The Tennessee Senate has non-concurred, essentially rejecting the House-passed version of the three-year residency requirement bill for federal candidates in primary.
The bill now goes back to the House, where they have the option to conform to the Senate version, or else the legislation goes to conference committee. The state House is expected to consider the legislation again this week.
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“I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” is now an official state song.
Governor Lee signed the legislation officially designating “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” an official state song on March 1. The legislation was carried by State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and State Rep. John Windle (D-Livingston). The votes in the House and Senate were unanimous with the exception of one House member voting present.
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New York native David Vitalli, one of three carpetbagger candidates in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District along with Morgan Ortagus and Robby Starbuck, addressed his candidacy and relocation to Tennessee.
“My wife and I fell in love with Tennessee in 2013 and spent a lot of time here. We knew that we would move here as soon as our first visit. I may not be a long-time resident of Tennessee, but I got here as soon as I could. I am invested in Tennessee’s 5th district. My home is here. I operate my business here. I didn’t come here looking for a job or to punch another notch on my move up the D.C. social ladder.” said Vitalli.
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Tennessee state Senate aide Tres Wittum is anticipating announcing his entry into the Tennessee 5th Congressional district Republican primary during the first week of April.
Tres Wittum told The Tennessee Star, “I’ve been in the exploratory phase. I’m meeting with business leaders and voters. The discussions have been overwhelmingly positive. It’s coming. I anticipate making an announcement concerning my entry into the race during the first week of April.”
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Redistricting has caused a Kansas swing U.S. House district to tilt in partisan makeup towards the GOP.
Kansas’ Third Congressional district, long-considered a swing district, went from a D+4 partisan rating prior to redistricting to a R+3 according to Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight ratings system.
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Deep blue Washington State contains a U.S. House district that is being targeted for Republican pickup.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that it is targeting Washington’s 8th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Kim Schrier.
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Vulnerable New Jersey Democrat U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7) is under fire for an anti-parent rant.
At a town hall, Malinowski referred to parents’ concerns about their kids’ education as “made-up cultural bulls**t because they want power. Not because they actually care about us.”
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Democrat-sponsored legislation which contains creation of firearm buyback program and refers to gun violence as a public health issue is scheduled for Tennessee General Assembly Committee consideration over the coming days.
The legislation requires the Tennessee Department of Safety to develop a firearm buyback program “in
collaboration with local community groups.”
Incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15) has elected to run for reelection in TX-34, leaving Texas’ Fifteenth Congressional district an open seat.
Redistricting changed the district lines and made an already competitive TX-15 an even more appetizing target for Republicans, who already have a nominee while the Democrats are scheduled to have a run-off in late May.
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Governor Bill Lee has placed his signature on House Joint Resolution 0856, a resolution recognizing the Mission America Foundation for the work they do to combat child and human trafficking.
The Mission America Foundation “is dedicated to eradicating Child and Human Trafficking. We utilize prior military personnel to investigate trafficking leads and providing intelligence to law enforcement agencies. We provide ‘Situationally Aware Fundamentally Empowered’ (S.A.F.E), self defense training to young boys and girls. Our focus is increasing trafficking awareness, through speaking engagements to bring awareness to the domestic trafficking problems that plague this great nation.”
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Michigan’s redistricting process has placed incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Dan Kildee in a competitive new 8th Congressional District.
Prior to redistricting changing the numbers and lines, Kildee was running in the old 5th district, a district he has represented since 2013. Kildee is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democrat Caucus.
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New Hampshire Governor Republican Chris Sununu has declared that he will veto the redistricting plan that was passed by the state Senate on Thursday.
The plan had previously passed the state House in January.
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Former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell has earned the endorsement of Maggie’s List in the race for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District. Maggie’s List is a federal political action committee (PAC) dedicated to electing fiscally conservative women.
In a release, Harwell said of the endorsement, “I’m honored to have the backing of such a prominent group, like Maggie’s List, that’s leading the way to get conservative women elected to Congress. We can restore America’s greatness by securing our border, lowering taxes, and ending the reckless spending that’s causing inflation.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office left the door open on the issue of utilizing taxpayer funding for a new Titans stadium to replace Metro Nashville-owned Nissan Stadium in a comment issued to The Tennessee Star.
