowledges he hasn't voted in 24 years because he didn't like candidates from either major political party.  

Maj. Jason Knight of Clarksville is veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. He is a Montgomery County commissioner and former Clarksville City Council member. He describes himself as "staunch constitutionalist and a proven conservative" who would support increased border security and efforts to deport "criminals." (link) 

Michael Lotfi, Deputy State Director of Americans for Prosperity, has said he is considering entering the race. Lotfi has ties to disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada who six years ago put him on the state payroll in a move that generated controversy.  

Republican state Sen. Bill Powers of Clarksville out

Republican state Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson (link)

Former Republican state Rep. Brandon Ogles of Brentwood, who is a cousin of Fifth Congressional District Congressman Andy Ogles.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton

State Rep. Gino Bulso

Chris Burger, a Tennessee political operative

John Rich

John Rich, County music star and half of the Big & Rich duo, and owner of the Redneck Riveria honkytonk on lower Broadway and a Trump enthusiast is being mentioned. I have no idea how seriously to take this; however, we know that Trump likes celebrities, and Rich would fit the mold of the type of people Trump has previously endorsed for office and a Trump endorsement would go a long way in securing the nomination. However, often Trump's celebrity picks help a nominee win the Republican nomination to go on to lose a relatively safe seat to a Democrat. 

Jeff Beierlein

Eric Deems

Rep. Aaron Mayberry

Mark Moore is out

Robby Moore, mayor of Lobelville in Perry County

Steward Parks, a real estate developer and Jan. 6th prisoner.

Republican State Rep. Jay Reedy

On the Democrat side, former Nashville mayors Megan Barry and John Cooper are also being floated as potential contenders. State Rep. Vincent Dixie, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, former Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover and Darden Copeland, founder of Nashville-based land use consulting, State Rep. Bo Mitchell, and state Sen. Jeff Yarbro are potential candidates.

This is a draft of a work in progress. Updates will occur as I learn more. Stay tuned. 

If by chance any candidate is reading this blog, please put me on your press distribution list. If you have issued a statement regarding your candidacy, please send it to be at Rodwilliams47@yahoo.com.

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Robby Starbuck Sues Meta

Robby Starbuck

The Pamphleteer, May 5, 2025- Conservative activist and 2022 Tennessee US Congressional District 5 candidate, Robby Starbuck, is suing Meta over artificial intelligence chatbot disinformation. “This all started with Meta’s AI falsely claiming that I was charged with a crime from January 6th but… I wasn’t even in DC that day (I was in TN) and I’ve never been charged with a crime IN MY LIFE,” Starbuck posted on X last week. 

According to Starbuck, Meta was notified about the defamation issues last year, but nothing was done to address them until Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, apologized for the AI last Tuesday. 

"It’s too late to solve this with an apology,” Starbuck told Fox News Digital. “It’s been nearly a year. People doxxed my kids." The outcome of the suit is expected to have major implications for how the court handles the spread of disinformation and misinformation through artificial intelligence online.

Rod's Comment: You may recall Robby Starbuck attempted to run as a Republican for Congress in 2022 and was disqualified by the GOP State Executive Committe for failing to meet the test for a bonafide Republican. He sued the Republican Party and lost. Since then, Starbucks has successfully campaigned to convince several companies, including Ford and Lowe's, to drop their DEI policies. For previous Disgruntled Republican post regarding Starbucks, follow this link.  

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Thanks to Robby Starbuck's Effort another one Drops Woke Policies.

By Jon Styf, The Center Square, Sep 5, 2024 - Molson Coors was the latest this week to change its corporate policies after receiving communication from Tennessee’s Robby Starbuck.

Molson Coors told employees it would end participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, end training for diversity, equity and inclusion, end donations to division events, end supplier diversity goals, end employee resources groups aimed at specific groups and end executive and employee compensation goals tied to DEI.

“Our campaigns are so effective that we’re getting multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without me even posting just from the fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck wrote.

The Molson Coors changes came after Lowe’s and Ford announced similar recent changes in response to Starbuck.

