TN-5 candidate and retired Brigadier General Kurt Winstead’s past history of donating to Democratic Party candidates and causes in federal races has been well documented, and now, additional Democrat donations in Tennessee state races have been discovered.
A search of the Tennessee Online Campaign Finance website, which contains campaign finance reports dating back to at least 2000, shows that Winstead personally donated on at least seven occasions to Democratic campaigns.
In 2005 and 2006, Winstead is listed as donating $1,000 each year to former Tennessee Democrat Governor Phil Bredesen’s political action committee. Bredesen won his 2006 re-election campaign against Republican Jim Bryson.
In 2006, Winstead additionally donated $250 to Democrat Mary Parker, who lost to now-State Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson in the November general election, and $250 to former Democrat State Senator Lowe Finney’s campaign.
In 2008, he donated $200 to the State Senate campaign of Democrat Jim Hawkins, who lost to former State Senator and former U.S. Representative Diane Black.
In 2010, Winstead donated $250 to the Democrat gubernatorial campaign of Michael McWherter, who lost to former Governor Bill Haslam.
In 2013, he donated $250 to Democrat Judge Phil Smith, a Davidson County Circuit Court judge.
Winstead’s state-level Republican donations include three donations of over $1,000 each to Governor Bill Lee’s political action committee in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
As The Star previously reported, Winstead’s donation and voting history comes into direct contrast with statements made by Kurt Winstead’s campaign and in advertising. Kurt Winstead previously said, “I have been a conservative since conception, and I’ve been blessed to have a career outside politics. Our message is resonating with voters in the district, as our campaign continues to gain momentum.”
In 2006, Kurt Winstead donated $1,000 to Democrat U.S. Senate nominee and former U.S. Representative Harold Ford Jr. in the race against former U.S. Senator Bob Corker.
A year later, records show Kurt Winstead donated $250 to the Tennessee Democratic Party. In 2008, the TN-5 candidate donated $300 to Democrat Bob Tuke’s U.S. Senate campaign. Tuke went on to lose to former U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.
In 2010, Kurt Winstead donated $1,000 to Democrat Brett Carter, who lost in the 6th Congressional District race against former Republican U.S. Representative Diane Black.
Additionally, Winstead’s voting history, provided by Williamson County election officials, show that Winstead voted in the Democrat presidential preference primary in 2008, pulled a Democrat ballot in the August 2000 primary, and voted in the Democrat August primary in 1994.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo Kurt Winstead by Kurt Winstead.
TN GOP PARTY LEADERSHIP is awful! Scott Golden the chair of TN GOP, was a former employee of RINO Marsha Blackburn! Remember Marsha was going to support the voter integrity act that she promised Tennesseans! Marsha Broke her promise to Tennesseans but kept her promise to RINO self enriching Mitch McConnell! Marsha talks conservative while in TN but she quickly falls in line with Mitch McConnell when she is in the Washington DC swamp! Scott Golden and Marsha have done nothing to recruit, fund and place GOP candidates in Davidson county to grow a two party system. Marsha has been in congress since 2003! Is your life any better? We have higher national debt than ever, she does not vote against Mitch and in fact she cast her first vote for Mitch McConnell as a senator.! We need term limits!
What the hell is WIlliamson County Sheriff Dusty Rhodes doing endorsing this guy? I could get the WIllCo AG endorsing him, she’s a self-described “Bredesen Republican”. But why Dusty?
General Weathervane sounds simply awful to anyone who wants to see a conservative become the next congressman in the new Fifth District but that’s who the next congressman will be unless conservatives unite behind the only conservative candidate who can beat him – Beth Harwell.
First the carpetbaggers, now a closet leftist –
Winstead’s donation list is so obvious, one standout with quite a scandalous past !!
The other Conservative candidates should scream these facts on campaign ads hourly &
keep up the good work TNStar – thank you
I will forward article to the right folks over at 99.7
NOW you Leftist scumbag – you may leave my county
walker since 1780
lampley/stinson/greene/etc
So he’s a RINO….got it.
Sounds like an Eddie Mannis and Victor Ashe Republican. Only question at this point is will the State Republican Caucus get off their collective fence sitting asses and close the State Level Primaries?