Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer said the Republican primary race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District will heavily be influenced by fundraising.
Incumbent Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston are running in the GOP primary for the 5th Congressional District on August 1.
Ogles has served as the U.S. representative for the Volunteer State’s 5th Congressional District since January 2023 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Johnston (pictured above, left), a Republican who allegedly supports former President Trump, previously urged Governor Bill Lee to call a special session to pass legislation targeting firearms in a 2022 open letter and cosponsored a resolution to set an official day for Nashville to recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance last year.
While her work on the Metro Council has raised questions about her politics, Johnston has yet to publicly offer her positions on top issues to voters more than one month after declaring her primary challenge to Ogles.
Noting how Johnston hosted a fundraiser event on Wednesday at Sinema, an upscale restaurant in Nashville, this week with multiple lobbyists and wealthy donors from Davidson County, Brewer said the Metro councilwoman is trying to fund her “message” that will reach voters throughout the entire 5th Congressional District.
Johnston’s campaign is also connected to The Best of Tennessee, the “moderate” political operation recently organized by seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, who also serves as Johnston’s campaign treasurer and Knoxville-based Democratic lawyer and abortion advocate Chloe Akers.
“We’re all going to hear a lot about [Johnston’s] campaign. She’s got a super effective fundraiser behind her, and she’s got a very effective campaign team and general consultant,” Brewer said on Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
“It will fund [her] message. It’ll fund the mailers that will ultimately show up at my house in Wilson County in the 5th District,” Brewer said.
Despite this, Brewer added, “Who’s on your campaign list or on your donor list in Nashville isn’t going to matter a bit of difference” in the other counties that make up the 5th Congressional District.
Regarding Ogles, Brewer said the incumbent’s fundraising numbers have largely been kept “under the radar.”
“I’d be interested to know what Congressman Ogles is doing about fundraising. I haven’t seen this level of activity coming from his camp. Maybe it’s just under the radar. I don’t know,” Brewer said.
“I think [fundraising] is going to be the race for the most part. [Johnston] should be raising money. Andy should be raising money. I assume he is,” Brewer added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Andy Ogles” by Andy Ogles. Photo “Courtney Johnston” by Courtney Johnston.
No more Rino`s. Vote for Andy Ogles! The woman is a virtual Democrat running in the Republican primary.
Money does not win elections, votes do. When powerful people convince others their vote doesn’t matter they win. Far to many “political experts, lobbyists and professional liars, to few statesmen. Andy Ogles continues to do the peoples business.