Jack Daniel’s, Indian Motorcycle, Polaris, Harley-Davidson, John Deere and Tractor Supply also made corporate statements on how the companies would shift policies to limit or eliminate DEI priorities in response to Starbuck.

Starbuck was a 2022 Republican write-in candidate in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District after being removed from the ballot by the Tennessee Republican Party.

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Conservative activist's push leads to policy changes at Lowe's, Ford and more

Robby Starbuck

By Jon Styf, The Center Square, Aug. 28, 2024 - Tennessee conservative activist Robby Starbuck has continued to impact corporate policies on diversity, equity and inclusion and donations to pride events, most recently at companies such as Lowe’s, Jack Daniel’s, Indian Motorcycle and Polaris.

Starbuck previously made public policies at Harley-Davidson, John Deere and Tractor Supply that led to corporate statements on how the companies would shift policies to limit or eliminate DEI priorities.

This week, Lowe’s made a statement that it would stop participation in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index along with stopping donations to pride events and ending its employee resource groups, which separate employees with specific characteristics such as sexual orientation or gender to provide corporate resources.

On Wednesday, Starbuck said that Ford did the same, ending involvement in HRC's index, pride donations and vowing that ERC groups will be focused on business. Ford also said that it does not have supplier or dealership quotas.

“We’re now forcing multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without even posting just from fear they have of being the next company that we expose,” Starbuck wrote. “We are winning and one by one we WILL bring sanity back to corporate America.”

Starbuck said that he was tipped off that Lowe’s was a company to look into after a pair of employees from Lowe’s DEI team visited his LinkedIn profile.

The Lowe’s changes were announced a week after Starbuck messaged its corporate leadership regarding the company’s corporate policies.

Starbuck was a 2022 Republican write-in candidate in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District after being removed from the ballot by the Tennessee Republican Party.

Jack Daniel’s parent company Brown-Forman recently announced changes in its company, just as Starbuck said he was about to write about the company’s policies but after he had gone through many employee LinkedIn pages, meaning they received notification he was looking at their pages.

Jack Daniel’s also left the HRC Corporate Equality Index along with announcing that executive and employee bonuses and goals would be tied to business performance and not DEI and it would end specific training that Starbuck described as “woke.”

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Robby Starbuck turns focus to John Deere policies

 By Jon Styf, The Center Square, July 13 - Two weeks after shining a light on Tractor Supply Co.’s corporate policies and sponsorships related to diversity, equity and inclusion, Robby Starbuck has taken aim at John Deere.

Starbuck, a 2022 Republican write-in candidate in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, posted his first set of issues with John Deere’s policies on Tuesday. His sunlight on Tractor Supply Co. drew response from the company changing policies.

Starbuck says John Deere, headquarters in Moline, Ill., is funding "pride events," meaning those promoting homosexual activity; using preferred pronouns; and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion policies across the board in the company, including in its Latin America and India branches.

“What’s unknown is whether CEO John May is knowingly forcing these policies or if it’s gotten out of control and he’s out of the loop on how bad it is,” Starbuck wrote. “His response to this story will be very revealing as to the culpability in the implementation of woke policies.”

The Center Square was unsuccessful obtaining comment for this story from John Deere before publication.

Starbuck said Bill Gates is listed as John Deere’s largest shareholder, the company has implemented
“Genderbread man” training and that it is using the “United for Equity” program while promoting what he called “bigotry against Christians.”

The accusations come as John Deere announced large layoffs despite reported net income of nearly $2.4 billion for the second quarter of 2024, which ended April 28.

Starbuck said his post was just the beginning on the subject, which will continue with company donations, hiring practices, causes it supported, and what its executives have said in interviews.

“John Deere seems to have forgotten who their customers are,” Starbuck wrote. “Having a farm myself, I’m disgusted that a once great American brand is now taking this turn to seemingly embrace leftist policies that are diametrically opposed to the values of most farmers.”

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Brentwood's Tractor Supply ends DEI initiatives, pride funding

By Jon Styf, The Center Square, Jul 3, 2024 - Brentwood-based Tractor Supply announced it is eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion roles and goals along with discontinuing sending data to the Human Rights Campaign in response to conservative complaints related to its policies.

