The Tennessee Star learned that the far-left Tennessee Education Association (TEA) is distributing the same mailed literature piece recently targeting Democrat voters and encouraging them to vote for Jeff Eby in the House District (HD) 69 Republican race and other August 4 Republican district primaries.
In addition to promoting Eby’s bid, the TEA mailed the same exact piece in the HD 13 and Senate District (SD) 9 Republican primaries.
Gabriel Fancher received the TEA endorsement in the HD 13 race and was the beneficiary of the mail piece promotion.
State Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) received the TEA endorsement in the SD 9 race, and the same piece was additionally sent out in support of him.
The Star previously reported the content of the mail piece, with the only difference being the names, identifying title, and whether the word “elect” or “re-elect” was used in the promotion. Eby, Fancher, and Briggs’ names have been used interchangeably.
It says on one side, “In the fights ahead, we need [candidate] as our state representative.”
One bullet point targets school choice, saying, “Fighting vouchers and charters: [candidate] will fight out-of-state interest groups and stop the push for rural and suburban charter schools against Tennessee.
Another bullet point says [candidate] will oppose parents’ rights and legislation aimed at eliminating Critical Race Theory in the classrooms and grooming children.
It says, “Stop attacks on what and how we teach: [candidate] knows Tennessee teachers are the experts on what our students need and teach the state standards with fidelity. [Candidate] will stand up to the ‘reformers’ who have run amok with high-stakes testing and attacks on our professional integrity.”
On the other side, the mail piece says, “in the Republican primary, vote [candidate].”
The mail piece continues with a message that several political consultants, on the condition of background, say targets Democrats.
“State law says you can vote in the GOP primary,” it says. “Low turnout means your vote has a huge impact. To win the big fights we need to win this election! Stand up for our schools and ourselves: Vote!”
“That’s exactly the language I’d use if I were trying to get Democrats to vote in a Republican primary,” one political consultant with 20 years of experience said.
The piece adds in bold letters, “Vote like your school depends on it. It does!”
The TEA logo is featured prominently on both sides of the piece. The piece does not appear to contain the proper disclaimer.
The Star previously reported that the TEA is a teachers’ union, and is a division of the National Education Association (NEA).
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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 “Gabriel Fancher (Left)” by Gabriel Fancher. Photo “Jeff Eby (Center)” by Jeff Eby. Photo “Richard Briggs (Right)” by Richard Briggs.
Briggs is in the 7th Senate district. Democrats crossing over in the 9th Senate District are not likely to find him on the ballot there.
In other news, highly educated mice encourage other mice to bite elephants in the ankles.
Why not? The Republicans used to cross over in Tennessee’s Democratic Primary. for example, in 1970 to vote for pseudo-Democrat Hudley Crockett in order to weaken Albert Gore, Sr’s. bid for a fourth term. They weakened Gore, Sr. just enough to enable Republican Bill Brock to squeak to a narrow victory over Gore, Sr. in November. For the Republicans to now complain about Democrats playing the same game smacks of real hypocrisy!
If you want real change we need closed primaries in Tennessee! Tennessee GOP chairman Scott Golden has continually opposed closed primaries!! Maybe his old employer, senator Marsha Blackburn can talk some since into him! Golden appears to be assisting the old guard GOP establishment! Golden is a good reason we need term limits in the GOP party! Golden Will not call Bill Hagerty with his insider trading and requiring gop candidates to have a blind trust set up for the candidate and their spouse!
Ogles vetoed the Maury County budget–he thought it was too expensive–what more could he do? Now, the citizens of Maury County cannot blame Ogles when their county property taxes will likely increase later this year (a time when the economy is terrible, and when ordinary folks are struggling every week to put gas in their vehicles so that they can go to work, put food on their table, pay their adjustable rate home loan so that they don’t become homeless, pay for the high energy costs to cool and heat their homes, and provide the necessities for their children). Looks to me like the voters of the new 5th Congressional District have found their new Congressman–if they have any sense!
Oh, and by the way, when county property taxes increase, it follows ‘as night the day’ that city property taxes will also probably increase. Just sayin’.
Take your children out of public schools.