Metro Nashville Councilmember Courtney Johnston announced Monday she has raised over $700,000 since launching her campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
Johnston is running in the Republican primary race against incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), a first-term congressman who is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and boasts a 100 percent rating on the Heritage Action Scorecard, the nation’s leading conservative scorecard.
On Monday, Johnston announced that she has raised “over $700,000” since launching her campaign for Congress on April 5.
“In a powerful display of support and momentum, Conservative Republican Courtney Johnston has raised over $700,000 during her first quarter as a candidate. This remarkable fundraising achievement underscores the growing desire among Middle Tennessee voters for a change in leadership,” Johnston’s campaign said in a press release.
“In stark contrast to her opponent, about 99% of her support came from Tennessee. Johnston’s campaign, aimed at unseating incumbent Andy Ogles, has captured the enthusiasm and financial backing of a broad base of supporters. With over $500,000 cash on hand entering the final month of the election, Johnston is well-positioned to make a significant impact in the race,” the press release added.
Johnston’s official fundraising numbers will be released next week as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing deadline for candidates’ July Quarterly reports is Monday, July 15.
Johnston’s campaign is 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.
While Johnston claims to be a conservative who allegedly supports former President Donald Trump and wants to “drain the swamp,” her record as a councilmember suggests otherwise.
Elected to the Metro Council in 2019, Johnston 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.
When it comes to defeating Ogles, Johnston’s campaign brands the incumbent congressman as “an ineffective politician who is long on talk and short on results” despite Ogles making history earlier this year for submitting the highest number of legislative proposals by any freshman member of Congress in “several decades.”
Early voting for the August 1 primary begins July 12.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photos “Courtney Johnston” by Courtney Johnston.
you cant trust a metro council person to be a conservative. it just ain’t happening
I don’t know who supports her