Former Fifth Congressional District candidate Robby Starbuck brought the complaints to light in a June 6 social media post on the topic.

Starbuck said that Tractor Supply had a DEI Council, it funded sex change operations and it funded pride and drag events, climate change activism and hosted LGBTQIA events at the office.

“We must make our voices heard,” Starbuck wrote. “(CEO) Hal Lawton needs to understand that we don’t want our hard earned money spent on these woke priorities. If he supports this stuff then he should spend some of his $11M salary or tens of millions in stock on it instead of using the money we spend at Tractor Supply.”

In response, Tractor Supply said it was discontinuing the DEI efforts, is withdrawing its carbon emission goals and focus on both land and water conservation efforts and it would further focus on “rural America priorities” such as ag education, animal welfare, veterans causes and being a good neighbor.

The company said it would stop being involved in pride festivals and voting campaigns.

“This monumental change is thanks to all of you who supported my work exposing this, to the whistleblowers in Tractor Supply and my fellow farm owners who respectfully spoke up,” Starbuck wrote about Tractor Supply’s statement. “I’m working to get more information about these changes but this is a fantastic moment for the fight to banish wokeness, DEI and ESG from the workplace.”

In response to the changes at Tractor Supply, National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd called for Lawton’s resignation.

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Andy Ogles dodges likely primary rival under Tennessee GOP edict

Rep. Andy Ogles

BY ANDY SHER, The Tennessee Journal, JANUARY 29, 2024 - Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee members wrangled at considerable length last weekend before voting narrowly to immediately put a party-purity rule into effect that could give freshman U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Culleoka an easier path toward re-election.

The rule was previously to take effect in 2026 for would-be GOP candidates seeking to run under the party’s banner. In a 32-29 decision, SEC members opted to go with a 2024 timeline. It is expected to keep some potential GOP candidates off the ballot. 

Among them are businessman and investor Baxter Lee and conservative activist and video director Robby Starbuck who are said to have been eying the state’s Republican primary for a 5th Congressional District bid in 2026. 

The SEC’s action on Saturday is expected to benefit first-term incumbent 5th District Congressman Andy Ogles, ... Under the version of the “bona fide” standards adopted Saturday, GOP hopefuls would have to have voted in three of the following four most recent GOP primaries before qualifying for the August 2024 primary. 

• March of 2020 (Super Tuesday).
• August 2020 (GOP state and federal primaries).
• August 2022 (GOP state and federal primaries).
• March 2024 (Super Tuesday). 

(Read more)

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Tennessee's 5th Congressional District race between Ogles, Campbell will take spotlight on Nov. 8

Andy Ogles, left, at the entrance to a voting location
 Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Brentwood, Tenn.

By Jon Styf | The Center Square Sep 27, 2022  — Of Tennessee’s nine congressional seats on the upcoming Nov. 8 ballot, the one expected to get the most attention statewide is the newly drawn 5th Congressional District including some of Nashville.

Republican Andy Ogles, the Maury County mayor, is taking on Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, in a contest of contrasting ideologies.

Ogles is pro-life, stating "life begins at conception, and we are duty-bound to protect it at every stage until natural death." Campbell, meanwhile, believes that Tennesseans should have the right to choose abortion, saying "everyone should have the freedom to decide what is best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to abortion."

Campbell has also opposed Amendment 1 on the upcoming ballot, which would put right to work in the Tennessee Constitution.

Early voting begins on Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 election.

Before then, Campbell has been calling for a debate. Those favored to win a race, however, are often less likely to commit to a debate as it is less likely to help their chances than an underdog.

"Voters deserve a public debate from candidates who run for Congress," Campbell said. "Families deserve to hear why he wants to defund public schools, ban abortion nationwide and increase prescription drug costs on seniors. I guess if I had to defend his ugly record, I’d be hiding too."

Ogles, meanwhile, has campaigned for more responsible government spending such as the recent $740 billion spending bill dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act by congressional Democrats despite the fact most Americans believe that it will not reduce inflation.

Spending has increased by $9 trillion, inflation increased by 550%, and food prices are up 13.5% under the Biden administration," Ogles tweeted. "Enough is enough! We must cut wasteful spending, strive toward energy independence, and restore the American supply chain."