“The Mayor’s Office continues to work closely with Titans leadership to find a responsible stadium solution. The Titans are important to Nashville and we know that being here is important to the Titans. Planning is still very much underway, and we do not have new details to share at this time.”
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Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden told The Tennessee Star, “I’m very optimistic about Nashville’s chances following the RNC’s site selection committee visit to Tennessee.”
The Star previously reported that Nashville is a finalist to be a host city for the 2024 Republican nominating convention.
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The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting GA-2 Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop for defeat.
In a release, NRCC Spokeswoman Camille Gallo said “Sanford Bishop is one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country because he supports Biden’s failed agenda that Georgians are soundly rejecting.”
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The New Hampshire State Senate is set to vote on the House-approved redistricting plan on Thursday.
New Hampshire is one of four remaining states that have yet to complete their congressional redistricting process. The others are Louisiana, Florida, and Missouri.
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Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden has confirmed to The Tennessee Star that the state party has received and verified challenges to the Republican bona fide status and ballot eligibility of TN-5 carpetbagger candidates Morgan Ortagus, Robby Starbuck, and David Vitalli.
Baxter Lee’s status has also been challenged, likely due to his vote in the 2020 Democrat presidential preference primary.
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Twenty individuals are now listed as collecting qualifying petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race as of last Friday by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
Fourteen people are collecting qualifying petitions for the GOP primary, three are gathering petitions for the Democrat primary, and three independents are also accumulating petitions.
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Metro Nashville Council approved a late filed resolution asking the Tennessee General Assembly to block a bill aimed at keeping LEAs and charter schools from distributing textbooks or other materials to children that include the promotion of the LGBT lifestyle at its March 15 meeting.
The resolution was sponsored by councilmembers Brett Withers, Nancy VanReece, Russ Bradford and Emily Benedict and urged “the Tennessee General Assembly to reject HB0800/SB1216 seeking to prohibit LEAs from utilizing textbooks or instructional materials addressing LGBT issues or lifestyles.”
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Announced TN-5 Congressional candidate Robby Starbuck is refusing to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his claim that he meets a proposed three-year residency requirement to be eligible for the August 4, 2022 GOP primary ballot.
“I’ve already provided proof of my residency to The Tennessean and to world-renowned journalist John Soloman [sic]. I’m not taking away from my kid’s spring break after a year of our family campaigning to satisfy the long list of requests made by the Star,” Starbuck emailed in The Tennessee Star on March 14, 2022.
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The race for Arizona’s 4th Congressional District is shaping up to be a very competitive one.
Redistricting changes to the district lines and the national environment are thought to be the main reasons why Republicans are targeting the seat.
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Senator Hagerty says that the “Biden administration finds itself on both sides” of the Ukraine issue.
At a Tennessee welcome-home ceremony Monday for Greg Kelly, a Tennessean who has been held in the Japanese judicial system for several years, The Tennessee Star asked Senator Hagerty why he didn’t sign a letter signed by 42 of his Republican U.S. Senate colleagues and demanding action in support of the Ukraine. The letter, co-drafted by Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), urged the Biden administration to give the Ukraine tools like fighter jets and other support capabilities from the United States, NATO allies, and other European partners in order to enable them to set up their own No-Fly-Zone.
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U.S. Representative Jim Hagedorn’s widow, Jennifer Carnahan, has announced her run for her husband’s former seat. Hagedorn passed away in February.
In a an announcement release provided to The Minnesota Sun, Carnahan said that her husband told her to run for the seat and to win.
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The Tennessee House has approved legislation creating a three-year residency requirement for federal candidates in primaries. The final vote was 86 to 0 to approve HB2764, as 6 members voted “present” on the legislation.
The companion bill, SB2616, had already passed the Tennessee Senate. The bills were originally markedly different in terms of the effective date, but that conflict was resolved.
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Metro Nashville Council’s meeting agenda is highlighted by resolutions accepting a family planning grant and distributing more than $1,000,000 to local nonprofits.
Metro Council meets on Tuesday, March 15 at the Metro Courthouse at 6:30pm.
