Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, lost Thursday despite receiving nearly $500,000 in support from school voucher groups and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally‘s political action committee.(Photo: John Partipilo)
Big money couldn’t stop a Senate incumbent from suffering a loss Thursday in Tennessee’s Republican primary as the son of a U.S. congresswoman vaulted to victory in upper East Tennessee.
In contrast, massive political action committee spending pushed a sitting senator to victory in Sumner County and enabled a Senate challenger to upset a veteran lawmaker in East Tennessee’s District 8.
Kingsport pharmacist Bobby Harshbarger upset Sen. Jon Lundberg of Bristol in the District 4 race, aided by ads with his mother, U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, tying her endorsement from former President Donald Trump to him. According to results posted by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, Bobby Harshbarger captured 52% with a total vote count of 11,540 to Lundberg’s 10,668 votes and 48%.
Harshbarger won in spite of charges filed against his father for allegedly tampering with Lundberg election signs, which was caught on video camera.
Sen. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin defeated Chris Spencer of Hendersonville, co-founder of the Sumner County Constitutional Republicans, in Senate District 18.
Haile received the backing of two pro-voucher groups that spent almost $68,000 supporting his campaign, in addition to some $400,000 from Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s political action committee.
Spencer, who received no major support from PACs, spent about $14,000 on his campaign and made loans totaling $70,000 to the effort. He called for campaign finance reform at the state level to place limits on PAC spending.
In Senate District 8, newcomer Jessie Seal, a medical center public relations director from Claiborne County, defeated Sen. Frank Niceley, a Strawberry Plains farmer, capturing 10,200 votes, 55.6%, to Niceley’s 8,132, for 44.4%%.
Seal benefited from nearly $740,000 in PAC expenditures, mainly from the School Freedom Fund, which is backed by Club for Growth and billionaires Jeff Yass and Richard Uihlein.
Harshbarger’s campaign received a jolt from ads purchased by his mother featuring a photo of him saying, “Harshbarger endorsed by Trump,” that made no distinction between the two campaigns.
Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ken Yager filed a complaint this year with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance claiming collusion between Bobby Harshbarger’s campaign and that of his mother and a political action committee. The Registry board requested an Attorney General’s Office investigation, but it wasn’t finished by Election Day.
Lundberg, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, was supported from independent expenditures from dark-money political action committees and a $300,000 injection from McNally, the Senate speaker, and other top Republicans in the Senate as they tried to shore up re-elections for other Republican Caucus members in the upper chamber.
As education chairman, he was the chief negotiator for the Senate’s private-school voucher plan, which was supported by McNally and Haile. Lundberg received nearly $191,000 in independent expenditures from four pro-voucher groups, School Freedom Fund, Tennessee Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity and Tennesseans for Student Success.
The Registry board dismissed a complaint filed by a Harshbarger against Lundberg and McNally’s PAC, who used the same treasurer.
Hatcher roars to win
Republican Tom Hatcher of Maryville eased to a victory in Senate District 2 over state Rep. Bryan Richey who suspended his campaign.
Hatcher picked up 74% of the vote when the race was called by the Associated Press.
Richey claimed he favored private-school vouchers but then opposed a House plan before it crashed in the Legislature this year. Hatcher was helped by nearly $544,000 in independent spending, almost all of it coming from the School Freedom Fund, a pro-voucher group.
Hatcher faces Democrat Patti Young in the Nov. 5 general election.
Massey recaptures seat
State Sen. Becky Massey won another four-year term over Knoxville businesswoman Monica Irvine.
Massey, whose father John Duncan held a U.S. House seat followed by her brother, John Duncan, had 61% of the vote when Associate Press called the race. She will face Democrat Domonica Bryan in the general election.
Gardenhire romps
Republican Sen. Todd Gardenhire won handily over Ed LeCompte in Senate District 10 in Chattanooga.
Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gardenhire captured 81% of the vote, and will face Democrat Missy Crutchfield in November.
Yager wins again
Sen. Ken Yager of Kingston, chairman of Senate Republican Caucus, routed Republican challenger Teena Hedrick.
Yager poured money into McNally’s PAC to aid in the re-election of caucus members. He now faces Democrat Curtis Kelly in the general electoin
Stevens to return to Capitol
Sen. John Stevens of Huntingdon recaptured the District 24 seat in West Tennessee. Stevens faces no opposition in the November general.
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