Ogles has opposed Biden’s plan to hire 87,000 more Internal Revenue Service agents as part of the bill.

While Campbell won her primary unopposed, Ogles advanced through a crowded field with plenty of drama as three candidates were removed by the state’s Republican Party before the election and one of them — Robby Starbuck — received nearly 2,500 write-in votes to finish fifth in the race behind Ogles, former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell, Kurt Winstead and Jeff Beierlein.

Ogles fared best in the Maury and Williamson county portions of the district with more than 6,500 primary votes in each while Harwell nearly doubled Ogles in the Davidson County portion of the district.

Portions of Wilson, Marshall and Lewis counties are also in the district, which was redrawn this year before U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper announced he would not run for the seat after Nashville and Davidson County were split between two districts. 

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Robby Starbuck will run as a write-in candidate in the August Republican primary for the open 5th Congressional District

link 

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Robby Starbuck is off the Republican Primary ballot. Supreme Court rules against him, vacates the Judge Perkins ruling of June 3rd.

Robby Starbuck

by Rod Williams, June 10, 2022- Robby Starbuck had until 10AM Thursday to file a response with the Tennessee Supreme Cout to a petition requesting that the Court of Appeals vacate Judge Perkins’ June 3rd that placed Starbuck back on the primary ballot last week and ruled that the Tennessee Republican Party violated the Open Meetings Act by holding a closed-door meeting to kick him off of the ballot. 

Starbuck responded in a timely manner. In his response, Starbuck argues that the petition should be denied because the factual basis for it is incorrect and that "it is doubtful that this Court has jurisdiction to grant such a petition." 

The Supreme Court ruled against Starbuck. Here is the Court's conclusion:

The order of the trial court granting Mr. Starbuck a temporary injunction is vacated,
and the case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this 
opinion. The Appellants’ motion to stay the injunction pending appeal, as well as the State 
Officials’ petition for a common law writ of certiorari and supersedeas, are denied as moot. 
This Opinion is not subject to rehearing under Tennessee Rule of Appellate 
Procedure 39, and the Clerk is directed to certify this Opinion as final and to immediately 
issue the mandate. Costs on appeal are taxed to Mr. Starbuck, for which execution may issue if necessary.

So, Robby Starbuck will not be on the Republican primary ballot. Of course, if he chose to do so, he could run as an independent.

To read the ruling follow this link.

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Update on the Robby Starbuck ballot access battle. Robby’s legal team has until 10:00am in the morning, Thursday, to file a response to move to vacate the June 3rd order.

by Rod Williams, June 8, 2022- Here is an update on the Robby Starbuck ballot access saga.

As it stands now, the Tennessee Secretary of State, Tre Hargett, and Commissioner of Elections, Mark Goins, on June 7th filed a petition for Common Law Writ of Certiorari and Supersedeas, requesting that the Court of Appeals vacate Judge Perkins’ June 3rd order. That was the order that placed Starbuck back on the primary ballot last week and ruled that the Tennessee Republican Party violated the Open Meetings Act by holding a closed-door meeting to kick him off of the ballot. 

Further, concurrent on the 7th the Tennessee Republican Party filed a motion for the TN Supreme Court to Assume Jurisdiction pursuant to the Court’s Rule 48. Earlier today the Supreme Court granted the motion for them to assume jurisdiction of the case.  They have given Robby’s legal team until 10:00am in the morning, Thursday, to file a response.

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State Supreme Court granted an appeal of a lower court's decision that put Robby Starbuck back on the Republican primary ballot. Robby is probably going to get kicked off the ballot again.

Robby Starbuck

by Rod Williams, June 8, 2022- Today the State Supreme Court granted to the State of Tennessee an appeal of a lower court's decision that put Robby Starbuck back on the Republican primary ballot. The appeal was filed yesterday and granted today. Starbuck was placed back on the primary ballot last week after a county court ruled that the Tennessee Republican Party violated the Open Meetings Act by holding a closed-door meeting to kick him off of the ballot.

Signatories on the petition include Tennessee Republican officials such as Attorney General Herb Slatery.