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The campaigns for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District are two races that are important to the GOP’s chances at taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas of NH-1 and Teresa Leger-Fernández of NM-3 are two Democrat incumbents that could find themselves out of a job in November if their Republican challengers have their way.
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Republicans are taking aim at New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District seat, which is currently occupied by Democrat U.S. Representative Chris Pappas.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that they are targeting Pappas for defeat and there are four candidates in the Republican primary that are listed on their website as participating in the Young Guns program.
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The Tennessee Titans want a new stadium, switching gears from modernizing Nissan Stadium to making plans to build a new one in the lot next door. It is currently unclear how the team plans to raise the money to pay for it.
the Titans’ president, Burke Nihill, talked about the team’s goals for a new stadium at a March 10, 2022 Metro Nashville Sports Authority Finance Committee meeting. The Titans are reportedly working with Metro Nashville officials on the design and costs for a new stadium which would be located in the parking lots outside the current Nissan Stadium.
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In an op-ed published in the Left Wing Gannett-Owned Tennessean, TN-5 Carpetbagger Candidate Morgan Ortagus effectively told the GOP-Controlled Tennessee General Assembly to drop dead. She advocated against pending Tennessee General Assembly legislation that would establish a three-year residency requirement for candidates who seek to be on the ballot in primaries for the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.
The op-ed is titled “Morgan Ortagus: Tennessee voters should have the ultimate say on who represents them.” In the piece, Ortagus advocates The House version of the legislation is scheduled for a floor vote on Monday.
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Former Tennessee State Rep. Robin Smith pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection to an alleged conspiracy involving former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Glen Casada. Smith resigned effective Monday, March 7, after the charges were filed.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee announced that Smith pleaded guilty to a single count of Honest Services Wire Fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022.
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Metro Nashville Councilman and founding member of the Democratic Socialists of America – Middle Tennessee chapter Sean Parker posted an insensitive tweet Wednesday about rising gas prices.
When The Tennessee Star called Councilman Parker Thursday to ask his thoughts about soaring prices at the pump and its impact on Tennesseans, Parker declared he had no comment and abruptly ended the call.
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Engineer and mom Alexis Martinez Johnson is effectively the Republican nominee for New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District.
Martinez Johnson achieved over 87 percent of the vote in the recent 3rd-district GOP pre-primary convention. While Martinez Johnson still technically has to run in primary, because of her strong showing at the pre-primary convention, no other candidate is on the ballot.
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Tennessee House legislation establishing residency requirements for federal candidates is scheduled for a floor vote on Monday, March 14.
The companion bill, SB2616, has already passed the Tennessee Senate and is sitting on the House desk. The bills are currently markedly different in terms of effective date, but that conflict is expected to change when HB2764 comes to the floor.
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Gary Humble of Tennessee Stands may be gearing up to take on Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson in a primary for SD27.
Humble’s name is listed by the Williamson County Election Commission as collecting petitions for the GOP primary in the Twenty-Seventh district. Tennessee Stands is notable for their opposition to COVID mandates and advocacy for patient’s rights.
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In an unusual move, carpetbagger and current candidate in Tennessee’s Republican primary for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district Morgan Ortagus, has chosen to endorse a candidate in the Oklahoma U.S. Senate race.
In a tweet, Ortagus endorsed former Trump administration national security official Alex Gray for the retiring U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe’s seat, saying “I am eager to join my friends and Trump Admin colleagues @RichardGrenell and @robertcobrien in endorsing Alex Gray for U.S. Senate! Just as he did in the White House, Alex will work every day to put America First.”
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Democrats currently have the lead in redistricting efforts with four states still working on new maps.
Forty states, 46 if the states that have one congressional district are included, have finished the process of drawing new maps for U.S. House of Representatives districts. Only Florida, Missouri, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have yet to finish their redistricting process.
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Former Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden leads the financial contest in the race to replace retiring U.S. Representative Ron Kind in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, outpacing the nearest competitor by over a million dollars.
According to FEC records, Van Orden has raised $2,654,181.52 and has $1,427,840.31 cash on hand in the bank as of the December 31, 2021 deadline. Records also currently show that no other Republicans that have filed paperwork with the FEC. Orden has been endorsed by President Trump, as well as Wisconsin’s 3rd District Republican Party, and others.
