Questions continue to surround a candidate’s voting history in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional seat.
Former Trump administration State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus’ voter history remains unclear. Davidson County election officials say Ortagus registered to vote in Tennessee on November 29.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that Tennessee Republican bylaws state that in order to run in a GOP primary, a candidate must be considered a bona fide Republican. A bona fide Republican is a person who is actively involved in the Republican primary and has either voted in three of the past four statewide Republican primaries that they were eligible to vote in, or are “vouched for in writing (to the satisfaction of the decision makers defined herein) as a bona fide Republican by an officer of the TRP or a member of the CEC, excluding SEC members, of the county and/or district where said individual resides. The decision makers defined herein may require additional verification that said individual is indeed a bona fide Republican.”
Prior to moving to Tennessee, Ortagus records indicate that she was registered to vote in Washington, D.C. Ortagus served as Trump administration State Department spokesman from 2019 to 2021. DC Board of Elections records make it appear like she was continuously registered in D.C. from 2012 to 2020, although the document still lists her as an active voter. Records also indicate that Ortagus was registered to vote in New York City at some point between 2013 and 2019, although the exact timing is unclear.
The Star reached out to the Ortagus campaign for comment on her voting history.
Based on this document it appears Ms. Ortagus voted in only one of 4 of the most recent DC GOP Primaries:
June 2020 GOP Pres Primary — YES
June 2018 GOP Mayoral Primary – NO (Was a write-in, but still technically a primary)
June 2016 GOP Pres Primary – NO
June 2014 GOP Mayoral Primary – NO (Was a write-in, but still technically a primary)
- Can you confirm this document accurately reflects Ms. Ortagus’ D.C. voting history?
- We believe Ms. Ortagus may have been a resident of New York State in Manhattan at some point between 2013 and 2019. NYS has confirmed that she was registered to vote. How long was she registered to vote in New York and can you provide us with her voting history in NY State?
The Ortagus campaign has not responded to requests for comment as of this writing.
View Megan Ortagus’ voting record here:
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Of the publicly announced candidates, Robby Starbuck’s voting record shows that he never voted in a Republican primary in Tennessee and does not meet the three out of four standard.
If Morgan Ortagus does not meet the three out of four standard or demonstrate her voting record publicly, her bona fide status may be up for a challenge. If her candidacy is challenged, she may have to provide her voting record to the Tennessee GOP.
Tennessee GOP Chair Scott Golden said on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy that a candidate’s credentials can be challenged by two bona fide Republican voters living in the district during the ballot access petitions process.
We call it a protest or challenge a candidate’s credentials. The great thing about our bylaws is that we assume that if you are getting a Republican petition, that you’ve read the bylaws and you know what the rules of our organization are.
Two bona fide Republicans themselves say, I don’t believe that this candidate meets that standard. Then the process will start from then from there. I will notify that candidate that they are being protested.
And while they are being protested, they will have the obligation to show us why we are wrong, because it happens. Different people that get protested, they don’t know your name that you’re listed under when you register to vote.
You may be Bill Smith, and everybody looks at Bill Smith and there’s not a Bill Smith registered. Well, yes, William Smith is registered and he’s a great Republican voter. So those types of things I can dismiss.
But if I find that there is evidence to hold a protest, then it will be on the candidate to gather the information to show us that we’re wrong, or it will be on the candidate to then gather the necessary letters of support showing that they should be on the ballot.
The petitions process started on Monday and the deadline for them to be turned in is April 7.
The 5th Congressional District now includes parts of Davidson, parts of Wilson, parts of Williamson, all of Marshall, Maury, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] Star previously reported that Ortagus only recently moved to Tennessee and registered to vote in the state less than three […]
Her bona fides are nonexistent. A political bureaucrat looking to make a name for herself.