Now, I assume Bobby Starbuck will answer the appeal quickly and the Supreme Court will quickly reach a decision. I suspect the decision will again remove Starbucks from the ballot. 

Stay tuned for an update. 

While Robby Starbuck did not gain former President Trump's endorsement, Robby seems more Trumpinista than the candidate Trump did endorse. Starbuck has the support of Senator Rand Paul, was a speaker at CPAC, and has appeared on Fox News and other national talk shows. There is national interest in his campaign.

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Tennessee files petition to appeal a lower court's decision that put Robby Starbuck back on the GOP ballot

Robby Starbuck

By Madeleine Hubbard, Just the News, June 7, 2022 - The State of Tennessee filed a petition on Tuesday to appeal a lower court's decision that put Robby Starbuck back on the Republican primary ballot. Starbuck was placed back on the primary ballot last week after a county court ruled that the Tennessee Republican Party violated the Open Meetings Act by holding a closed-door meeting to kick him off of the ballot.

Signatories on the petition include Tennessee Republican officials such as Attorney General Herb Slatery. (link)

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Tennessee's Starbuck granted injunction, back on 5th Congressional Republican primary ballot

by Jon Styf | The Center Square, June 4, 2022-  Robby Starbuck was ordered to be placed back on the Republican ballot for the Aug. 4 primary in the 5th Congressional District in Tennessee after a judge granted his request for a temporary injunction on Friday night.

Starbuck had previously lost a request for an injunction in U.S. District Court but was granted the injunction by Chancery Judge Russell Perkins in Davidson County Chancery Court.

Perkins ruled that Tennessee’s Republican Party violated the state’s Open Meetings Act by voting 13-3 against his Tennessee Republican bonafides at a closed meeting.

"All other appropriate public officials are expected to immediately take steps to treat the Defendants’ April 11, 2022, decision as a nullity and restore Plaintiff, Robby Starbuck Newsom, also known as Robby Starbuck, to the ballot," Perkins wrote.

Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden told The Tennessee Star Saturday that the party would appeal the decision.

Starbuck’s lead attorney Eric Osborne of Nashville's Sherrard, Roe, Voigt and Harbison had argued the case in front of Perkins on Thursday, requesting the injunction based on the state law portion of the prior suit, including an open meetings claim against Tennessee's Republican Party.

"During a call with Mr. Starbuck in March, the TRP first indicated its meeting to decide the merits of the complaint against him (which would eventually take place on April 19, 2022) would be public," the suit claimed. "However, just days before the April 19 meeting, the TRP informed Mr. Starbuck he could participate by Zoom — but it would not be a public meeting. And, in fact, within 24 hours of that meeting, the TRP informed Mr. Starbuck that his representatives could not join him if he attended. And, ultimately, on the day of the meeting, the TRP told him he could not participate, either."

"BREAKING: WE DID IT! WE WON our court case!," Starbuck tweeted. "The court has instructed @TNGOP to tell the state that their decision to kick me off the ballot is invalid! Tennessee needs a fighter and we've proven with my relentless pursuit of Justice that I'll be the fighter TN needs!

"Lastly I want to make clear that when I say WE WON, I mean you, me, my family, justice, goodness, free and fair elections and most of all, faith WON. Faith guided me against all odds and advice. I trusted God and WE WON! Tennessee's NOT Cuba and voters WILL decide our election!"

Trump-backed Morgan Ortagus and Baxter Lee were also removed from the ballot by the Tennessee GOP on the same day.

In mid-May, U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw denied Starbuck's request for an emergency injunction based on federal law and instead sent that lawsuit to a magistrate judge.

Starbuck had filed the case against Golden, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins.

In his ruling, Crenshaw said that there was a question whether Golden was a state actor in his position as GOP chair. He also said that the court was not in charge of the GOP's executive committee following its own rules on the vote to remove Starbuck and the others from the ballot and said that a new state law limiting which candidates could run for the position was irrelevant after Hargett said it could not be enforced because it became law after the candidate filing date.

That law is subject to a separate suit, which Crenshaw cited, on behalf of Ortagus in front of Judge Eli Richardson.

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Robby Starbuck is back on the ballot! Watch The Tennessean video interview.