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Legislation that would make it more difficult for Metro Nashville citizens to amend their city charter failed in a key Senate committee and is effectively dead for the year.
SB2544, which failed to pass out of the Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee, proposed to eliminate exemptions to the requirements for recall, referendum, or initiative in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 that allow Metro Nashville’s charter to govern the signature requirement process.
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Far-Left Justice Democrat Odessa Kelly has announced her bid in the Democrat primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, where Republican U.S. Representative Mark Green is the incumbent.
Kelly had been previously running in the 5th Congressional district primary against retiring Rep. Jim Cooper, who dropped out of the race due to redistricting.
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Wesley Somers, who pled guilty in connection to the Nashville Courthouse riot that occurred in May 2020, had his sentencing hearing postponed for the fourth time because a continuance was requested.
According to the clerk’s office of the Middle District of Tennessee Court, Somers is now scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2022 at 10am by Judge Aleta Trauger. Trauger was the judge who granted the motion to continue and reset the date.
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Recent New York transplant David M. Vitalli, who told a magazine that he’s a JFK Democrat and will run for President of the United States in 2024, has joined fellow carpetbaggers Morgan Ortagus and Robby Starbuck in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
Vitalli is listed as collecting petitions for the TN-5 GOP primary by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and he has filed FEC paperwork. Twelve other individuals are currently collecting petitions for the TN-5 GOP primary.
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Mitchell Swan, a retired military colonel and candidate in the Republican primary for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, is taking heat from the far Left because he wants to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s 2017 transgender military ban.
Media Matters, and LGBTQ Nation are among the far-Left outlets that are criticizing Swan’s position.
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State Rep. David Wright, the House sponsor of the bill that establishes residency requirements for federal candidates, told The Tennessee Star that he plans to make the language in his version match Senator Frank Niceley’s Senate-passed version.
“All I’m trying to do is to get a bill to the floor in the House so I can motion to substitute and conform to the Senate version.” said Wright. “I would hope that I can get this to Calendar and Rules on Thursday morning for it to be on the floor next week.”
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Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith (R-Hixson) resigned from office effective Monday, March 7 after being federally indicted of one count of wire fraud due to allegations of a conspiracy reportedly involving a former speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
According to a court information document, Smith is charged with Honest Services Wire Fraud, a felony violation which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison with no minimum sentence. The maximum fine if convicted is $250,000.
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The Tennessee State Senate unanimously approved legislation targeting organized street racing.
State Senator John Stevens’ (R-Huntingdon) SB1673 was approved by the Senate on February 28. It was engrossed on March 1. It now sits on the House desk for consideration.
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Republican Candidate Max Miller has a nearly $1 million financial lead over his nearest competitor in the race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, as of the December 31, 2021 filing deadline.
According to FEC records, Miller has raised $1,828,312.50 and has $968,976.38 cash on hand in the bank. No other candidate in either the Republican field or the Democrat field have more than $15,000 on hand.
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Democrat-sponsored legislation that would make it markedly more difficult for Metro Nashville citizens to amend the Metro charter is set to be considered by a key state Senate committee.
The measure increases petitions signature requirements to trigger Metropolitan charter amendment ballot referendums in Davidson County. The Metro Charter currently allows citizens to propose charter amendments by ballot initiative for public referendum. The required number of petitions signatures has historically been 10 percent of the voters for the previous general election.
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In an exclusive release provided to The Tennessee Star, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell announced her campaign team for her run in race for the GOP nomination in Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional district.
TLC Political’s Chasen Bullock and Alex Meyer are serving as the general consultants. Former Chairman the Williamson County Election Commission Bob Brown was tapped to serve as campaign manager. Rachel Barrett and Reid Witcher of Rachel Barrett and Company are serving as the campaign’s in-state fundraisers. TAG Strategies is handling the digital fundraising. 1892 LLC is the campaign’s pollster. FP1’s Chris LaCivita and Annie Kelly Kuhle are providing the advertising services.
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Eighteen individuals are now collecting petitions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race as of Friday, March 4.
Twelve people are collecting qualifying petitions for the GOP primary. Three are collecting petitions for the Democrat primary. Three Independents are also collecting petitions.
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