The Tennessean, June 4, 2022 - A Nashville judge has ordered the Tennessee Republican Party to reinstate Robby Starbuck to the 5th congressional Republican primary. The ruling, issued Friday evening by Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins, stated the Tennessee Republican Party's executive committee violated the state open meetings act when it removed Starbuck from the ballot. 

In April, the state party removed Starbuck, Morgan Ortagus and Baxter Lee from the 5th congressional district primary for not meeting its bonafide Republican requirements. (read more)

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Judge declines to place ousted Republican hopeful back on ballot

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday denied a congressional hopeful's motion to reverse his removal from the GOP primary ballot.

In his 19-page decision, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw said that while the Tennessee Republican Party may have possibly violated its own bylaws in kicking video producer Robby Starbuck off the ballot, it did not violate the U.S. Constitution. ... Last month, state GOP officials confirmed that Starbuck, small business owner Baxter Lee and former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus did not qualify to run in the upcoming Republican August primary. All three had received challenges over their voting records. Starbuck has been the only candidate who has fought to overturn the Republican Party's decision in court. (link)

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Starbuck files lawsuit to be added to Tennessee's 5th Congressional Republican ballot

Robby Starbuck

By Jon Styf | The Center Square, May 3, 2022 -  Former Republican 5th Congressional District candidate Robby Starbuck has filed suit in federal court stating that he should be placed back on the ballot for the Aug. 4 Republican primary.

The suit claims that the Tennessee Republican Party did not follow its own bylaws, incorrectly held a private meeting and then came to a conclusion that Starbuck, Morgan Ortagus and Baxter Lee were removed from the ballot.

It also claims that at least one member of the voting board voted against both Starbuck and Ortagus based upon a new residency law passed in the state and not based upon the party's bylaws.

"The abrupt removal of Mr. Starbuck and Ms. Ortagus from the 5th District Republican race clears the way for Beth Harwell, former Chair of the TRP and former speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives," according to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

The defendant names on the suit are Tennessee GOP chair Scott Golden, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins.

Starbuck’s suit says that he was told he was removed by a 13-3 vote because he lacked Republican "bona fides" and that he had not voted in the required three of four past Republican primaries. But the bylaws actually allow for letters attesting to a candidates Republican bona fides to take the place of that voting.

"On a call on April 19, 2022, after the vote, Defendant Golden told Mr. Starbuck that no candidate had ever provided so many vouching letters and still been removed from the ballot," the suit stated. "Indeed, he would discover that some Republicans had been permitted to compete in primary elections with neither a qualifying voting record, nor vouching letters."

Starbuck said that one member of the committee stated that she voted against Starbuck not on the basis of his voting record but due to a new state law that became law without Gov. Bill Lee’s signature that requires party primary candidates to have lived in the state for three years before running.

Hargett, through a spokesperson, said that law would not impact this primary because it became law after the filing deadline.

"On information and belief, subcommittee member Angie McClanahan has stated that her vote to end Mr. Starbuck’s candidacy was specifically not based on his voting record," the suit states. "Instead, she has informed others that her vote was based solely on a state law, referring to Tennessee’s new — and inapplicable — residency law, to disqualify Mr. Starbuck."

Three Tennessee residents filed suit against the law on behalf of Ortagus.

Starbuck’s suit states that he moved to Williamson County in Dec. 2018 and has been working with Republican candidates since, saying he has "raised and spent over $100,000 in reliance on the TRP’s rules in its Bylaws" already on his campaign.

Starbuck’s suit also claims that the Republican Party violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act when it voted to terminate his candidacy. Starbuck states in the suit that he was, at first, told the vote would occur at a public meeting, later that he could participate via Zoom and then later told he could not participate at all.

Starbuck also held that the ruling is against the qualifications clause of the U.S. Constitution because it adds "substantive qualifications for federal office that are not in the Constitution."

Starbuck claims he has submitted evidence from hundreds of Tennessee voters, Republican leaders and politicians backing his Republican bona fides.

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Robby Starbuck, barred from Republican primary ballot, sues GOP and the state. Morgan Ortagus, the Trump-backed candidate who was also blocked from the primary ballot, is not challenging the decision.

Read all about it: link.

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Heritage Foundation does a sloppy job explaining, "Why Tennessee’s New Residency Requirement for Congressional Candidates Is Blatantly Unconstitutional."

by Rod Williams, May 1, 2022- The Heritage Foundation is one of the policy thank-tanks that I have long supported.  Generally, I find their analysis and policy positions well-reasoned. I seldom disagree with Heritage and am often enlighted and educated.  

Resently Heritage posted an essay by  Hans A. von Spakovsky  entitled, "Why Tennessee’s New Residency Requirement for Congressional Candidates Is Blatantly Unconstitutional."  In it, he explains that the Constitution lays out the qualifications for those running for Congress and that states may not add additional requirements. 

I don't doubt he is right, as far as he goes.  However, I think this is a sloppy piece of work. During the consideration of the bill, this issue addressed by Mr. Spaakovsky was discussed. Those who sponsored the bill argued that by passing the bill, they were not adding new requirements to run for Congress; they were adding requirements to seek the nomination of a political party in a primary election.  Those denied the opportunity to run in a primary due to the new residency requirement may still run as an independent. 

Maybe that reasoning is faulty. I am not convinced that the argument will hold water. In any event, Mr. Spakovky should have addressed that argument. He just ignored it.

I am not sure the new law will be challenged in court. Primarily, because for the upcoming election the law is not in effect.  Governor Bill Lee did not sign the law and it became law without his signature. While waiting for it to become law, the qualifying deadline came and went. Laws cannot be retroactive. So, if the law is legal, and unless it is challenged it will be assumed to be legal, it will not apply to the upcoming primary but to the next primary for Congressional candidates. The law is keeping no one off the ballot.

Also, it should be noted that the candidates the law was aimed at keeping off the ballot, are at this time not on the ballot. They are not off of the ballot because of the new law, but because the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee ruled they were not eligible.  The ineligibility was for the same residency reason as the law.  Parties get to decide who can run under their label. The Executive Committee's decision was not based on law but on party policy.

For the record, I do not think candidates Morgan Ortegas and Robbie Starbuck should have been kicked off the ballot. If Fifth Congressional primary voting Republicans think that these candidates do not merit becoming the party's candidate let that be determined at the ballot box.  At the same time, I do not demonize the members of the Executive Committee as RINO's, liberals, insiders, the swamp, or thugs as some Republicans have done.  I respectfully disagree with the decision of the Executive Committee.

At this point, I do not know what recourse the removed candidates have. My Spakovky sheds no light on this issue. 

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Lies and basic nonsense is being spread by critics of the TN GOP SEC decisions to remove Ortagus and Starbuck and Lee.

Mark Rogers

By Mark Rogers, originally appearing on a Facebook post, 4-22-202-  Lots of lies and basic nonsense is being spread by critics of the TN GOP SEC decisions to remove Ortagus and Starbuck and Lee. 

1) The SEC is dominated by people who were MAGA when Trump was only grifting business associates. Sadly too few true old-school Rs left.

2) The requirement that candidates vote in 3 of 4 primaries was a far-right move when they couldn't get legislative support for closing primaries. Regardless of what some people are saying, it wasn't moderates who are responsible for removing Starbuck and Ortagus.

3) Having someone vouch for a candidate isn't a silver bullet. SEC members are free to reject a candidate if they don’t think the person has been active in the party. Neither Ortagus or Starbuck had done anything for local Republicans in any of the 6 counties before running for a seat in Congress. There was no conspiracy of moderates or rules violation by the SEC. 

Personally, I think Baxter Lee got hosed but Ortagus and Starbuck are as 'Middle Tennessee' as the topless bachelorettes projectile vomiting from a party bus on Broadway. It isn't the newness, it is the lack of any involvement before wanting to represent us.

Rod's Comment:  Mark Rogers has long been active in Republican Party politics and is an astute observer of political trends and events and Republican politics. 

I think his observations on the issue of the SEC's removal of Ortagus and Starbuck and Lee is correct. I disagree with the decision to remove these three candidates but it was not RINO's, thugs, insiders, moderates, or the swam who removed these three candidates from the ballot. 

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